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Witness the untold courage of American soldiers as they faced Hitler's Atlantic Wall on June 6, 1944. Through declassified military documents, discover how the 4th Infantry Division's assault troops descended rope ladders into the darkness, knowing they had hours to wait before storming a fortified enemy coastline where survival seemed impossible.
"After midnight the transports began to slow down until at last they were barely creeping along following the minesqeepers. About 2:00 AM the ships dropped anchor. We were across the channel. So far we had me no opposition from the Germans. But now we were anchored eight miles from an enemy coast line, where Hitler swore that any Allied troops who landed would not live to the end of the day. What plans did the Germans have for destroying us? Did they know yet that we had come? It was not long til the latter question was answered:; the wester sky blazed with searchlights and heavy flak which kept going up and grew in violence. That would be Jerry's greeting to our airborne landing. The fighting had started.
The 4th Division's turn was next. But we had five hours yet to sweatout before the first waves hit the beach. These were tense hours. On the USS Dickman and _________ the 1st and 2nd Bns 8th Inf., the first two battalions to land, had an early breakfast and then, an hour and a half before dawn, began loading in landing boats." ....
Before daylight assault troops of B, C, E and F companies had descended the rope ladders and loaded onto their LCVPs and were circling near the transports until the step-off time. It took 20 boats to hold these assault companies.
Before 9:00 the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 8th Infantry had destroyed all resistance of a two mile long beach. Reinforcements started coming ashore closely behind.
"Beachhead", Official, 4th Infantry Division Document, Source, US National Archives.
