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Thought you folks might like to see what one of the Kraut Batteries in Normandy looked like from the way we saw them.

Not as peaceful during WW II as it looks here!! Loud and Accurate!!

Sgtleo

I'm sure accurate is quite the understatement. I can't and don't want to imagine. My imagination is quite good enough...

I've spent the last 2 hours listening to the men who assaulted those guns on Omaha Beach ("Lest they be forgotten") and they would carry the memories of German accuracy for the next 60+ years. I've never had the experience of having a buddy's head disappear as I was talking to him...don't want to either. God Bless all the men/boys resting in the cemetaries throughout Europe and the Pacific islands. They sacrificed all their tomorrows that I might be free today.

Jim

Here also are two more pictures of the Normandy Beaches.

Hope they are of interest to you if not just say so and I'll not

post any others.

This First paragraph relates to the above photo of Longues sur Mer.

Coastal battery at Longues-sur-Mer With its 150-mm guns, Wn. 48,

the coastal battery at Longues-sur-Mer, covered both Omaha Beach

and Gold Beach. In the hours before D-Day the Allies heavily

bombed this battery, but it kept on firing until the evening of June 6th.

Without further fighting, the British took this position the following day.

This battery is the only one to have kept its 150mm guns and is in

great condition. There are four Regelbau M 272 bunkers, each with

a 150mm gun which could shoot up to 19.5 kilometers (about 12.5 miles).

They sit a few hundred yards back from the edge of the 65 meter high

(220 foot high) cliff. In spite of the massive bunkers protecting them,

they face the beaches, and were thus very vulnerable to accurate naval fire.

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The first Photo is Omaha Beach.

Hopefully this will give you an idea of the open ground on the beach

the GIs had to cross and the Krauts had literally zeroed in on just

about any spot on these beaches they wanted to hit. Makes you

realize just how brave the GIs were against these odds.

Second Photo is Utah Beach

Luckily the landing craft were off course so that when they landed

on Utah,it was on a much less defended section, but it still wasn't

what you would call a Summer's Day Walk at the Beach!!

Sgtleo

Hello Sarge!

I am enjoying your photos. How long ago has it been since you visited Normandy? It's strange now, but I cannot even look at that tranquil looking beach scene without thinking of the opening sequence of Saving Pvt. Ryan, where the GI's were being raked by MG38's and MG42's as well as mortars and artillary. One memorable comment I heard from a veteran of the 29th Div. was..."Nobody took a step back...Every man that fell was facing forward, towards Germany."

Visited before coming home in '46.

Never been back since then - too many memories - lost too many friends.

Please acceot this the way I hope you do - you are so close and then XYZ is gone,you can't erase that picture no matter how hard you try. You can replace it with the "Good Old Days " of Basic etc but then Normandy took it all away just like that and you've lost a friend forever!!

Glad you like the photos - wasn't sure of my own reaction to them!!

Sgtleo ?? ??

Couple more Normandy Photos:-

First is Omaha Beach June 8,1944. Notice the Confusion and Traffic??

This was taken after the Rangers had seized Pointe Du Hoc

Going to take 10 right now.

Sgtleo