Editing Exercise Tiger (section)

===Landing operations===
In late 1943, as part of the build-up to D-day, the British government set up a training ground at Slapton Sands, Devon, to be used by Force "U", the American forces tasked with landing on [[Utah Beach]]. Slapton Beach was selected for its similarity to Utah Beach: a gravel beach, followed by a strip of land and then a lake. Approximately 3,000 local residents in the area of [[Slapton, Devon|Slapton]],<ref>{{cite web |date=16 November 1943 |title=South Devon Evacuation 1944 |publisher=Exeter Flotilla.org |url=http://www.exeterflotilla.org/history_misc/sth_dvn_evac/index.html |access-date=28 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924004741/http://www.exeterflotilla.org/history_misc/sth_dvn_evac/index.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> now [[South Hams|South Hams District]] of [[Devon]], were evacuated.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 March 2007 |title=Slapton Line: Slapton Monument Rededication |publisher=[[Devon County Council]] |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environment/historic_environment/slapton-line/sl-monument_rededication.htm?textsize=1 |url-status=dead |access-date=6 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531051958/http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/environment/historic_environment/slapton-line/sl-monument_rededication.htm?textsize=1 |archive-date=31 May 2016}}</ref> Some had never left their villages before being evacuated.<ref name=Stokes>{{cite news |last=Stokes |first=Paul |date=29 April 1994 |title=Veterans honour 749 who died in D-Day rehearsal |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London}}</ref>

Landing exercises started in December 1943. Exercise Tiger was one of the larger exercises that took place in April and May 1944. The exercise was to last from 22 April until 30 April 1944, and covered all aspects of the invasion, culminating in a beach landing at Slapton Sands. On board nine large [[tank landing ship]]s (LSTs), the 30,000 troops prepared for their mock landing, which also included a live-firing exercise.

Protection for the exercise area came from the [[Royal Navy]]. Four [[O and P-class destroyer|O-class destroyers]], three [[Motor Torpedo Boat]]s and two [[Motor Gun Boat]]s patrolled the entrance to [[Lyme Bay]] while three Motor Torpedo Boats were stationed off [[Cherbourg]], where [[Kriegsmarine|German]] [[E-boat]]s were based.{{sfn|Simpson|2021|p=222}}

The first phase of the exercise focused on marshalling and embarkation drills, and lasted from 22 to 25 April. On the evening of 26 April the first wave of assault troops boarded their transports and set off, the plan being to simulate the Channel crossing by taking a roundabout route through Lyme Bay, in order to arrive off Slapton at first light on 27 April.