HMS Belfast served as Dalrymple-Hamilton's flagship and headquarters for Bombardment Force E during the Normandy landings. He and the ship's captain used both the 6-inch main battery and the nominally anti-aircraft 4-inch guns to suppress the battery at Ver-sur-Mer until the Green Howards overran it. Belfast then supported Canadian troops advancing inland from Juno Beach. By 16 June she had exhausted her 6-inch ammunition and nearly depleted the 4-inch supply, forcing a return to Portsmouth for replenishment and a check on barrel wear. Her barrels remained fit for further service, and she returned on 18 June. She later evaded an E-boat attack under smoke before firing her final European-war rounds on 8 July 1944.
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Belfast's main and secondary guns at D-Day
Belfast combined 6-inch and 4-inch fire at Normandy, then replenished ammunition and checked barrel wear before resuming support.