This is from Part 1 of A.J. Liebling’s World War II report for The New Yorker on the allied invasion of Normandy, published June 23, 1944, a few weeks after the June 6 invasion began. Liebling was aboard a large infantry landing craft (LCIL) for the invasion.
“After the services, printed copies of Eisenhower’s message were distributed to all hands on board. Members of our ship’s crew went about getting autographs of their shipmates on their “Eisenhowers,” which they apparently intended to keep as souvenirs of the invasion. Among the fellows who came to me for my signature was the ship’s coxswain, a long-legged, serious-looking young man, from a little town in Mississippi, who had talked to me several times before because he wanted to be a newspaperman after the war. He had had one year at Tulane, in New Orleans, before joining up with the Coast Guard, and he hoped he could finish up later. The coxswain, I knew, would be the first man out of the ship when she grounded, even though he was a member of the crew. It was his task to run a guideline ashore in front of the disembarking soldiers. Then, when he had arrived in water only a foot or two deep, he would pull on the line and bring an anchor floating in after him, the anchor being a light one tied in a life jacket so that it would float. He would then fix the anchor—without the life jacket, of course—and return to the ship. This procedure had been worked out after a number of soldiers had been drowned on landing exercises by stepping into unexpected depressions in the beach after they had left the landing craft. Soldiers, loaded down with gear, had simply disappeared. With a guideline to hold on to, they could have struggled past bad spots. I asked the boy what he was going to wear when he went into the water with the line and he said just swimming trunks and a tin hat. He said he was a fair swimmer.”
The following is from Part 2 of Liebling’s reporting, after he had spoken to the captain of the LCIL (Landing Craft Infantry Large) about losses. The ship had been assigned to land at “H Hour plus sixty-five,” one hour and five minutes after the first assault soldier got ashore.
The captain said the young coxswain who wanted to be a newspaperman was among the men killed in that first day of the invasion.
“Couldn’t he get back?” Liebling asked, remembering the young man’s assignment to be the first out of the ship, running a guideline into the water for the disembarking soldiers.
“He couldn’t get anywhere,” the captain said. “He had just stepped off the ramp when he disintegrated,” apparently struck by a German high explosive shell.
Here is a photograph from The New Yorker of an LCIL landing, showing the troop ramps from shop to water.
This was General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s message to the Allied forces:
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
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