US soldiers attend a Mass at the site of the first temporary cemetery in Vierville-sur-Mer near Omaha Beach; Normandy, France - 10 June 1944
A sailor of the US Navy, who was shot in the neck, stands at the base of the cliff at Colleville-Sur-Mer on the Fox Red sector of Omaha Beach; Normandy, France - 6 June 1944
A medic of the 1st Infantry Division moves along a narrow strip of Omaha Beach giving first aid to men wounded in the beach landing. The men, having gained some safety offered by the cliff at their backs, take a breather before moving further into France occupied by German forces; Colleville-Sur-Mer, Normandy, France - 6 June 1944
Troops of the 1st Infantry Division walk along Omaha Beach during the invasion - 6 June 1944
Vallee du Ruquet German pillbox on Omaha Beach serving as a US Army command post during the early days of the invasion; Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer, France - June 1944
American troops of the 1st Infantry Division leaving the port of Weymouth, England en route to Omaha Beach in Normandy - June 1944
Photo by Robert Capa
American troops landing at Omaha Beach as part of the first wave of Allied forces landing on the beach - 6 June 1944
Photo by Robert Capa
This is one of eleven surviving photographs taken by Capa during the first wave of Allied troops landing at Omaha beach during invasion of Normandy. Four others can be seen here with more detail.
On 6 June 1944, the Allied forces opened up a second front in Normandy to liberate France from the German occupation. 90,000 Allied troops landed on the Omaha Beach, codename for Coleville-Sur-Mer. Many were killed by German troops but the Allies managed to defeat the Germans, thus liberating France in the coming months.
Robert Capa, a war correspondent and photographer for LIFE magazine, landed with the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division on Omaha Beach to photograph the landing. For 90 minutes during the first wave of landings, Capa used four rolls of 35mm film which were to be rushed back to London to make the deadline for the next issue of LIFE. Unfortunately, all but 11 images were destroyed. Four of the images are shown here.
Photos by Robert Capa / Magnum Photos
