Priller.

This is coolbert:

Again, from a comment to the blog:

"Bizarre that the one German naval success regarding the Normandy invasion was in successfully attacking the training exercise. I guess they "stumbled" into this allied training maneuver while on patrol, but from what I can understand, none of the E-boats showed up on D-Day."

German intelligence that the exercise [Tiger] was occurring was based upon radio intercepts?

"German Intelligence had listened to the American radio traffic and dispatched 9 E Boats from their home port, Cherbourg, creating this large scale disaster."

"On routine patrol out of the French port of Cherbourg, the commanders had learned of heavy radio traffic in Lyme Bay."

The German E-boats got "lucky" during Tiger?

"Only once in that time [prior to and during D-Day] did the E-Boats achieve anything of consequence. That was during an invasion exercise when they got in amongst a convoy of landing craft in Lyme Bay and wrought serious devastation and heavy loss of life; it was their sole success although they were at sea night after night".

It seems that but with one exception, the German was totally "asleep at the wheel" on the Sixth of June. The initial Normandy invasion had such a good deception plan that German forces did not respond?

That one exception being that of the strafing run by the German fighter pilot "Pips" Priller. As shown in the movie "The Longest Day". Made a SINGLE pass over the beaches with his wing man.

Other than "Pips", the German Navy and Luftwaffe did not "show up" on D-Day.

"Pips" Priller survived the war with 101 kills to his record.

"Josef Priller flew 307 combat missions to claim 101 victories"

coolbert.