Tag Archives: photography

June 7, 2017 · 5:35 am

D-Day — Utah


Utah Beach

The beach assaults on D-Day occurred at five locations. Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches lay to the east. Gold and Sword were led by the English. Canada led the way at Juno. The U.S. Army assaulted the two beaches to the west, Omaha and Utah, with Utah being the western-most invasion site.

M4 Sherman Tank

Leading the assault of Utah Beach was the son of a president, General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. General Roosevelt hid from his superiors a heart condition that would lead to his death just a little over five weeks after the invasion.

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

The assault forces at Utah met with surprisingly light resistance. There were 197 casualties out of the 21,000 men who landed there.

 

Utah Beach Navy Memorial

Those who landed on the beach just to their east were not nearly as fortunate. Next up in this series is the assault on Omaha. Until then, here are a more photos of Utah:

Utah Beach

Utah Beach

Utah Beach Memorial

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June 6, 2017 · 5:35 am

D-Day — Pointe du Hoc


100-foot/30-meter cliffs of Pointe du Hoc

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the U.S. Army Ranger Assault Group landed at Pointe du Hoc. Their unenviable mission was to scale the 100-foot/30-meter cliffs and take out German 155mm gun emplacements that endangered the ships would soon stream toward Omaha Beach to the left and Utah Beach on the right. It turned out to be a bloody exercise in futility, as those 155mm guns were not even there.

German bunker overlooking Pointe du Hoc

The Rangers were sitting ducks, and in the end only 90 survived out of the 225 men who landed there.

Memorial to the U.S. Army Ranger Assault Group

More photos of Pointe du Hoc:

Pointe du Hoc

Provisional Engineer Special Brigade Group

German bunker entrance

German bunker

Memorial to the 2nd Infantry Division

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June 5, 2017 · 5:35 am

D-Day — Sainte-Mère-Église


82nd Airborne commemorated in stained glass

The D-Day invasion of Normandy shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, when English and American paratroopers began descending from the skies to their respective landing zones. Unfortunately for one element of the U.S. 82nd Airborne missed their intended landing zone, coming down instead into Sainte-Mere-Èglise, where German soldiers were waiting for them

Sainte-Mère-Église “Longest Day” memorial

Among the more fortunate that day was Private John Steele, whose parachute snagged on the church steeple. Here he hung loosely, pretending to be dead as many of his comrades were shot on their descent into the town. Private Steel would later be captured, escape, and later rejoined elements of the 82nd.

Private John Steele effigy suspended by parachute

Private Steele’s ordeal was depicted by Red Buttons in the motion picture The Longest Day, based upon the outstanding bestseller by WWII historian Cornelius Ryan.

Sainte-Mère-Église Church

More photos from the Sainte-Mère-Église Church:

82nd Airborne commemorated in stained glass

Sainte-Mère-Église Church

Sainte-Mère-Église Church

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