Battleships in World War II part of Operation Neptune, in support of the D-Day landings in June 1944. D-Day also saw the deliberate sacrifice of two old dreadnoughts ( and ), which were scuttled as part of the breakwater around the Allied Mulberry harbours. The sinking of "Prince of Wales" and "Repulse" off the coast of Malaya in 1941 demonstrated that even the most modern battleships could not hold off aerial attacks without decent aerial defenses. The British HACS fire control system had been rendered inoperable by the extreme heat and humidity of the Malaya tropical climate, and the anti-aircraft artillery had managed to shoot
Sark during the German occupation of the Channel Islands Guernsey team was discovered and the baker was “interviewed” by the Wehrmacht Feldgendarmerie until unconscious, but did not reveal his accomplices. He received a sentence of six months in prison, later reduced on appeal to four months. He survived, but two of the GUNS team died in prison. The night of 5–6 June 1944 was full of engine noises as American planes carrying paratroopers passed overhead. People listened to their crystal sets next day for news. By 22 June Americans were on the French coast just away. Three recovered 8.8 cm SK C/35 naval guns were emplaced in Little Sark