Omaha Beach : Tuesday 6th June 1944

Tuesday, June 6th 1944. It is dawn and the German lookouts on sentry along the beach of Sables d'Or at the Pointe du Hoc spot some worrying silhouettes in the distance. An incredible number of masts and ships begin to appear as the mist rises. It is in Normandy that the Allies have decided to invade and begin the liberation of Europe. Of the five beaches chosen by the Allies, the one codenamed `Omaha' has the best defences and is the least propitious for an amphibious assault. The German defences, miraculously spared against the Allies' naval and aerial bombardment, open fire on the first crafts that run aground 400 metres from the beach at 6.30. The American soldiers and sappers of the first assault wave are pinned down by the intense fire of the German guns. Even more unfortunate, a number of the amphibious craft have sunk. The situation is so grave that General Bradley considers calling off the operation. However, due to their great courage and tenacity of the GIs manage to take the beach and neutralise the German positions. By the evening of D-Day, the operation is a success but at immense cost of life and materiel. Christophe Prime provides a detailed account of the battle for Omaha Beach in this richly illustrated book. Photos, first-hand accounts, and many objects take the reader to the heart of these events and helps us to understand what the combatants lived through during the course of these tragic hours.