with other units of her squadron, DesRon 10. On 1 May she arrived at Mers-el-Kebir, whence she operated as a unit of TG 80.6, a hunter-killer group formed to work with the North African coastal air squadrons against the U-boat menace to shipping in the 325-mile stretch between the Straits of Gibraltar and Oran. The Anglo-American air-sea effort, devised to keep U-boats submerged to the point of exhaustion and then overwhelm them as they surfaced, required time and patience, as well as coordination. It was instrumental in slicing the number of operational U-boats in the Mediterranean by over one-third between March and June. On 14 May Rodman, with others of her squadron, departed Mers-el-Kebir to track a submarine which had sunk four merchantmen in less than two days. A 72-hour air-surface hunt ensued, but on the morning of 17 May, the damaged surfaced, was abandoned, and sank. The force picked up survivors and retired to Mers-el-Kebir only to sail for England the following day. Invasion of France, Omaha Beach On 22 May Rodman arrived at Plymouth and on 23 May assumed duties as CTU 126.2.1 for Operation Neptune, the naval phase of Operation Overlord the invasion of France. On 24 May, she conducted shore bombardment exercises. Then she waited. On 4 June the convoy B-1, formed, headed out across the English Channel, but then turned back, as the invasion was postponed one day. On 5 June the convoy again formed and headed east, this time continuing on to France and landing reinforcements on Omaha Beach on the afternoon of 6 June. Rodman, detached on arrival in the assault area, joined TG 122.4 and through 16 June provided gunfire support and patrolled in the Baie de la Seine. Brief respite at Plymouth followed, but on 18 June she returned to the Normandy coast. Back in English waters from 21–24 June, she joined TF 129 on 25 June as that force joined the U.S. IX Army Air Force in supporting the U.S. VII Corps (the 9th, 79th, and 4th Divisions) closing on Cherbourg. Southern France Rodman returned to England the same day, proceeded to sea again on 30 June; and, after a 3-day stop at Belfast, got underway for the Mediterranean to participate in Operation Dragoon ("Anvil"), the invasion of southern France. Arriving at Mers-el-Kebir on 11 July, she was en route to Sicily on 16 July, and into August operated between