BEACH INTELLIGENCE

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 227, 22 June 1944, Page 6

BEACH INTELLIGENCE

Invasion Guides Prepared

<British Official Wireless.) (Received June 21, 9 p.m.)

RUGBY, June 20. How. guides to the Normandy beaches, describing in simple language every small detail, were made available to every British, Canadian and United States soldier who landed, has been told at S.H.A.E.F. "Beach intelligence” started their preparations two years ago. The idea for guides came to officers of the intelligence branch from a simple sketch drawn by a private soldier. The preparations began with close stuik- of the beaches. The reports were accepred as authoritative by the naval authorities and it was for the commander to decide what beaches he intended to use. Beach maps on a l-to-5000 scale were prepared’and the filling of the gap in the intelligence on the situation of low water inshore for the passage of special craft and deeper water craft was one of the dozens of problems to overcome.

The formation of the beaches and points of entry had to be examined aud marked. A picture every soldier could understand was printed of the beach section. They were clear diagrams of points of entry, depths of water, geological crosssections of all known defences and gradients. All the details wore made on one large picture. In the initial landings, this was placed on the bow ramp of landing-craft, and the troops studied it on their way across the sea.