Some of the First Americans to Attack on D-Day

Some of the first American soldiers to attack the German defenses in Normandy (France), transported in Higgins Boats (LCVPs), approach Omaha Beach near Ruquet, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, on 6 June 1944. They were part of E Company of the 16th Infantry Regiment. To the right is another LCVP. The soldiers are protecting their weapons with Pliofilm covers against the wetness. This picture was shot by Chief Photographer’s Mate (CPHOM) Robert F. Sargent of the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

Source :
http://allthatsinteresting.com/world-war-2-in-color
https://www.historyinorbit.com/never-before-seen-colored-photos-from-d-day-landings-in-normandy-will-leave-you-breathless/
https://www.turkishnews.com/en/content/2015/12/20/d-day-in-color-photographs-from-the-normandy-invasion/
https://www.vintag.es/2017/06/26-rare-color-photos-of-d-day-show-new.html

American Medics Drive Through the Ruins in Normandy

 American military medics drive through the rubble and ruins of an unnamed town somewhere in northwestern France in the summer of 1944. The ruins left behind after warfare speak a language of their own. Even more strikingly, no matter where the conflict has taken place — whether it's in northern Europe or the South Pacific, the Middle East or Central Africa — the vernacular of destruction is often the same: Buildings reduced to rubble and dust. A scarred, tortured landscape seemingly devoid of life, aside from small human forms trying to piece it back together. Twisted, rusting, abandoned vehicles. And always, above it all, the indifferent sky. Frank Scherschel, who shot the photograph, was an award-winning staff photographer for LIFE magazine

Source :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2344233/The-ruins-Normandy-Unpublished-color-photos-taken-northern-France-1944-devastating-impact-Allied-Forces-battle-defeat-Nazis-World-War-2.html
http://historyinphotos.blogspot.co.id/2016/01/world-war-ii-in-color.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/d-day-photos-color-gallery-1.1381271?pmSlide=1.1381254
http://time.com/3880091/after-d-day-unpublished-color-photos-from-normandy-summer-1944/

Build-Up of US Army Vehicles Before D-Day

Castletown Road Slipway, Portland, Dorset (England), 5 June 1944. Trucks and Willys MB jeeps which will carry men and supplies of the U.S. 32nd Field Artillery Regiment / 1st Infantry Division "The Big Red One" to the front lines of the invasion in Normandy on D-Day are loaded onto an American Landing Craft. The Divisional HQ jeep at right (with Divisional HQ tactical insignia in the bumper: black star on dark yellow circle; 1-X: indication of the Division Headquarters; Star in center bumper; HQ-19: 19th vehicle of the Division Headquarters; and Barcode with five-digit number of the DivHQ) has an 15'x15' vehicle camouflage net (this type of net with interwoven twine came in different sizes) above the white star on a yellow background marking. The yellowy green (or greeny yellow) background between star and circle was a kind of gas detecting paint that was supposed to change colour during a chemical attack. Presumably these jeeps are an example of the stuff. Might also be worth noting that a yellow or white star in black and white photos would show up the same tone. Closer analysis of even quite familiar black and white pictures recently seems to be turning up even camo schemes that have been almost lost in the monochrome process. In the dust and confusion of the battles in the North Africa previously, the US star could be mistaken for a German Cross at long range (greater then 1000 yards). Tankers and armored units began painting out the stars to avoid becoming a casualty of ‘friendly fire’. The addition of the circle around the star helped to resolve this problem, though some of the more experienced units (like the 2nd Armored) stayed with the painted out stars until the Normandy landings. There they painted the vehicle number on the sides of the turret in yellow. This was painted out by D-Day + 14. After Normandy several armored divisions were sent into Europe but kept their stateside markings, except the bar, and that is why one sees so many variations in pictures.

Source :
http://historylink101.com/ww2_color/WorldWarIIAmphibiousUnit3/PICT0442.html
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/57160-the-liberator-collection/page-18
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/6397-yellow-circles-white-stars/

The British Cruiser Convoy on D-Day

The Allied invasion fleet crossing from England to Normandy on D-Day kept to twelve narrow lanes in order to avoid minefields. From the starboard bridge wing of HMS Belfast, flagship of Force E, a line of three Royal Navy cruisers can be seen in the morning gloom. The picture was taken by George Stevens. Construction of Belfast, the first Royal Navy ship to be named after the capital city of Northern Ireland, and one of ten Town-class cruisers, began in December 1936. She was launched on St Patrick's Day, 17 March 1938. Commissioned in early August 1939 shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Belfast was initially part of the British naval blockade against Germany. In November 1939 Belfast struck a German mine and spent more than two years undergoing extensive repairs. Belfast returned to action in November 1942 with improved firepower, radar equipment and armour. Belfast saw action escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union during 1943, and in December 1943 played an important role in the Battle of North Cape, assisting in the destruction of the German warship Scharnhorst. In June 1944 Belfast took part in Operation Overlord supporting the Normandy landings. In June 1945 Belfast was redeployed to the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet, arriving shortly before the end of the Second World War. Belfast saw further combat action in 1950–52 during the Korean War and underwent an extensive modernisation between 1956 and 1959. A number of further overseas commissions followed before Belfast entered reserve in 1963.

Source :
"Victory in Europe: D-Day to VE-Day in Full Color" by Max Hastings and George Stevens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Belfast_%28C35%29

Invasion Armada on D-Day

"What Philip of Spain failed to do, what Napoleon tried and failed to do, what Hitler never had the courage to attempt, we are about to do." (Commander Rich). A panoramic view of the 5,339 vessels that were engaged in the largest amphibious operation ever undertaken in military history. In the background LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) can be seen moving towards Juno Beach with small LCTs (Landing Craft Tank) in the foreground. Both protected overhead by barrage balloons

Source :
"Victory in Europe: D-Day to VE-Day in Full Color" by Max Hastings and George Stevens

US combat engineers Eat a Meal atop Boxes of Ammo Stockpiled for the Impending D-Day Invasion

Unidentified American combat engineers in Stratford-upon-Avon (England) eat a meal atop boxes of ammunition stockpiled for the impending D-Day invasion, May 1944. They're probably from 406th Combat Engineers, a part of 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, a tactical deception unit that was known as "Ghost Army". The 1,100-man unit was given a unique mission within the U.S Army: to impersonate other U.S. Army units to deceive the enemy. From a few weeks after D-Day, when they landed in France, until the end of the war, they put on a "traveling road show" utilizing inflatable tanks, sound trucks, fake radio transmissions and pretence. They staged more than 20 battlefield deceptions, often operating very close to the front lines. Inspiration for the unit came from the British units who had honed the deception technique for the battle of El Alamein in late 1942. The U.S. unit had its beginnings at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, and was fully formed at Pine Camp, NY (now Fort Drum), before sailing for the United Kingdom in early May 1944. In Britain they were based near Stratford upon Avon, and troops participated in Operation Fortitude, the British-designed and led D-Day deception of a landing force designated for the Pas-de-Calais. Some troops went to Normandy two weeks after D-Day, where they simulated a fake Mulberry harbour at night with lights which attempted to draw German artillery from the real ones. After which the entire Unit assisted in tying up the German defenders of Brest by simulating a larger force than was actually encircling them. As the Allied armies moved east, so did the 23rd, and it eventually was based within Luxembourg, from where it engaged in deceptions of crossings of the Ruhr river, positions along the Maginot Line, Hürtgen Forest, and finally a major crossing of the Rhine to draw German troops away from the actual sites. Photo by Frank Scherschel

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Army
http://time.com/3457047/before-and-after-d-day-color-photos-from-england-and-france/

Canadian Anti-Aircraft Gun Crew in Normandy

Photograph of four soldiers from 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Sergeant Traplin, Bombardier Heldon, Bombardier Blank and Sergent Kennedy with their Swedish-made 40mm/L60 Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun after shooting down a Luftwaffe aircraft over the beachhead near their emplacement at Bernières-sur-Mer near Juno Beach (Normandy), 6 June 1944. At the time of the photo German Luftwaffe war planes were still active in the area. 30,000 Canadians had been landed, and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. The person to the rear of the position facing left is using the British-designed Stiffkey Sight, a mechanical computer that moved the gunners sights to account for leading a fast moving target. The Bofors gun in mobile form was commonly towed by either a GMC or Dodge 6x6 truck, and had a total crew of 8 including truck crew to include truck driver, gunner, two loaders, direction setting, elevation setter, radio operator and the gun commander

Source:
http://www.akg-images.co.uk/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=2UMESQJWAX3D0
http://www.stolly.org.uk/ETO/index34.html

Canadian Anti-Aircraft Gun Crew at Normandy

 Photograph of four soldiers from 3rd Canadian Infantry Division Sergeant Traplin, Bombardier Heldon, Bombardier Blank and Sergent Kennedy with their Swedish-made 40mm/L60 Bofors Anti-Aircraft Gun after shooting down a Luftwaffe aircraft over the beachhead near their emplacement at Bernières-sur-Mer near Juno Beach (Normandy), 6 June 1944. At the time of the photo German Luftwaffe war planes were still active in the area. 30,000 Canadians had been landed, and 340 lost their live in the battles for the beachhead. The person to the rear of the position facing left is using the British-designed Stiffkey Sight, a mechanical computer that moved the gunners sights to account for leading a fast moving target. The Bofors gun in mobile form was commonly towed by either a GMC or Dodge 6x6 truck, and had a total crew of 8 including truck crew to include truck driver, gunner, two loaders, direction setting, elevation setter, radio operator and the gun commander

Source:
http://www.akg-images.co.uk/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=2UMESQJWAX3D0
http://www.stolly.org.uk/ETO/colourphotoofcanadian40mmboforsaagunandcrew2.html

American Troops on their Way to the British Dock before D-Day

American troops of the 2nd Ranger Battalion march through Weymouth, a southern English coastal town, on their way to the docks where they will be loaded into landing craft for the big assault on D-Day, June 1944. The massive concrete cliff-top gun emplacement at Pointe du Hoc was the target of the 2nd Ranger battalion, commanded by James Earl Rudder. The task was to scale the 30 meter (100 ft) cliffs under enemy fire with ropes and ladders, and then attack and destroy the guns, which were thought to command the Omaha and Utah landing areas. The Ranger commanders did not know that the guns had been moved prior to the attack, and they had to press farther inland to find them but eventually destroyed them. However, the beach fortifications themselves were still vital targets since a single artillery forward observer based there could have called down accurate fire on the U.S. beaches. The Rangers were eventually successful, and captured the fortifications. They then had to fight for 2 days to hold the location, losing more than 60% of their men

Source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Operation_Overlord