Spearheading D-Day: American Special Units in Normandy

ISBN: 2352502012

Author: Gawne, Jonathan

Condition: New

The invasion of Normandy is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated military events of the 20th century. However, many of the smaller units that played important roles have been forgotten or ignored, with the result that many unconfirmed or erroneous myths about the American landings have been repeated in popular books. In "Spearheading D-Day," military historian Jonathan Gawne examines the US landings at Omaha and Utah with an eye to what other writers have ignored. Utilizing the original military records and extensive veteran interviews, this book covers such diverse topics as how the invasion tactics were developed, the organization of the units involved, as well as the uniforms and equipment of the assault troops.For the first time, both Navy officers directly involved with the first waves at Utah Beach speak out on what actually caused the misdirection of the Utah landings. The harrowing experiences of the advance demolition teams on Omaha are described, as well as the daunting tasks of US engineers, frogrmen, pathfinders and Rangers. Heavily illustrated, the emphasis of "Spearheading D-Day" has been placed on little-known photos, including a selection of rarely seen color stills taken from Coast Guard movies of the Normandy invasion.