Assault on Normandy: First-Person Accounts from the Sea Services

Until now the telling of the story of D-Day and the retaking of France from the Nazis began at the beach and moved inland. With this book the experiences of the men on the water come to the forefront and deepen our understanding of the long and bitter struggle. This 50th anniversary commemorative volume documents the crucial part played by the sea services in the invasion through a series of eyewitness narratives remarkable for their variety and candor. No longer a mere footnote to history, the indispensable role of the sea services can finally be fully appreciated.To provide a vivid, memorable account of the June 1944 Allied assault on Normandy, Paul Stillwell has selected four dozen firsthand recollections of the participants, illustrated with some 250 photographs, many from private collections. Taken from interviews he and other oral historians have conducted, the recollections range from those of admirals in command to frontline soldiers and capture the human side of the story from all perspectives. The drama, sense of sacrifice, and impact on individuals are realized through the reminiscences of naval reservist Douglas Fairbanks Jr., former Brooklyn Dodger Rex Barney, and Medal of Honor recipient Vice Adm. John D. Bulkeley, USN (Ret.), who commanded the minesweepers that cleared the sea-lanes to the Normandy beaches, and a host of other participants.Assault on Normandy also recounts the fatal flight of Joseph Kennedy, conditions on board troop transports and landing craft, the capture of hundreds of German prisoners, PT-boat operations, the naval shore bombardment of Normandy and Cherbourg, a surface gun battle at point-blank range, and the use of codebreaking in the air war. Stillwell's informative introduction and transitions put the individual contributions in their historical context.