Considerable uncertainty about the forecast had resulted in the postponement of the invasion by a day; it was clear that a series of depressions was about to hit the British Isles, but there was little agreement about timing.
Calm clear weather early on Sunday June 4th was sure enough rapidly followed by a gale in the Channel on the 5th, and our photo must have been taken just after that cleared, leaving the brief weather window during which the invasion of Normandy could take place on the 6th.
The charts show the westerly airstream following the gale, which the troops found made things at sea very uncomfortable!
A useful account of the problems of forecasting for D-Day can be found in 'Stormwatchers' by John D. Cox (2002) or at
www.met.ie/climate-ireland/weather.../June1944_DDay-landings.pdf
Steve Fraser
Cruiser Class Captain
