The Invasion Before Normandy is a chronicle of one of World War II's most dramatic and secret operations. In 1944, an American naval exercise off the southern Devonshire coast--preparation for the landing at Normandy--was interrupted by the sudden appearance of German E-boats. When the fighting was over, 198 Navy men and 441 soldiers were counted among the dead. Quickly covered up by military officials who needed to protect the invasion plans, these casualties were lumped together with those from Omaha Beach and the results of the failed mission were hidden for the next forty years. This book provides a rare inside look at this catastrophic rehearsal for D-Day.