World War II D-day Landing, 6 June 1944
This photo was taken by a U.S. Coast Guard photographer under fire on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The photo shows the view from a Coast Guard-manned LCVP from the U.S.S. Samuel Chase (APA-26) as the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division soldiers disembark and wade through the surf raked by German machine gun fire from the French cliffs beyond the beach. This is the real scene that The Longest Day and Saving Private Ryan are based on. Small imperfections and blurs are from the original photo that was taken under fire, exposed to salt water and worse before reaching safety. The USS Samuel Chase (APA-26), commanded by Coast Guard Captain Edward E. Fritzshe, was with Task Force Omaha. In spite of heavy naval and air bombardment, German opposition there was fierce and deadly — the most disastrous and damaging of the entire invasion. The ship departed Portland Harbor 5 June, anchored in the transport area at 0315 on 6 June. The first assault wave of landing craft was lowered at 0536 and by 0700, the men of Chase had launched 15 assault waves to the Omaha beachhead. At 0730, the ship began receiving a continuous stream of casualties. Six of Chase's boats failed to return, having become casualties to gunfire, underwater obstructions, or swamping. Chase returned to England with 322 battle casualties on board. Chase later saw action in southern France and the Pacific, including the invasion of Okinawa. Download a larger version: 2789x2232 pixels (1.5MB file). Click Add to Cart:  
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