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How did U.S. Navy destroyers help the troops at Omaha Beach?
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Omaha Beach
U.S. infantrymen wading from their landing craft toward Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
During the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, U.S. Navy destroyers played a critical role in supporting troops who were pinned down by heavy German fire. As the assault threatened to fail, these ships steamed into the shallow waters, scraping their bottoms against the seabed to get as close to the shore as possible. From this position, they blasted German fortifications at point-blank range.1
By 1200 hours, this intense naval gunfire had noticeably decreased the effectiveness of the German defensive positions, allowing the American troops to take the fortifications from the rear and eventually open the beach exits.1