| Original Caption: “American troops of the 4th Infantry Division (“Famous Fourth”) land on Utah Beach while Allied forces storm the Normandy beaches on D-Day.” After the Normandy landings, photographers raced back to England with their photos. United Press International (UPI) photographer Bert Brandt (December 11, 1915 – December 9, 1975) was the 1st to return. Taking no chances on couriers, he made 3 hitchhiking boat transfers in the middle of the Channel, reached England and finished his journey in a jeep. The photos of Bert Brandt were pooled by the military, foiling his historic scoop. But he won bragging rights. United Press correspondent James F. McGlincy’s (August 21, 1917 – February 9, 1988) account of Brandt’s experience ran in newspapers nationwide: Invaders Faced Heavy Crossfire; On-The-Spot Photographer Says Anzio Tame Compared To Normandy. By James F. McGlincy, United Press War Correspondent London, June 7 Some of the 1st assault troops who stormed the French beaches were mowed down by German crossfire, but succeeding waves climbed over their bodies until a foothold was established, an eye witness who returned from the beachhead reported today. Bert Brandt, 28, an Acme news photographer, spent a half hour on the beach yesterday and several hours more cruising within gunshot of the landing scene. “It was hotter than hell over there,” Brandt said. “I was at Anzio but Anzio was nothing like this.” He said the Germans laid down intensive fire on the beaches with well-emplaced machine guns. American casualties were spotty, heavy on some beaches and light on others. Fired on Open Barges On 1 beach, Brandt reported, the German machine gunners waited until the landing craft lowered their ramps and then poured deadly fire into the barges. The opposition met by the 1st wave delayed the landing of demolition parties scheduled to follow with heavy equipment. The German defenses finally crumbled under the weight of attack and by the time Brandt left the beachhead at 1500 Hours yesterday, the Americans were firmly ashore and beginning to advance inland. “The whole thing was an unbelievable sight,” Brandt said. “Planes crisscrossed overhead constantly. You never could look up without seeing a formation of planes somewhere, [Lockheed]P-38 [Lightning]s and [Republic] P-47 [Thunderbolt]s zoomed right overhead all the time blasting the German defenses. “Some boats were burning and a pall of smoke hung over the beach. I saw some of the bodies of our soldiers who had been killed in the 1st landings floating in the water. Some of the boats were swamped in the choppy seas. Crouch Behind Jeeps “There were tremendous rafts just floating offshore jammed with trucks, tanks, and ambulances. On 1 beach we landed tanks from LCTs. Then some waves of infantry went in, followed by engineers and then more infantry. “On the beaches the men crouched behind jeeps, tanks, anything they could find for cover. At 1 point they made their way to the German concrete defense wall, and that was the 1st cover they found. “Right off the beach were tall cliffs which were scaled by the rangers. They captured gun positions within fifteen minutes after they went in.” Despite fierce resistance. Brandt said, everyone was calm, and the operation was well organized. On the landing boats going over, the troops were so confident, Brandt was worried. He saw Private Charles W. Blackledge [(March 9, 1922 – August 9, 1944)], Colombia, Mississippi, sitting amid Bangalore torpedoes, bazookas, TNT and other deadly weapons reading a little black-covered Bible. He snapped a picture of 1 boy asleep on top of a jeep 5 minutes before landing. 2 Negro jeep drivers stood at the rail looking at the looming continent. “Yassuh,” 1 laughed, “theah she am!” Brandt hitch-hiked back on a boat returning with wounded in order to get his pictures out. In a corner of the returning craft a wounded boy sat sobbing. He told Brandt: “For three years I’ve been training for this and what happens? As soon as I get off the boat I get hit. I didn’t even get a chance to fire a shot at a German.” Untied States Army Press Headquarters in Normandy was connected to the mainland by a wireless mobile transmitter. Brandt and others were able to send photos via wire. The wirephoto system, a kind of rudimentary facsimile machine, would slowly transmit photos over a telephone line. Brandt would return to Normandy to cover the advance to Cherbourg and beyond, and was in Paris for the liberation in August. He finally returned home to the United States in November for a brief respite before heading back to Europe to see out the rest of the fighting there. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0467.jpg |
| Image Size | 610.83 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 3000 x 2397 |
| Photographer | Bert Brandt |
| Photographer Title | United Press International |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 13, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Utah Beach |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| 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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