At Biéville, Bronikowski had dug in his tanks, too. As he stood by the side of the road, he watched “German officers with twenty to thirty men apiece, marching back from the front—retreating toward Caen.” Bronikowski couldn’t understand why the British didn’t attack. It seemed to him that “Caen and the whole area could be taken within a few hours.”* At the end of the procession Bronikowski saw a sergeant, his arms around two hefty German Wacs. They were “as drunk as pigs, their faces were dirty and they swayed from side to side.” Reeling by, oblivious to everything, they sang “Deutschland über Alles” at the top of their voices. Bronikowski watched them until they were out of sight. “The war is lost,” he said aloud.
Rommel’s Horch purred quietly through La Roche-Guyon, moving slowly by the little houses that shouldered each other on either side of the road. The big black car turned off the highway, passed the sixteen square-cut linden trees and entered the gates of the castle of the Dukes de La Rochefoucauld. As they came to a halt before the door, Lang jumped out and ran ahead to inform Major General Speidel of the field marshal’s return. In the main corridor he heard the strains of a Wagnerian opera coming from the chief of staff’s office. The music welled up as the door suddenly opened and Speidel came out.
Lang was very angry and shocked. Forgetting for a moment that he was talking to a general, he snapped, “How can you possible play opera at a time like this?”
Speidel smiled and said, “My dear Lang, you don’t think that my playing a little music is going to stop the invasion, now do you?”
Down the corridor strode Rommel in his long blue-gray field coat, his silver-topped marshal’s baton in his right hand. He walked into Speidel’s office and, hands clasped behind his back, stood looking at the map. Speidel closed the door, and Lang, knowing that this conference would last some time, made his way to the dining room. Wearily he sat down at one of the long tables and ordered a cup of coffee from the orderly. Nearby another officer was reading a paper. He looked up. “How was the trip?” he asked pleasantly. Lang just stared at him.
On the Cherbourg peninsula near Ste.-Mère-Église, Private Dutch Schultz of the 82nd Airborne leaned against the side of a foxhole and listened to a distant church bell sounding eleven. He could hardly keep his eyes open. He figured he had been awake now almost seventy-two hours—ever since the postponement on the night of June 4 when he had joined in the crap game. It struck him as funny that he had gone to so much trouble to lose all his winnings—nothing at all had happened to him. In fact, Dutch felt a little sheepish. He had not fired a single shot all day.
Back of Omaha Beach, beneath the bluffs, Medic Staff Sergeant Alfred Eigenberg flopped wearily into a crater. He had lost count of the number of casualties he had treated. He was bone-tired, but there was one thing he wanted to do before he fell asleep. Eigenberg fished a crumpled sheet of V-mail paper out of his pocket and, with the aid of a flashlight, settled down to write home. He scribbled, “Somewhere in France,” and then began, “Dear Mom & Dad, I know that by now you’ve heard of the invasion. Well, I’m all right.” Then the nineteen-year-old medic stopped. He couldn’t think of anything more to say.
Down on the beach Brigadier General Norman Cota watched the “cat’s eyes” blackout lights of trucks and heard the shouts of MPs and beachmasters as they moved men and vehicles inland. Here and there landing craft still burned, throwing a ruddy glare into the night sky. The surf pounded the shore, and somewhere off in the distance Cota heard the lonely stutter of a machine gun. Suddenly Cota felt very tired. A truck rumbled toward him and Cota flagged it down. He stepped up onto the running board and hooked one arm around the door. For just a moment he looked back at the beach, then he said to the driver, “Run me up the hill, son.”
At Rommel’s headquarters Lang, like everyone else, had heard the bad news: The 21st Panzer attack had failed. Lang was very depressed. He said to the field marshal, “Sir, do you think we can drive them back?”
Rommel shrugged, spread his hands and said, “Lang, I hope we can. I’ve nearly always succeeded up to now.” Then he patted Lang on the shoulder. “You look tired,” he said. “Why don’t you go to bed? It’s been a long day.” He turned away and Lang watched him walk down the corridor to his office. The door closed softly behind him.
Outside, nothing stirred in the two great cobbled courtyards. La Roche-Guyon was silent. Soon this most occupied of all French villages would be free—as would the whole of Hitler’s Europe. From this day on the Third Reich had less than one year to live. Beyond the castle gates the main road stretched broad and empty and the windows of the red-roofed houses were shuttered. In the Church of St. Samson the bell tolled midnight.
*Although the British made D Day’s greatest advances, they failed to capture their principal objective—Caen. Bronikowski was to stay in position with his tanks for more than six weeks—until the city finally fell.
A Note on Casualties
OVER THE YEARS a variety of vague and contradictory figures have been given on the losses sustained by Allied troops during the twenty-four-hour period of assault. None of them can be said to be accurate. At best they must remain estimates, for by the very nature of the assault it was impossible for anyone to arrive at an exact figure. In general, most military historians agree that the total Allied casualties reached 10,000; some even put the figure at 12,000.
American casualties are put at 6,603. This figure is based on the U.S. First Army’s after-action report, which gives the following breakdown: 1,465 killed, 3,184 wounded, 1,928 missing and 26 captured. Included in this compilation are 82nd and 101st airborne losses, which alone are estimated at 2,499 killed, wounded and missing.
The Canadians had 946 casualties, of which 335 were killed. No British figures have ever been issued, but it is estimated that they had at least 2,500 to 3,000 casualties, of which the 6th Airborne suffered losses of 650 killed, wounded and missing.
What were the German D-Day losses? No one can say. In my interviews from senior German officers I was given estimates ranging from 4,000 to 9,000. But by the end of June, Rommel was to report that his casualties for the month were “28 generals, 354 commanders and approximately 250,000 men.”
D-Day Veterans:
WHAT THEY Do TODAY
In the following lists of contributors, all ranks shown are those as of D Day. Occupations may have changed for some men during the months since the lists were compiled.
AMERICAN
Accardo, Nick J., Lt. [4th Div.] Orthopedic surgeon, New Orleans, La.
Adams, Ernest C., Lt. Col. [1st Eng. Sp. Brig.] Col., U.S. Army
Adams, Jonathan E., Jr., Capt. [82nd Airborne]Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Albanese, Salvatore A., S/Sgt. [1st Div.] Payroll clerk, Verplanck, N.Y.
Albrecht, Denver, 2nd Lt. [82nd Airborne] W/Off., U.S. Army
Allen, Miles L., Pfc. [101st Airborne] SFC, U.S. Army
Allen, Robert M., Pfc. [1st Div.] High school teacher, athletic coach, Oelwein, Iowa
Allen, Walter K., T/S [467th AAA (AW) Bn.] Farmer, Monmouth, Iowa
Allison, Jack L., Pvt. [237th Eng.] Accountant, Chester, W. Va.
Alpaugh, Stanley H., 2nd Lt. [4th Div.] Maj., U.S. Army
Anderson, C. W., Pfc. [4th Div.] Sgt., Military Police supervisor, U.S. Army
Anderson, Donald C., Lt. [29th Div.] Flight test engineer, General Dynamics, Edwards, Calif.
Anderson, Donald D., Sgt. [4th Div.] Dealer, timber products, Effie, Minn.
Anderson, Martin H., Stm. 1/c [llth & 12th Amphibious Force, USN] A/2c, U.S.A.F.
Apel, Joel H., 1st Lt. [457th Bomb Group] Squadron Cdr., U.S.A.F.
Apostolas, George N., T/4 [39th AAA Bn.] Service officer, Illinois Veterans Commission
Appleby, Sam, Jr., Cpl. [82nd Airborne] Attorney, Ozark, Mo.
Araiza, Joe L., Sgt. [446th Bomb Group] M/Sgt., U.S.A.F.
Arman, Robert C., Lt. [2nd Rangers] Capt., Disability retirement, Lafayette, Ind.
Armellino, John R., Capt
. [1st Div.] Mayor, West New York, N.J.
Armstrong, Louis M., T/Sgt. [29th Div.] Post office clerk, Staunton, Va.
Arnold, Edgar L., Capt. [2nd Rangers] Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Asay, Charles V., Sgt. [101st Airborne] Linotype operator, Placer Herald, Auburn, Calif.
Ashby, Carroll A., S/Sgt. [29th Div.] Lt.; adviser, Army reserve unit, Arlington, Va.
Azbill, Boyce, Q.M. 2c [U.S.C.G. LCI (L) 94] Branch manager, U.S. Pipe & Supply Co., Tucson, Ariz.
Baechle, Joseph W., Sgt. [5th Eng. Spec. Brig.] Accountant, Cleveland, Ohio
Bagley, Frank H., Lt. [U.S.S. Herndon] Branch manager, De Laval Steam Turbine Co., Milwaukee, Minn.
Baier, Harold L., Ens. [7th Naval Beach Bn.] Doctor (biological research), Frederick, Md.
Bailey, Edward A., Lt. Col. [65th Armored Field Artillery Bn.] Col., U.S. Army
Bailey, Rand S., Lt. Col. [1st Eng. Sp. Brig.] Retired; part-time consultant, Rural Electrification Administration, Washington, D.C.
Baker, Richard J., Lt. [344th Bomb Group] Maj., U.S.A.F.
Baker, Charles L, Lt. [HQ VII Corps] Maj., U.S. Army
Ball, Sam H., Jr., Capt. [146th Eng.] Television account executive, KCMC-TV, Texarkana, Tex.
Barber, Alex W., Pfc. [5th Rangers] Chiropractor, Johnstown, Pa.
Barber, George R., Capt. (chaplain), [1st Div.] Minister & investment adviser, Montebello, Calif.
Barrett, Carlton W., Pvt. [1st Div.] SFC, U.S. Army
Barton, Raymond O., Maj. Gen. [C.O., 4th Div.] Southern Finance Corp., Augusta, Ga.
Bass, Hubert S., Capt. [82nd Airborne] Maj. (retired), Houston, Tex.
Bassett, Leroy A., Pvt. [29th Div.] Claims examiner, Veterans Administration, Fargo, N. Dak.
Batte, James H., Lt. Col. [87th Chem. Mortar Bn.] Col., U.S. Army
Bearden, Robert L., Sgt. [82nd Airborne] Bearden’s Personal Service, Fort Hood, Tex.
Beaver, Neal W., 2nd Lt. [82nd Airborne] Cost accountant, Toledo, Ohio
Beck, Carl A., Pvt. [82nd Airborne] Engineering parts inspector, IBM, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Beeks, Edward A., Pfc. [457th AAA AW Bn.] Foreman mechanic, Scobey, Montana
Beer, Robert O., Comdr. [U.S.S. Carmick] Capt., U.S. Navy
Belisle, Maurice A., Capt., [1st Div.] Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Belmont, Gail H., S/Sgt. [and Rangers] Capt., U.S. Army
Bengel, Wayne P., Pvt. [101st Airborne] Senior clerk, Cunard Steamship Co., Ltd., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Billings, Henry J., Cpl. [101st Airborne] Chief w/off., U.S. Army
Billiter, Norman W., Sgt [101st Airborne] Chief parachute inspector, Fort Henning, Ga.
Bingham Sidney V., Maj. [29th Div.] Col., U.S. Army
Blackstock, James P., S/Sgt. [4th Div.] Optician, Philadelphia, Pa.
Blakeley, Harold W., Brig. Gen., C.O. [4th Div., Artillery] Maj. Gen., (retired)
Blanchard, Ernest R., Pfc. [82nd Airborne] Machinist, E. Ingraham Clock Co., Bristol, Conn.
Bodet, Alan C., CpI. [1st Div.] Assistant cashier, Guaranty Bank &Trust Co., Jackson, Miss.
Boice, William S., Capt. (chaplain) [4th Div.] Minister, First Christian Church, Phoenix, Ariz.
Boling, Rufus C., Jr., Pvt. [4th Div.] Apartment house superintendent, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Bombardier, Carl E., Pfc. [2nd Rangers] Tractor operator, shipper, Proctor & Gamble Mfg. Co., North Abington, Mass.
Bour, Lawrence J., Capt. [1st Div.] Editor, Pocahoutas Democrat, Pocahoutas, Iowa
Bradley, Omar N., Lieut. Gen. [C.O., U.S. 1st Army] General of the Army; Chairman, Bulova Watch Co., New York, N.Y.
Brandt, Jerome N., Capt. [5th Eng. Sp. Brig.] Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Brannen, Malcolm D., Lt. [82nd Airborne] Maj.; Stetson University ROTC, DeLand, Fla.
Brewer, S. D., Seaman 1/c [U.S.S. Arkansas] Post office clerk, Hackleburg, Ala.
Briel, Raymond C., Sgt. [1st Div.] M/Sgt., U.S.A.F.
Brinson, William L., Capt. [315th Troop Carrier Group] Lt. Col., U.S.A.F.
Broughman, Warner A., Capt. [101st Airborne] Vocational education director, U.S. Public Health Hospital, Lexington, Ky.
Brown, Harry, Sgt. [4th Div.] Optometrist, Clawson, Mich.
Bruen, James J., Sgt. [29th Div.] Police officer, Cleveland, Ohio
Bruff, Thomas B., Sgt. [101st Airborne] Capt., U.S. Army
Bruno, Joseph J., Seamen 1/c [U.S.S. Texas] Freight traffic clerk, U.S. Army, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Bryan, Keith, Sgt. [5th Eng. Sp. Brig.] Veteran’s service officer, Columbus, Neb.
Buckheit, John P., Seaman 1/c [U.S.S. Herndon] Guard, Olmsted A.F. Base, Harrisburg, Pa.
Buckley, Walter, Jr., Lt. Comdr. [U.S.S. Nevada] Capt., U.S. Navy
Buffalo Boy, Herbert J., S/Sgt. [82nd Airborne] Ranch hand, farmer, Fort Yates, N. Dak.
Burke, John L., Cpl. [5th Rangers] Sales supervisor, A. H. Robins Inc., Delmar, N.Y.
Burlingame, William G., Lt. [355 Fighter Group] Maj., U.S.A.F.
Burt, Gerald H., Cpl. [299th Engrs.] Pipe fitter, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Busby, Louis A., Jr., Watertender 1/c [U.S.S. Carmick] Chief boilerrman, U.S.S. Saratoga
Butler, John C., Jr., Capt. [5th Eng. Sp. Brig.] Realty officer, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Arlington, Va.
Byers, John C., T/Sgt. [441st Troop Carrier Group] Mechanical engineer, San Pedro, Calif.
Caffey, Eugene M., Col. [1st Eng. Sp. Brig.] Maj. Gen. (retired); attorney, Darden & Caffey, Las Cruces, N.M.
Callahan, William R., Capt. [29th Div.] Maj., U.S. Army
Canham, Charles D. W., Col. [29th Div.] Maj. Gen., U.S. Army
Canoe, Buffalo Boy, T/Sgt. [82nd Airborne] Judo instructor, Venice, Calif.
Capobianco, Gaetano, Pfc. [4th Div.] Butcher, Boston, Pa.
Carden, Fred J., Pfc. [82nd Airborne] Airborne technician, U.S. Army
Carey, James R., Jr., Sgt. [8th AF] Carey’s West Side Service, Ossian, Iowa
Carlo, Joseph W., Hosp. Corpsman [LST 288] Lt. (chaplain), U.S. Navy
Carlstead, Harold C., Ensign [U.S.S. Herndon] Accountant; teacher, Northwestern University School of Business, Chicago, III.
Carpenter, Joseph B., F/O [410th Bomb Group] M/Sgt., U.S.A.F.
Carroll, John B., Lt. [1st Div.] Public relations, Glass Container & Mfrs. Assn., New York, N.Y.
Cascio, Charles J., Seaman 2/c [LST 312] Mail carrier, Endicott, N.Y.
Cason, Lee B., Cpl. [4th Div.] M/Sgt., U.S. Army
Cassel, Thomas E., Specialist 2/c [Task Force 122-3] Capt., fire department, New York, N.Y.
Cator, Richard D., Pfc. [101st Airborne] Lt., U.S. Army
Cawthon, Charles R., Capt. [29th Div.] Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Chance, Donald L., S/Sgt. [5th Rangers] Safety engineer, Yale & Towne Mfg., Co., Philadelphia, Pa.
Chase, Charles H., Lt. Col. [101st Airborne] Brig. Gen., U.S. Army
Chase, Lucius P., Col. [6th Eng. Sp. Brig.] General counsel and director, Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis.
Chesnut, Webb W., Lt. [1st Div.] Production Credit Association, Campbellsville, KY.
Chontos, Ernest J., Pvt. [1st Div.] Realtor, Ashtabula, Ohio
Ciarpelli, Frank, Pvt. [1st Div.] Sanitation inspector, Health Department, Rochester, N.Y.
Cirinese, Salvatore, Pfc. [4th Div.] Shoe repairman, Miami, Fla.
Clark, William R., Capt. [5th Eng. Sp. Brig.] Postmaster, Loysville, Pa.
Clayton, William J., S/Sgt. [4th Div.] Painter, Dunbar, Pa.
Cleveland, William H., Col. [HQ 325th Recon. Wing] Col., U.S.A.F.
Clifford, Richard W., Capt. [4th Div.] Dental surgeon, Hudson Falls, N.Y.
Cochran, Sam L., T/Sgt. [4th Div.] Capt., U.S. Army
Coffey, Vernon C., Pvt. [37th Engrs.] Owner, meat packing, frozen food-processing firm, Houghton, Iowa
Coffman, Ralph S., S/Sgt. [ 29th Div.] Truck driver, Southern States Augusta Petroleum Cooperative, Staunton, Va.
Coffman, Warren G., Pfc. [1st Div.] Capt., U.S. Army
Coleman, Max D., Pfc. [5th Rangers] Baptis
t minister, Clarkston, Mo.
Collins, J. Lawton, Maj. Gen. [C.O., 7th Corps] Gen. (retired); chairman, Charles Pfizer Co., Washington, D.C.
Collins, Thomas E., 2nd Lt. [93rd Bomb Group] Statististician, Northrop Aircraft Inc., Gardena, Calif.
Conley, Richard H., 2nd Lt. [1st Div.] Capt., U.S. Army
Conover, Charles M., Lt. [1st Div.] Lt. Col., U.S. Army
Cook, William, Ensign [LCT 588] Comdr., U.S. Navy
Cook, William S., Signalman 3/c [2nd Beach Bn.] Manager, grain elevator, Flasher, N.Dak.
Cooper, John P., Jr., Col. [29th Div.] Brig. Gen. (retired); executive, Baltimore Telephone Co., Baltimore, Md.
Copas, Marshall, Sgt. [101st Airborne] M/Sgt., U.S. Army
Corky, John T, Lt. Col. [1st Div.] Col., U.S. Army
Cota, Norman D., Brig. Gen. [29th Div.] Maj. Gen. (retired); Civil Defense director, Montgomery Co., Pa.
Couch, Riley C., Jr., Capt. [90th Div.] Farmer and rancher, Haskell, Tex.
Cox, John F, Cpl. [434th Troop Carrier Group] Lt., fire department, Binghamton, N.Y.
Coyle, James J., 2nd Lt. [82nd Airborne] Accountant, American Tobacco Co., New York, N.Y.
Crawford, Ralph O., Chief W/Off. [1st Eng. Sp. Brig.] Postmaster, Dilley, Tex.
Crispen, Frederick J., 2nd Lt. [436th Troop Carrier Group] M/Sgt., U.S.A.F.
Cross, Herbert A., 2nd Lt. [4th Div.] Principal, elementary school, Oneida, Tenn.
Crowder, Ralph H., Cpl [4th Div.] Owner, Mick’s Glass Shop, Radford, Va.
Crowley, Thomas T., Maj. [1st Div.] General manager, Division of Crucible Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cryer, William J., Jr., 2nd Lt. [96th Bomb Group] Partner and general manager, boat-building and repair yard, Oakland, Calif.