Heavy torpedoes are dangerous

*The Navy Saved Our Hides*

The first Allied soldier stepped ashore on Omaha Beach at 0640 on June 6, 1944. But instead of the expected softening from naval bombardment, they faced a merciless hail of machine-gun and artillery fire. The German defenders, emerging from concrete bunkers, pinned down U.S. troops. Landing craft struggled to find safe spots amidst obstacles and burning wrecks. The invasion had stalled by 0830, and General Omar Bradley contemplated evacuating the beachhead.

Enter the U.S. Navy. Destroyers steamed close to shore, their guns blazing. These gallant ships fired at German positions, turning the tide. Their shells pounded the enemy, allowing ground soldiers to advance. The Navy saved our hides that day, proving that when land and sea forces unite, victory becomes possible¹.

And so it was that destroyers, among the nearly 7,000 ships involved in Operation Neptune, played a pivotal role. Escorting battleships and cruisers, they bombarded the Normandy coast, ensuring the success of the D-Day landings³. These floating fortresses bridged the gap between sea and land, their guns roaring in defiance, and their crews fighting side by side with ground troops.

Picture the scene: **USS Emmons**, her sleek hull slicing through the waves, draws close to the beach. Her guns elevate, and shells scream toward German pillboxes. The ground shakes as concrete crumbles. Marines and soldiers, huddled behind rocks, raise their heads, renewed hope in their eyes. The destroyer's crew—sailors and officers alike—know that their steel-clad might is the difference between victory and defeat.

But it's not just Omaha Beach. Across the globe, in the Korean War, Marine aviators like Jerry Coleman and Ted Williams flew close combat missions. They targeted enemy positions threatening UN troops on the ground. These aviators, soaring above the fray, were the airborne counterparts to those destroyers. Their courage and precision made a difference, just as the naval guns did on D-Day².

In the chaos of battle, the bond between sailors and soldiers transcends mere duty. It's a shared purpose—a fierce determination to protect one another. When the ground forces falter, the Navy steps in. When cruisers menace, destroyers rise to the challenge. And in that crucible of war, they forge a legacy: one of valor, sacrifice, and the unbreakable link between sea and land.

So, let the waves echo with the thunder of naval guns, and let the ground tremble beneath the boots of soldiers. For when battleships and boots unite, history is written, and freedom secured. The Navy saved our hides, and we honor their legacy, forever intertwined with the courage of those who fought ashore.

And so it was, on that fateful day, the destroyers roared, the soldiers pressed forward, and the enemy cruisers fell.

The tide turned.

Victory was won.

Together. 🌊🔥🇺🇸¹³.

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 7/4/2024
(1) 'The Navy Saved Our Hides' - U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-....
(2) The Gallant Destroyers of D-Day | Naval History Magazine - June 2004 .... https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-....
(3) Remembering the Not-So-Forgotten War: Korean War Stories of Service in .... https://www.navymemorial.org/tales-fr....
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