70th Anniversary of D-Day

The destruction of the Gare Maritime at Cherbourg left by the Germans

Unloading engines at Cherbourg

The 70th anniversary of D-Day is today. It is a good time to reflect on the devotion to duty and sacrifice of the men and women involved.

Most people are familiar with story of the invasion and hard fighting. What might be lesser known is the role that railroads played, not so much in the initial invasion, but in the subsequent campaign. The battle to capture port of  Cherbourg and its railroad assets was a major component of the D-Day campaign. The utter destruction left by the Germans made the  task even more difficult.

 I included a chapter on D-Day and the fight for Cherbourg  in my upcoming book, "The Model Railroad Goes to War." It is one of the most interesting chapters in the book in my opinion.