Only 42 days before the massive June 6 invasion of the Normandy beaches, these American troops rehearsed on an unnamed strand in southern England.

A few days after the U.S. Signal Corps took this photograph, a total of 749 Americans were killed when German E-boats made a surprise attack on Allied ships filled with soldiers preparing for D-Day. The attack was not announced until after the successful landing on Normandy.

About 30,000 troops and 300 ships participated in that preparatory exercise.

Medium : 1 photographic print

Created/Published : April 25, 1944

Notes : U.S. Signal Corps photograph from Acme Newspictures, Inc. Forms part of: New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection.

Housed in the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 weeks.

Product #: fidrreford