Start Bay

{{Short description|Bay in Devon, England}}

{{For|the Royal Navy frigate|HMS Start Bay (K604)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

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| caption = Map of the three east-facing bays of the Lyme Bay sheltered part of the English Channel

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Image:Start bay devon.jpg from near its southern end]]

Start Bay is a sub-bay of the nautical definition of Lyme Bay in the English Channel in south-east Devon, England. The southernmost of three substantial Devon bays facing east it is between the Mew Stone which sits east of the River Dart's estuary and Start Point near the southernmost point of the county, Prawle Point. Along it, from south to north, are Hallsands, Beesands, Torcross, Slapton Sands, Strete, Blackpool Sands and Stoke Fleming. The South West Coast Path is above much of the bay. Its north end is {{convert|1.5|mi}} south of Dartmouth; its middle is {{convert|4|mi}} east of Kingsbridge.

The 4-gun Royal Navy cutter {{HMS|Friendship|1763|2}} was stationed here as a patrol vessel from 1763 to 1771.{{cite book | last = Winfield| first = Rif|title = British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates | page=325| publisher = Seaforth| year = 2007|isbn=9781844157006}}

A division of the US Army used Slapton Sands to rehearse the Normandy landings in 1944, but was attacked by German vessels.{{cite web|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-tiger.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224041520/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-tiger.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2015 |title=Operation Tiger |publisher=United States Naval History and Heritage Command |accessdate=14 August 2015}}