| Original caption: Men in the 2nd wave also take cover, until all their boats have come in. Behind them men are jumping into water up to their necks. Their heads can be seen just above surface. Combat engineers cleared lanes through obstacles farther offshore so that boats could get in. Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP)s from USS Samuel P. Chase (APA-26), land Company E of the 16th Infantry Regiment, United States Army 1st Division, on Easy Red sector of Omaha Beach at 0815 Hours on June 6, 1944, near Colleville-sur-Mer. Engineers are working to blow “Belgian gate” obstructions. Note the crescent marking on the soldier’s M1 helmet at far left. Capa and Company E were the 13th wave, the Headquarters company. The photo is part of the “Magnificent Eleven,” actually 10 photos made by war photographer Robert Capa (October 22, 1913 – May 25, 1954). He later reported to LIFE Magazine and to Magnum Photos that he landed in the 1st wave, stayed for 90 minutes until he ran out of film (or his camera jammed or became waterlogged with seawater), he made scores of exposures. Landing back in the United Kingdom the next day, he rushed his film via courier to LIFE’s London office, where a young 15-year-old assistant closed the door of the film drying rack, and melted all of the emulsions except these 10. Photographic historian J. D. Coleman (whose work provided much of this information) reports that the negatives do not show signs of heat damage, and Capa can be seen in footage taken on USS LCI(L)-94, where United States Coast Guard Chief Photographer’s Mate David T. Ruley (March 12, 1913 – May 23, 1977) filmed him on the return trip to the United Kingdom. LIFE Magazine, Magnum Photos, and Robert’s brother Cornell Capa (April 10, 1918 – May 23, 2008) connoted to promote the original story. This images appeared in the June 19, 1944, issue of LIFE Magazine. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0487.jpg |
| Image Size | 594.64 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 4000 x 2674 |
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| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 6, 1944 |
| Location | Easy Red |
| City | Omaha Beach |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
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| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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