Bud and the whole Navy sat off the coast of South Hampton, England for six weeks. No mail or contact with the shore was allowed and he remembers how unpleasant the wait was in these conditions.
For the initial invasion the 537 LCT was carrying four Sherman Tanks, which weighed approximately 64,000 pounds each. These were strapped down in the middle of the ship with 3/4 inch log chains. Four jeeps were strapped down on each side of the tanks.
Originally the invasion was planned for June 4, 1945. They rolled their camouflage netting over the side, but the water was too rough and the invasion was postponed until June 5.
In the earliest hours of June 5, 1945, just slightly after midnight, they left South
Hampton to cross the Channel to Omaha Beach. It was 23 miles across. Three ships sank
on the way, taking on too much water due to the waves which reached 20 to 30 feet high.
Of the 43 LCTs that left Southampton, only 13 survived by the end of D-Day +3.
One of the biggest problems for the amphibian force landing crafts was underwater mines the Germans had planted. These mines were about the size of a football and if a ship even touched them they went off. A mine could blow an amphibian landing craft in two. Mine sweepers were constantly patrolling, finding and blowing up mines, but the sweepers couldn't find every mine.
Map of the Normandy D-Day Invasion.