[reed13k]

I hadn’t known about this part - now I’m going to have to go pull my Naval ops of WWII books:

“They tell epic stories of destroyers that ran right up into shallow water and had it out point-blank with the big guns in those concrete emplacements ashore.”

[MNJohnnie]

Oh yeah. The stories I have read tell of the DDs were running right up scraping the shore to take out German emplacements.

Here are some links for you

http://www.agtimes.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=71915

http://www.ww2f.com/topic/49866-usn-tin-cans-at-omaha/

http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/NHC/DestroyersAtNormandy.html

[Oatka]

I hadn’t known about this part - now I’m going to have to go pull my Naval ops of WWII books:
“They tell epic stories of destroyers that ran right up into shallow water and had it out point-blank with the big guns in those concrete emplacements ashore.”

Stephen Ambrose, in his "D Day: June 6, 1944" book, told of the destroyers coming in so close their keels scraped bottom and of one Polish destroyer that nearly ran aground in their attempt to get as close as possible. They saved the day.

He also wrote of one U.S. soldier who knew Morse Code, had a WWI signal lantern and was directing fire - all the Navy spotters were killed in the first wave.