ABSTRACT
From 1944, Cunningham kept a diary, justifying it by remarking, ‘So many interesting things are happening that I think it behaves me to keep a diary’. The greatest naval operation of this period was undoubtedly ‘Overlord’/‘Neptune’, the cross-Channel invasion, launched on 6 June 1944 – ‘D-day’. Most of Cunningham’s difficulties were with Churchill. The Prime Minister was ‘very worked up’ about the landings and in an ‘almost hysterical state’. Cunningham also experienced further difficulties with King, who assumed the right to withdraw American warships to support ‘Anvil’ and operations in the Pacific. The obstacles ranged from shore defences, destroyers, torpedo boats, E-boats and mines to a variety of conventional and midget U-boats. Cunningham, seconded by King, also advocated the seizure and opening of the North German ports in preference to the Eisenhower strategy, eventually adopted, of advancing on a broad front. Cunningham visited the Mediterranean again at the end of January 1945.
