White supremacists and counter protesters clash in Charlottesville

[Thumpalumpacus]

In that particular instance, it was a result of the clusterfuck that was the run-in. IIRC, the engineers were only able to blow three paths through the obstacles at Omaha (where that shot was taken) due to mislandings. Some coxwains refused to close in on the beach, and some boats got hung up on sand bars.

Every time I see shots from that landing -- or others, like Tarawa or Peleliu, or the airborne landings at Pegasus Bridge or Corregidor -- I find myself simply amazed by the brass balls captured on film. Those men were as brave as men get.

No argument about the bravery of those involved, natch, but another part of the CF which kept the landing boats from getting any closer was the three days of 'softening up' bombardment which accomplished little more than to tell the Germans where to place their reserves.  Sort of made the feint at Calais pointless.

Boru

Well, they still didn't have much opportunity to shift forces -- the bridges had been dropped by air attacks, and even moving local reinforcements was very problematic for the Germans.

On the point of bombardment, though, Omaha beach received less than one hour of bombardment on the morning of the landings -- and because of weather the shipfire was directed behind the beaches, and largely inaccurate. Most of the US Army principals involved were for years afterwards bitter about the lack of pre-invasion bombardment support.

Once the invasion at Omaha had stalled, however, the US Navy's destroyers performed sterling work with direct gunfire support.