Our annual D-Day post:
I can't improve on this.Sixty-nineSeventy years ago today. My annual D-Day post, first published in 2009...The world will probably never see another military operation like this ever again. The focus is primarily on the men who scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc and landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno and Gold, and rightly so. But the Allied navies and air arms deserve equal attention, as do the behind-the-scenes logisticians who managed an incredible supply chain; that supply chain was a modern marvel in every sense of the word. As I said, we'll never see another military effort like this ever again. Let's hope we never have cause to mount such an invasion, too.D-Day
Sixty-five years ago today. All images as captioned in the Life Magazine photo archives.
Tracer fire from many different ships lighting up the night sky over the English Channel during opening phase of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France. (no credit)
American B-26 Marauders with special D-Day markings make a bombing run over Cherbourg around the time of the Allied D-Day invasion of France. (Frank Scherschel)
Aerial view of American troops and tanks coming ashore as landing craft continue to unload on the first day of Operation Overlord, the invasion of France, aka on D-Day. (no credit)
Massive landing and deployment of US troops, supplies and equipment in the days following victorious D-Day action on Omaha Beach; barrage balloons guard against German aircraft while scores of ships unload men & material. (no credit)
Bodies of 8 American paratroopers lie outside the wreckage of their glider near Hiesville, France on the day of the invasion of Normandy, aka D-Day. (no credit)
Chaplin saying mass aboard HMS Scylla, laying at anchor off the Normandy coast shortly after the D-Day invasion of France. (no credit)
As always... click for larger. And spare a thought and a prayer today for those who made the ultimate sacrifice6569 years ago. There were many thousands who gave their lives for freedom on this day...
Well done sir. Thank you!
ReplyDeletePerfect.
ReplyDeleteThank God for Neutron bombs. These kind of battles can now be won with rockets out of Montana. I wish we'd use them more often. A couple of neutron bomb over Afghanistan would have solved that problem in a night.
ReplyDeleteThank you all.
ReplyDelete@ Rockets: Do we even have any neutron bombs?
America have WMD? nawww...
ReplyDeleteWe have a Neutron Dance.
ReplyDeleteAnd a Safety Dance, too.
DeleteThat third-last photo is probably representative of what my Dad would've seen; his artillery unit landed a week or so after D-Day. . .
ReplyDeleteThings were still rather sporty then, even a week after the initial landing. God bless your Dad, Craig.
DeleteExcellent post.
ReplyDeleteThank ya, Sir.
Delete