Sunken Allied ships creating breakwater off the coast of Normandy, France, 1944

Official U.S. Coast Guard Photo, Gift of Jeffrey and Mary Cole.
Description: 

Photograph. Sunken Allied freighter ships creating a breakwater in the English Channel. Official caption on reverse: "2964 / From: Public Relations Division / U.S. Coast Guard / Washington, D.C. / Official Coast Guard Photo / Breakwater of Sunken Ships Shielded Landings on Normandy in Violent Storm / Strategic sinking of 23 freighters, bow to stern, on D-Day plus one and two, created a breakwater behind which Allied invasion craft unloaded troops and supplies during a furious storm that ripped the Normandy beaches. Six Coast Guard officers, all experts in dealing with treacherous surf currents, participated in the supervision of the sinking and were commended for their efficient accomplishment of the task. Here, a mountainous wave beats against one of the sunken vessels, as landing operations proceed. / In rewriting caption, please mention 'Coast Guard.'" Normandy, France. June 1944

Image Information

Donor: 
Ms. Mary E. Cole
Accession Number: 
2002.119.005
Date: 
1944-06-
Location: 
Hometown: 
Branch: 
Theater of Service: 
European Theater of Operations (ETO)
Unit: 
Campaign / Event: 
Normandy (June 1944)
POW / KIA: 
Topical Subjects: 
Ships--American--France
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy
Collection Level: 
This collection consists of 36 official United States Coast Guard photographs of the European and Mediterranean Theater of Operation. The bulk of the photographs depict scenes from the Normandy invasion.
Geography: 
English Channel
Latitude: 
50.000
Longitude: 
-1.000
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials: 
Ships--American--France
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy