From the Archives: Allied troops landed in France in ‘wave after wave,’ on D-Day

© (National Archives ) American assault troops with full equipment move onto Omaha Beach, Normandy, France June 6, 1944, behind heavy transports. Smoke in the background is from Naval gunfire supporting the landing. ((National Archives ))

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, as American paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines, beginning the liberation of German-occupied western Europe during World War II.

Newspapers and broadcasts soon carried word of the Allied advance into occupied France. In San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric Co.’s downtown whistle sounded at 4:03 a.m., local time, to mark the assault.

From the Evening Tribune, Tuesday, June 6, 1944:

By LEE CARSON

AN ADVANCED FIGHTER BASE IN ENGLAND, June 6 (I.N.S.)—The beaches of northern France are”alive” with Allied troops landing in “wave after wave,” fighter pilots returning from the invasion coast reported today.

The landings were carried out under the red glare and black smoke of Allied and German guns exchanging fire over the channel waters.

© (Tribune-Sun) “Beaches Alive with Allied Troops,” in the (Tribune-Sun), June 6,1944, contains a vivid description of Allied forces storming the beaches of Normandy. ((Tribune-Sun))

Lt. Col. Frank Perego, of New York, who went over in support of landing groups said:

“It’s black as hell on the beachhead areas.

“It’s a scene you can’t describe. You can see the flashes of those guns as soon as you leave the English coast.

“Troops are piling up on the beaches as thick as seaweed. The navy is out there in the channel banging away broadsides.

“Our planes are all over the place, but I didn’t see any Jerries.”

Gun Positions Blasted

Thunderbolt and Mustang fighter bombers poured a constant fire out of the sky into enemy gun positions.

The squadrons from this base—low-flying Lightnings—covered a broad shipping lane siphoning troops ashore in a steady stream, while medium altitude Maurader bombers roared overhead on a shuttle bombing system, pounding the second line of defenses and Nazi troop concentrations.

The planes relentlessy pounded anti-aircraft and machine-gun positions and rocket installations.

Convoys of German vehicles attempting to creep forward to support the hard-presed enemy beach forces are being shredded by Thunderbolts and Mosquitos in murderous strafing operations. A Thunderbolt flight leader, Capt. Thomas Montang, of West bend, Ia., said:

There are so many of our planes over there you have to put out your hand when you want to turn.”

FIRST PARATROOPERS GREETED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE

By WRIGHT BRYANT

LONDON,June 6 (I.N.S.)—The first Allied paratroops to land in German-occupied France today met only scattered small arms fire from the fields.

In the first hour of D-day the first spearhead of Allied forces for the liberation of Europe landed by parachute in northern France. In the navigator’s dome in the flight deck of a C-47 I rode across the English channel with the first group of planes from troop carrier command to take our fighting men into Europe.

Just before we left French soil for the return trip to England, I watched from the rear door of our plane, named Snooty, as 17 American paratroopers led by a lieutenant colonel jumped with their arms, ammunition and equipment into German-occupied France.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.