Posted on 06/06/2008 12:54:48 PM PDT by Mr. Dough
There were cruisers and battleships firing from further out but the destroyers were the ones within 5 miles, and then closer and closer and closer when they learned how much trouble the landings on Omaha were in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_Landings
Section of this tells you about the naval forces. But yeah, they had lots of ships, Battleships, Crusiers, Destoryers, all sorts of ship. It was massive
bump for heroes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Allied_warships_in_the_Normandy_Landings
6 Battleships
26 Cruisers
135 Destroyers and Destroyer-Escorts
I completely agree - they are ALL heroes!
It’s amazing to me personally - my husband’s family, and mine had a combined 5 men on the beaches that day. Two did not make it home (but all survived past D-Day). One more joined his brother in heaven just last year - he was a medic on the beach that day... They don’t think of themselves as heroes - they mostly refer to themselves as just plain “lucky”...
I’m continually amazed when I hear the stories of these brave men, and the things they saw and went through.
BTW: Band of Brothers is a GREAT show - you will enjoy every episode immensely.
A battleship, the USS Texas, closed to within 3000 yards (about a mile and 3/4ths) and took on not only German artillery, but machine gun nests as well.
“By noon, she closed the beach to about a range of 3,000 yards to fire upon snipers and machinegun nests hidden in a defile just off the beach. At the conclusion of that mission, the warship took an enemy antiaircraft battery located west of Vierville under fire.” From the Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, USN.
Wow, that’s a good one. Thanks, I hadn’t know that particular detail. Don’t mess with USS TEXAS!!!
I was a baby when this happened.
However, my love for all things military has never decreased.
I married a sailor. I had a son who joined the army and a daughter who joined the navy. My life has been that of a military wife, mom and widow.
Today, I have a grandson who has already been to Iraq, and one who is about to go. My prayers are for all those who are serving where I can’t go.
ping
Really. God bless you.
...good question, I was thinking which of the destroyers it may have been myself....both mom and dad were in the Navy then.
[His] columns not only described the soldier's hardships, but also spoke out on his behalf. In a column from Italy in 1944, Pyle proposed that combat soldiers be given "fight pay," similar to an airman's flight pay. In May of that year, Congress acted on Pyle's suggestion, giving soldiers 50 percent extra pay for combat service, legislation nicknamed "the Ernie Pyle bill."
...and we thought Congress was slow today!
One of the very last so called reporters that actually supported the troops.
THAT ABOUT SUMS UP THE CRAP WE HAVE TODAY IN AMERICA AS MEDIA REPORTING. We could NEVER fight WWII today. No way. Hitler would own Europe, and the Japanese would own everything west of Hawaii.
Amen to that. We will never forget their sacrifice to keep us free and safe.
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