WN62: Mémoires d'Omaha Beach, Normandie, 6 juin 1944 - Softcover

Heinrich Severloh, in his moving autobiographical account, recounts the biggest amphibious attack in the whole of history, by the Allies, on D-Day, 6th June 1944, launching their offensive against the Atlantic Wall at dawn towards the Normandy coast with 7,000 vessels and 13,000 planes. Severloh stood at his combat post, at support point WN 62 (Widerstandsnest 62). At 0900 hours, he fired his machine gun and his grenade towards the GIs who were struggling towards him across the beach - more than 2,000 of them would never reach their destination. In a ruthless and gripping manner, Severloh describes these dramatic hours during the course of which, in his sector, nicknamed"Bloody Omaha", 34,000 GI's would hurl themselves against only 350 German soldiers who defended their position with relentless tenacity. Severloh survived this deluge of fire in these stressful and epic circumstances, which would leave their mark for the rest of his life. Newspaper articles and newsreels have immortalised him under the name Hein Severloh. Up until the appearance of this sad confession, the Americans didn't know the name of the man who made their attack such a terrible catastrophe. In collaboration with Helmut, Baron von Keusgen, military history specialist, this is not just a fascinating document of great precision in the description of these places, but it is equally a new point of view which had been unexplored, making the events of this dramatic day all the clearer. The relations between the Germans and the French are the same, envisaged in a different light. In a deeply moving way, Severloh speaks clearly about his experiences and makes a clean slate of prejudices.

French TextIn his moving autobiography, Heinrich Severloh recounts the largest amphibious landing operation in history. Severloh describes when the Allies, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, launched their dawn offensive on the Normandy coast against the Atlantic Wall with 7,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. Severloh was positioned in his battle station on the fulcrum of 62 WN (Widerstandsnest 62), and for nine hours he fired his gun on the GI's who were on the beach over 2,000 of them will not return.In a ruthless and vividly told account, Severloh describes these dramatic hours during which 34,000 GIs landed in the sector called "Bloody Omaha, and who collided with only 350 German soldiers, defending their posts defended fiercely. Severloh survived the deluge of fire during these events that were both terrifying and chaotic; memories of which would remain with him for the rest of his life. A large number of publications, as well as articles and television programs, have appeared throughout the years thanks to war historians, and have been immortalized under the name of Hein Severloh. Until the publication of this sad confession, the Americans did not know the name of the person who transformed their landing at Normandy into the horrific disaster that it was.In collaboration with Helmut Freiherr von Keusgen, a specialist in military history, WN62 provides not only an exciting and highly detailed description of the Normandy landing and events, but also a new perspective about the events of that tragic day. The relationship between the Germans and French are thus presented in a different light. Heinrich Severloh tells the unvarnished truth with poignancy, clearing the slate of once held prejudices."