7 - Artifacts used on battle of Normandy - June 6th, 1944

Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) M1918A2 History, technical details and pictures
Browning Automatic Rifle history The M1918A1 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) was created in 1917 by engineer John Browning. This new weapon was to replace the French Chauchat light machine gun still used at that time in the U.S. Army. First used by American troops at the end of World War I, the M1918A1 model was also used during the Second World War. In 1940, a new BAR model was created, called M1918A2, offering two different shooting modes, a slow one (300-450 rounds per minute) and a one fast (500-650 rounds per minute). It is also fitted with a fire shooting cover removing flames and allowing the shooter to hide its position during night fights. Also used during the Korean War, the BAR has enabled platoons of U.S. forces to have a major fire power. But its main shortcoming is that its charger contained only 20 bullets. The BAR magazine was so to avoid any overheating of the weapon. The BAR magazine is empty in less than 4 seconds during a continued fire. 155 mm M1 "Long Tom" gun History, technical details and picture 155 mm M1 "Long Tom" history During the period between the two world wars, the U.S. military have envisaged to develop a powerful artillery, learning from the WW1 lessons. In 1920, following the recommendations of the Westervelt Board study, specialized in the artillery, the first plans for a long-range 155 mm gun were drawn. This project lasted until the 1930s, the engineers being reluctant to set the gun on a mobile structure. In 1939, the first prototypes appeared under the name T3 8in howitzer. It was installed on eight wheels and finally adopted the name M1. Used on the various theaters of World War II, it was deployed during the Battle of Normandy, where it offered a strong and long range fire power. It was nicknamed "Long Tom". After the war, it is modernized (model M4) and installed on a powered chassis to improve its mobility (model M40). Appreciated for its reliability and its fire power, it was sold to many nations such as Denmark, Greece, Japan, Italy and Austria. The D-Day cricket History, technical details and pictures D-Day cricket history It was after during the Airborne operation over Sicily in 1943 that Commander Taylor, the future general commanding the 101st Airborne Division, realized the importance of the communication among the parachuted units into enemy territory. Indeed, scattered in various places, isolated paratroopers had a hard time to find their comrades without risking to expose themselves to the enemy fire. The Americans reused the principle of a popular toy at the time which consisted of a steel spring blade emitting a click when pressed. Indeed, British THE ACME firms had received the production order of several thousands of small brass crickets, some were made in chromed brass. Only the 101st Airborne Division was provided with crickets (only the paratroopers from the division) a few days before 6 June 1944. In addition to this recognition mean, an oral code was developed (valid 24 hours after the start of the operations): "Flash", a word which should meet "Thunder". The second day, the code became: "Hustle" - "Along". Other means of identification were: smoke (colored or not), billboards, lights or flags. The paratroopers were free to hang their cricket wherever they wished. Some have kept it in the pockets of their jackets or their pants, others have hung it around the neck or on their helmet. Nowadays, many reproductions have been produced and it is not uncommon to hear "click-clack" in the commemorative ceremonies in Normandy.

6 - Former Miami minister Burkhalter landed on Omaha beach as chaplain for the "Fighting First." He penned this letter to his wife Mabel shortly after the invasion.

Former Miami minister Burkhalter landed on Omaha beach  as chaplain for the  "Fighting First."  He penned this letter to his wife Mabel shortly after the invasion.

Capt. John G. Burkhalter poses after World War II displaying ribbons and rank. (Courtesy photo from  Joseph Giove III) Dear Mable, It is mid-afternoon here in France several weeks after D-Day. Shells from heavy artillery are humming overhead and the sounds of shells bursting are coming from all directions in the not-so-far-off distance. The regiment I'm with forms part of the front line. I entered France on D-Day with the "Fighting First Division."  This Division has well-trained, courageous and experienced men.

Our officers are of the highest order, men of great courage and experience who are war-wise and have seen a lot of battle. The First Division was the first to enter France in World War I and first to enter France in this war; they were the assault troops in the American sector on D-Day. There are not many close-up photographs of the First Division on D-Day because the beach was too hot for photography in those early morning hours. Picture-taking was better in the days that followed. When my part of the Division landed, there were impressions made on my mind that will never leave it. Just before landing we could see heavy artillery shells bursting all up and down the beach at the water's edge under well directed fire. As I stood in line waiting to get off the LCI to a smaller craft to go into shore, I was looking toward land and saw a large shell fall right on a landing craft full of men. I had been praying quite a bit through the night as we approached the French coast but now I began praying more earnestly than ever. Danger was everywhere; death was not far off. I knew that God alone is the maker and preserver of life, who loves to hear and answer prayer. We finally landed and our assault craft was miraculously spared, for we landed with no shells hitting our boat.

Ernie Pyle came ashore the morning after the assault and after seeing the results of what took place the day before he wrote, "Now that it's all over, it seems to me a pure miracle we ever took the beach at all." The enemy had a long time to fix up the beach. The beach was covered with large pebbles to prevent tank movements, and mines were everywhere. The enemy was well dug in and had set up well prepared positions for machine guns and had well chosen places for sniping.  Everything was to their advantage and to our disadvantage, except one thing, the righteous cause for which we are fighting - liberation and freedom.   "As we filed by those awful scenes going up the hill, I prayed hard for those suffering men," wrote Chaplain Burkhalter.  Here, he checks the  identification of a dead German soldier and administers a blessing ahead of the burial squads.  (Courtesy photo from Joseph Giove III)

For the moment our advantage was in the abstract and theirs was in the concrete. The beach was spotted with dead and wounded men. I passed one man whose foot had been blown completely off. Another soldier lying close by was suffering from several injuries; his foot was ripped and distorted until it didn't look much like a foot. Another I passed was lying very still, flat on his back, covered in blood. Bodies of injured men all around. Sad and horrible sights were plentiful. In a recent write-up it is said of one of the colonels of the First Division that led his regiment in on the beach during the early morning, "This blue-eyed soldier had stood on the beach where thousands of men were pinned down by enemy fire, and in a quiet drawl said, 'Gentlemen, we are being killed here on the beaches; let's move inland and be killed there.'" In from the beach were high hills which we had to climb. We crawled most of the way up. As we filed by those awful scenes going up the hill and moving inland, I prayed hard for those suffering men, scattered here and there and seemingly everywhere. We filed over the hill as shells were falling on the beach back of us, meaning death for others who were still coming in. Later, one of the soldiers told me that on this occasion he saw a shell land right on top of a wounded man and blow him to bits. Before going over the top of the hill we crouched for awhile close to the ground just below the top. While lying there I did most of my praying. The shells were falling all around and how I knew that God alone was able to keep them away from us. I shall never forget those moments. I am sure that during that time I was drawn very close to God. A landing craft approaches Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944.  (Courtesy photo from Joseph Giove III) Later, about ten of us were crossing along the edge of a field when we heard sniper bullets whiz by. We all fell to the ground. As we lay there hugging the earth, that we might escape shrapnel from shell fire and bullets from sniper's guns, the birds were singing beautifully in the trees close by. As I lay there listening I thought of the awfulness of it all; the birds were singing and we Human Beings were trying to kill each other.  We are the greatest of God's creation, made in the image of God, and here human blood was being spilt everywhere.  About three minutes later and only about forty yards away we filed by one of our own boys lying by the side of the hedge, crouched over with a hole in the back of his head. His eyes were open but he was dead, hit by a sniper. We didn't have time to stop, we were pushing on inland making a new front as we went. Someone behind and hours later would move him. On the afternoon of the second day we were quite a way inland and two of my assistants and I were out trying to locate bodies of dead soldiers. We always take care of the American dead first and then the enemy dead. This was the second day and we were still fighting our way; inland, moving fast. Since we did not have any vehicles yet to send bodies back, all we could do on the move was to put the bodies in mattress covers and leave them in a marked place to be taken care of later by the rear echelons. Our business was to keep fighting on inland and pushing the enemy back. On the roadside my assistants and I saw a dead German officer. He was a tall fellow; must have been about six feet four. We turned him over and stretched him out the best we could. I looked at his face and was surprised to see how young he looked. No doubt he was in his twenties but he had the face of a boy. I thought: surely, this fellow was too young to die. It almost seemed that he had asked for it. I became conscious of an awful evil force behind it all to cause a young fellow like this to seemingly hunger and delight to kill and be killed. We slid his body into a mattress cover and left him by the side of the road. Most of this section of France we are moving through is farming area with fields and hedges and orchards. We see cows and chickens and ducks and pigs and all that goes with farming. On one occasion we were near some farm houses and some large shells began to fall, so several of us near a stone barn dashed into it to get out of the way of shrapnel.  "On the way to the assault boats" by Olin Dows.  England, 1944. (Coutesy phot of original painting, U.S. Army Center for Military History) Just inside was a mother hen covering her little chicks. When we hurried in she became frightened and fluffing her feathers rose up to protect her young.  I looked at her and silently said, "No, mother hen, we are not trying to hurt you and your little family, we are trying to hurt each other." Nobody can love God better than when he is looking death square in the face and talks to God and then sees God come to the rescue. As I look back through hectic days just gone by to that hellish beach I agree with Ernie Pyle, that it was a pure miracle we even took the beach at all." Yes, there were a lot of miracles on the beach that day. God was on the beach D-Day; I know He was because I was talking with Him. While in England Chaplain Burkhalter wrote his wife that he had visited many places of interest in his days off duty and among them, he was exceptionally happy to have the privilege of visiting the Baptist Headquarters in London and had a nice little visit with 'dear Dr. Rushbrooke," President of the Baptist World Alliance. He said that "Dr. Rushbrooke is such a humble and Godly man and that you could just see the Lord in his face."

6 - German Soldier's Last Letter Found after the Battle for Hill 192 in Normandy

"Dear Strupple,

For the third time I am writing to get in touch with you by letter. I hope that it will reach you. Some time ago when I left the 6th Group, I arrived by way of Gardeleben in Wittstock where I made my ten jumps. Then I came to my regiment in France and to my company. We were stationed in Brittany, near Brest. When the invasion started we moved out approximately 30-40 km daily, but only at night. During the day American fighter-bombers controlled the area. Then were put into line east of St. Lo, approximately 5 km. Away from the town. When we were committed our company strength was 170. Then the 11, July arrived and the most terrible and gruesome day of my life. At 0300 our company sector got such a dense hail of artillery and mortar fire, that we thought the world was coming to an end. In addition to that, the rumbling of motors and rattling could be heard in the enemy lines - tanks. It scared the pants off us. We could expect a very juicy attack. If we thought that the artillery fire had reached it's climax, we were disillusioned at 0530. At that time a tremendous firing started which continued to 0615. Then tanks arrived. The movement of tanks, however, is somewhat difficult here in Normandy. As we at home have our fields fenced in by wire and wooden fences, so the fields over here are lined with hedgerows. They are about five feet high, and have the same thickness. These hedgerows are winding crisscross through the terrain. We dig in behind these walls and the Americans do the same. It is a regular hedgerow war.

Well on that 11 July the tanks were rolling toward us. They shot with their guns through the hedgerows as though cake dough. Sharpshooters gave us a lot of trouble. You must know however, that the Americans are using H.E. ammunition, which tears terrible wounds. Around 1000 the order came to withdraw, as the position could not be held. I had one wounded in my MG position. When I wanted to get him in position with the help of someone else, a shell landed 2 yards away from us. The wounded fellow got another piece of shrapnel in his side, and the other fellow also was wounded. I however did not get one single piece of shrapnel. Anyway, on that day I escaped death just by a few seconds a hundred times. A piece of shrapnel penetrated through the leather strap of my MG and was thus diverted from my chest. In this way I could name many instances.

At 1135 I left the platoon sector as last man. Carried my MG through the enemy lines into a slightly more protected defile and crept back again with another fellow to get the wounded. It was time to get them, for tanks were moving 30 yards from us.

On our way back we were covered again with terrific artillery fire. We were just lying in an open area. Every moment, I expected deadly shrapnel. At that moment I lost my nerves. The others acted just like me. When one hears for hours the whining, whistling and bursting of shells and the moaning and groaning of the wounded, one does not feel too well. Altogether it was Hell.

Our company has only 30 men left. In the meantime it was reorganized to a certain extent. We are now located in a somewhat more quiet sector, i.e., what we call quiet. We are expecting a new attack supported by tanks today or tomorrow.

I have been recommended for the Air Force Ground Fighting Badge, on account of the hand-to-hand fighting on 11th and 12th of July.

Now I would like to finish this letter. I gave you sufficient reading material, I guess. Hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards -
Your friend, Helmut.

5 - Newspapers reported June, 7th. 1944 - Wsiconsin, New York and Alberta.

 

Allied landing on Guernsey - June, 7th. 1944

Soldiers aboard an Invasion ship going to France.

Canadians involved with NAZI, Allied or Canadian sources ???

4 - Newspaper from New York, 1944 and Speech of Eisenhower broadcasts D-Day invasion order

 

Speech of Eishenhower on June 5, 1944, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered the massive Allied Expeditionary Force into action.

Under a massive secret operation by British, American, and Canadian forces, thousands of troops are scheduled to land at several beaches in the Normandy region of Nazi-occupied France tomorrow morning. The operations, which have already involved paradropping airborne forces into France as an advance to the invastion.

The plan, hatched by Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower as “Operation Overlord” is designed to take the Third Reich by surprise and create a beachhead for future operations.

One unnamed source stated that “this plan is doomed to fail. Eisenhower is an incompetent leader who has already been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Allied troops at Slapton Sands.”

http://www.history.com/audio/eisenhower-broadcasts-d-day-invasion-order#eisenhower-broadcasts-d-day-invasion-order

3 - Invasion On the D - Day - Pictures

Into the Jaws of Death by Robert F. Sargent. Assault craft land one of the first waves at Omaha Beach. The U.S. Coast Guard caption identifies the unit as Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.

Allied preparations

Eisenhower speaks with 1st Lt. Wallace C. Strobel and Company E, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on the evening of 5 June 1944.

Planning of the invasion

U.S. soldiers of the 2nd Ranger Battalion march through Weymouth, Dorset, a southern English coastal town, en route to board landing ships for the invasion of France.

Allied Order of Battle - D. Day

D-day assault routes into Normandy.

Naval participants

 Off Omaha Beach, American Liberty ships were deliberately scuttled to provide a makeshift breakwater during the early days of the invasion.

German Order of Battle

 Large landing craft convoy crosses the English Channel on June 6, 1944.

 

American troops landing at Normandy: D-Day, June 6, 1944.

 A survivor is pulled aboard a U.S. Coast Guard boat after his ship was hit during the Normandy landings, circa 6 June 1944.

Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives

U.S. troops use a lifeline to rescue several men from a landing craft that was sunk by enemy fire on "D-Day", 6 June 1944.

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

 
U.S. Army troops administer first aid to the survivors of sunken landing craft, on "D-Day", 6 June 1944.
USS LCT-29 is in the background.
Note M1 rifles carried by some of these Soldiers.

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Landings Supplies

Landing supplies at Normandy.

Allied establishment in France

The build-up of Omaha Beach: reinforcements of men and equipment moving inland.

2 - Liberation of Western Europe

By mid August 1944 the invasion and battle for Normandy was winding down simultaneously as the massive offensive towards defeating Germany was gaining steam.
The Americans had landed close to 30 Divisions for use in the 2nd phase of Operation Overlord, which would expand the liberated territory while thrusting towards the heart of the enemy. This is where our 2nd Series picks up in the time line of World War II. The footage found on these DVDs covers roughly the time period of mid August 1944 , to late November 1944.
Follow the various American Armies on their way to victory through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, and Germany. Watch the U.S. First Army as it seals the Falaise Gap, moves on liberating Paris, then heads into the heart of the Hurgen Forest. Follow Gen. Patton as his U.S. 3rd Army strikes out to race across France and conquer the Metz region. See the veteran U.S. 7th Army make their Invasion Landing in southern France at St. Tropez, and then heads north to link up with Patton's southern flank. The. U.S. 9th Army becomes active in the ETO and heads north through Belgium and Holland towards the Rhine.
Also included is the extensive coverage of the 2nd major airborne effort, Operation Market Garden, as it unfolds in a daytime drop over Holland. The series comes to an end in late November 1944 as American units in the South cross the Moselle River and captured Metz, while others in the North liberate Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, and then smash through the German Siegfried line. The Liberation Of Western Europe brings you sights of the war never broadcast in a documentary. These reels have been extensively researched and were originally recorded by the men of the 163rd, 165th, 166th, 167th Photographic Signal Companies.