Slapton Sands - The Missing Men: The Lost Documents Behind the E-Boat Action

By Gary Sterne

" The author] did a deep dive into original documents in American and British archives, many of which had never before been reviewed by other scholars. As a result, he was able to reconstruct the events and the names, details, and burial sites for all the missing sailors and soldiers." - National Maritime Historical Society

In April 1944 with the D-Day invasion looming, a convoy of American landing craft sailed along England's south coast. In the dead of night, German E-boats struck and within minutes, ships were sunk, hundreds of US servicemen were dead, and the Allies had suffered their greatest loss of life in the build-up to the invasion of Normandy. The tragedy was quickly buried under wartime secrecy laws, yet for decades, rumours persisted. Were all the bodies recovered? Or did some of the missing men remain hidden, buried in Dorset fields?

Award-winning investigative author Gary Sterne, known for Cover Up at Omaha Beach and Cover Up at Pointe du Hoc, has spent years uncovering hidden truths about the Normandy campaign. A chance meeting with a veteran set him on the trail of the Slapton Sands mystery. Through meticulous research and the discovery of long-forgotten British, American, and German documents, he has pieced together the events of that night in unprecedented detail.

For the first time, the fate of every missing man is revealed - their names and what truly happened to them. Acclaimed by historians, this groundbreaking work finally resolves an 80-year-old enigma and shines new light on one of the Second World War's most tragic and secretive episodes.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1036198545
• ISBN13: 9781036198541
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.2" x 9.3"