Howarth, David 6 juin à l'aube … ils ont débarqué

"That morning, the fleet had put to sea. It was impossible for him to count the ships or even estimate their number... Wallace stood atop the cliff, fascinated and overwhelmed by this magnificent spectaclea sight no one had ever seen before, and one that surely no one would ever see again." In this work, David Howarth reconstructs detailed accounts from some thirty eyewitnessessoldiers, sailors, airmen, and civilians; British, American, German, and Frenchdelivering a compelling narrative of historys greatest amphibious landing. He focuses not merely on famous anecdotes but on the full spectrum of D-Day experiences: the fighting between paratroopers and German forces in Normandy, the ordeal of the initial bombardment, the grueling struggle on the landing beaches, the astonishment of the German defenders, and all the confusion, exhilaration, and horror of the battle. The book also examines lesser-known roles in the offensivesuch as the crews of DD tanks (amphibious armored vehicles) or "Hobarts Funnies" (specialized engineering tanks modified by Major General Sir Percy Hobart)as well as the units responsible for road construction and traffic control on the beaches. Composed of soldiers who had to operate under sometimes hellish conditions, these units worked to prevent or alleviate the inevitable bottlenecks caused by thousands of troops and vast quantities of equipment being poured onto a few kilometers of coastlinea stretch of sand accustomed more to the leisurely pace of holidaymakers than to the fury of battle...