Later that day, LST-266 received orders to stand out for onward routing. "Ducking and dodging" convoys of LCTs on the return voyage, LST-266, one of 42 LSTs in convoy, reached the Isle of Portland on the morning of the 9th. From there, she accompanied 11 other tank landing ships to Tilbury Docks to load cargo, arriving there early on 12 June. Embarking 273 British troops and 72 vehicles, LST-266 anchored briefly in the River Thames before joining an out-bound convoy, ETM-8, in the late afternoon of the 13th. Arriving off Sword Beach, in the British sector, at 2245 on 14 June, LST-266 beached herself on "Queen Red" Beach, four miles west of Ouistreham, France at 0830 on the 15th along with five other U.S. tank landing ships. ""Until 0930,"" wrote Lieutenant Logan A. Bolon, USNR, LST-266's captain, ""the beach was peaceful and free of enemy action, but at 0930 the peacefulness took a hasty departure, no doubt hurried along by the burst of an enemy shell five hundred yards on the port quarter."" As the tide receded enough to allow unloading, the Germans increased the tempo of their gunfire accordingly. Over the next few hours, enemy long-range guns methodically sowed the beach with shells. ""I am fully convinced,"" Bolon recounted, ""that those manning the enemy guns were extremely capable and not at the game. The range and deflection was good and salvoes varied from one to four. This vessel received one direct hit...and enough near misses to scare the daylights out of us..."