Chapters 13-14 Summary and Analysis

"'The Greatest Show Ever Staged'" examines the air bombardment that precedes the beach landings, and "A Long, Endless Column of Ships" discusses the naval crossing and bombardment. Unifying the chapters, from the point of view of the infantry storming the beach, is the fact that neither operation is effective, but both are dramatic and long remembered. The Allies put 3,467 heavy bombers, 1,645 medium bombers, and 5,409 fighters in the air on D-Day, and the Luftwaffe shoots down none. Flak brings down 113. The critical mission has been accomplished in April and May: isolating the battlefield by preventing German tanks and trucks to move up and clearing the Luftwaffe from the skies. At dusk, four JU-88s venture out over Omaha, "a lucrative, can't-miss target," but a staggering amount of flak brings them down.

The Allies fly 14,000 sorties on D-Day, withholding no reserves...