|
An anonymous German private described his experience during the early hours of the Normandy invasion: "On that night of 6 June none of us expected the invasion any more. There was a strong wind, thick cloud cover, and the enemy aircraft had not bothered us more that day than usual. But then - in the night - the air was full of innumerable planes. We thought, 'What are they demolishing tonight?' But then it started. I was at the wireless set myself. One message followed the other. 'Parachutists landed here - gliders reported there,' and finally 'Landing craft approaching.' . . . In the morning a huge naval force was sighted - that was the last report our advanced observation posts could send us, before they were overwhelmed. Right in the middle of all the turmoil I got orders to go with my car for a reconnaissance towards the coast. With a few infantrymen I reported to a lieutenant. While he was still talking to me to explain the position, a British tank came rolling towards us from behind, from a direction in which we had not even suspected the presence of the enemy. The enemy tank immediately opened fire on us. Resistance was out of the question. . . At first I was rather depressed, of course. I, an old soldier, a prisoner of war after a few hours of invasion. But when I saw the material behind the enemy front, I could only say, 'Old man, how lucky you have been!'. . . And when the sun rose the next morning, I saw the invasion fleet lying off shore. Ship beside ship. And without a break, troops, weapons, tanks, munitions, and vehicles were being unloaded in a steady stream." |