Re: poem: The Longest Day; June 6, 1944

On 6/4/2022 07:12, D.J. wrote:
> [ Copyright by me, 2022. All Rights Reserved. ]
> 
> 
> it started late at night, parachutes dropping in the night, some
> dropped over land, and some drowned.
> 
> ack-ack firing in the night, tracers slicing aircraft apart.
> 
> Commandos and Free French dropping behind German lines. with the help
> of the French Resistance cutting rail lines and telephone wires.
> 
> men in scuba gear, trying to cut paths in the beach defenses, many
> being blown apart by artillery and grenades.
> 
> 'Hold until relived' was the word, for Paratroopers holding beach
> exits, and glider-born British Commandos holding bridges in the
> night. Some were wounded, and some died, in glider wrecks, in
> terrible firefights. But they held, until relieved.
> 
> Flares, machine gun fire, and metal crickets click in the dark, 
> sometimes answered by two clicks, sometimes by Mauser rifle fire.
> 
> With the dawn ships drew up before Normandie. Landing craft were
> launched, ship's guns roared. Free French warships fired upon the
> homeland. To free their French families, from the hobnailed booted
> Army.
> 
> Atlantic Wall shore emplacements replied in kind, ships burned, and
> men died.
> 
> The landing craft made their way to the beaches some being blown up
> before they got there. Men drowned and some were rescued.
> 
> machine gun fire tracked across the men there, some died and some
> made it to the breakwater, The Rangers climbed cliffs to take out a
> gun, that they didn't know were no longer there.
> 
> Aircraft roared overhead. Some going inland to attack, others going
> to attack the landings.
> 
> Troops hit the beaches, some lost weapons, and some lost all, some
> wanted a relief from being seasick, And some made it ashore ready to
> fight.
> 
> The concrete blocked beach exits were blown. The move inland
> proceeded. Towards waiting Commandos and Paratroopers, who held until
> relieved, or died trying.
> 
> Many lived, many men died, and many were horribly wounded.
> 
> and then, finally, it was D-Day Plus 1.
> 
> the end of The Longest Day.
> 
> Addendum:
> 
> I recently found out that Rommel made a big show of Point du Hock, 
> and the gun emplacements there.
> 
> After the propaganda film was done, the guns were moved inland, a
> different site was created, heavily fortified and casemented, 
> camouflaged.
> 
> It wasn't attacked under D-Day plus 3. Its heavy howitzers, fired on
> the beaches killing and wounding many.
> 
> The Rangers were supposed to attack it on D-Day, they were unable to
> do so.
> 
> Two Sergeants of the Rangers did go inland behind the Point, and
> found the howitzers there and took them out.

Excellent.  BOYC?

-- 
Freyja the NurseWench
http://freyjaw.dreamwidth.org
Twitter: @FreyjaRN  @DuchessHonor
"Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake."
-Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, recalled by Ivan Vorpatril, Captain
Vorpatril's Alliance