Once we have a war there one thing
to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever
happen in war. - Ernest Hemingway
By
Elizabeth H. Elys: I began my writing regarding this
historical day with a quotation about war from my favorite American writer and
novelist Ernest Hemingway. He has been journalist during WWII, he was in Spain
during Spanish Civil War and he was present at Normandy landing and the liberation
of Paris.
His wartime experiences formed the for
his wonderful novels like A Farewell to Arms or For Whom Bell Tolls.
During Normandy Landings, he was considered"
precious cargo" and not allowed ashore. According historian P.
Fussell: Hemingway got into considerable trouble playing infantry captain to a
group of Resistance people that he gathered because a correspondent is not supposed
to lead troops, even he does it well. Hemingway was awarded a Bronze Star for
his bravery during WWII.
Now, what happened on June 6, 1944, early
this morning!
Code named Operation Overlord or D-
Day. The battle began, when some 156.000 American, British and Canadians forces
landed on five beaches along a 50- mile stretch of the fortified coast of
France’ s Normandy region.
The invasion was one of the largest
military assaults in history and required extensive planning. The Normandy landing
has been called the beginning of the end of War in Europe. The Battle of
Normandy which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944 resulted in the Allied
liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany control.
Five beaches landing:
Utah Beach
On Utah, U.S. forces landed more than a mile away from their
intended destination. "We start the War from here" US Brigadier
General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Shouted.
Omaha Beach
Omaha was the bloodiest of the D -
Day beaches, with 2.400 U.S. troops turning up dead, wounded or missing. The
carnage became so severe that U.S. Lieutenant General O. Bradley considered
abandoning the entire operation.
Assistance came from a group of Army Rangers who scaled a
massive promontory between Omaha and Utah.
Gold Beach
British troops began storming Gold,
the middle of the five D- Day beaches, nearly an hour after fighting got
underway at Utah and Omaha.
The Germans put up robust resistance and had wiped out much
of their defenses. Within an hour the British had secured a few beach exits,
and from there they pushed inland.
Juno Beach
At Juno, Allied landing craft once again struggled with rough
seas along with offshore shoals and enemy mines. The first hour was brutal,
with a casualty rate 50 percent for the leading assault teams. Canadians
advanced further inland than either their American or British counterparts…
Sword Beach
Around midnight, British troops,
along with a battalion of Canadians, dropped behind enemy lines to secure the
invasion’s eastern flank. Within minutes, they had taken hold of Pegasus Bridge
over the river Orne. Other airborne troops destroyed bridges to prevent Germans
from arriving, and they took out a key German artillery battery in a bloody
firefight.
The Allies would not be able to
unite all five D- Day beaches until June 12, 1944.
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