The Disaster That Won the War

Its name was Exercise Tiger, and it was one of the most important exercises in World War II. You've probably had never heard of it. It’s not, however, forgotten because it was a disaster for the American forces, even though that is exactly what it was. A disaster.

The trouble started on the beach landing. A delay in some of the landing ship caused the troops that were to invade the beach to come under shelling from their own warship. Marines were killed by friendly fire. Even worse the top secret exercise was witnessed by a German E-boat that attacked some of the transport boats. Two of the nine were sunk, another two were damaged before other ships could return fire. A thousand men died. The failed exercise caused the entire Allied war plan to be put on hold until the situation was brought back under control. The whole debacle was hidden from the public. The families of those that died were not informed of the men deaths. Any mention of the incident would get you court-martialed

Yet without it, the Allies might not have won the war. It was kept a secret for a reason. Exercise Tiger was the dry run training exercise for D-Day. The mistakes of Operation Tiger helped the allies fix the problems that allowed for the successful invasion on June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France that would be crucial to ending the war.

It was forgotten mostly because of timing. Before D-Day, it was a secret; after D-Day, it was old news. Yet it doesn’t minimalize the sacrifice made and the importance of it.

Unfortunately, the church has a way of forgetting about those that helped to get it where it is. We move on and forget about those that sacrificed so we can have what we have. The mistakes and corrections of the past helped to give us success today. Even the mistakes of our past should be remembered since they can show us where we need to be.

As important as it is to remember those that helped us, we often don’t

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6:10-12

But God isn’t forgetful. He remembers our labors and will reward those that hold fast. The world may forget but God never does.

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