Longest Day, The (1962) Movie Script
At every beach, on every dune...
...on every rock.
I repeat:
I've ordered alerts again and again.
Tell me this:
-Anything else?
-No, sir.
Good morning, Field Marshal.
-Any news?
-Nothing important.
Snap it up. Jerk the lead.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
You expect us to eat this slop again?
I don't care what you do with it, mac.
Eat it, throw it out.
I get paid for cooking it.
Come on. Put it on.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
Didn't you get any sleep?
Are you kidding? I haven't slept
since we got here.
I got the absolute lowdown.
It's on for tonight. For sure.
Yeah.
I got in this crap game
with this guy from F Company.
-He's an orderly for some general.
-Move it. Move it.
Hey, Hutchy!
Hutchy, I want to ask you something.
Hey, Hutchinson...
...do you think they'd let me write
home? If it was really important?
Not likely, mate. Security.
I don't think old Churchill trusts us.
It's the wife, you see.
She's going to have a baby.
Your first, is it?
Oh, it's not mine, but I'm dead
worried about her.
She's not too strong, you see.
Man, that stink.
Diesel oil, backed-up toilets, vomit.
And there ain't no place left
to get sick in.
The puke bags is full.
The fire buckets is full.
All we got left is our helmets.
June.
Every June my old man
used to take me camping...
...up in the Blue Mountains.
We'd hunt and fish all day long.
And at night...
...we'd sleep out under the stars.
Didn't even need a blanket.
June.
Wind and rain. Wind and rain.
Don't it ever stop?
Look, Dad, all I want
to do is get going.
Wind or no wind. Even if we land
in Paris on the Eiffel Tower.
-Come to think of it...
-Colonel wants us.
All of us.
All troops will participate
in ground tactics and deployment.
In this weather, sir?
Of course, Harding, if you can ensure
that we'll land in France...
-...in sunshine and dry weather.
-Didn't mean that.
-What did you mean?
-It isn't the weather.
It's the waiting.
These men are itching to go.
I don't think I have to remind you...
...that this war has been going on
for almost five years.
Half of Europe has been
overrun and occupied.
We're comparative newcomers.
England's gone through a blitz with
a knife at her throat since 1940.
I am quite sure that they too
are impatient and itching to go.
Do I make myself clear?
Yes, sir. Quite clear.
Three million men penned up
on this island.
All over England,
in staging areas like this.
We're on the threshold
of the most crucial day of our times.
Three million men out there...
...keyed up, and waiting for
that big step-off.
They aren't exactly alone.
Notify the men. Full packs
and equipment, 14:00 hours.
Yes, sir.
This allows you more freedom.
Quicker to get rid of
when we hit the beach.
-Well?
-It's on.
Tonight, as scheduled.
-If the weather isn't worse.
-How worse can it get?
Ike has called a high-level
conference for 9:30.
I am not Eisenhower. I am
an assistant division commander.
I don't know from nothing,
but he can't call it off again.
Frank, turn that thing off.
Four thousand ships loaded for bear.
Troops ready to go.
Eleven thousand planes on the line.
Eighteen thousand paratroopers.
God only knows how many gliders.
Norm, relax.
RAF says the gale can stop
as suddenly as it began.
So they told us yesterday
and the day before.
Look, Norm.
We're all of us just as...
...dedicated to this thing as you are,
just as anxious to get going.
And that includes Ike.
Now if he calls it off again,
he knows what he's doing.
Of course he does. I know that.
I'm just thinking about those
assault troops. 200,000 of them...
...out there on those ships.
They're probably seasick as hell.
Some of those men have been
on those tubs for almost three days.
I say go.
Go. Weather or no weather.
No!
A hundred on the bone! Let's go.
-Hey, give me $50. I'm busted.
-I'm not doing so good myself.
Hey, lend me $50?
-Lend me 20 bucks?
-Drop dead.
Lend me $ 10?
-Fifty on a bet.
-I got it.
One, two, three, four, five.
Fifty!
Let me hear it, let me hear it.
-Five and two, four and three.
-Six! That's the way we go!
Seven points in a row. It ain't
logical, it just ain't logical.
-There's a hundred out there.
-$ 100 dollars, $20 dollars.
Anything open?
-Forty more.
-Forty more.
You got a bet.
-Okay, you mother-loving...
-Just a minute. Wait a minute.
Here you are. Use this.
-You don't think I'd...
-I don't think anything.
I just like to hear the sound
when it comes out of the cup.
That's it. Shake it.
Okay. Let me see what you do
with it now. Go ahead. Shoot.
-What is it?
-Nothing.
-Seven!
-That's what I wanted!
Who put this cup in the game?
-Next shooter. Who's coming up?
-I'll go $ 100.
He's shooting a hundred.
Who's got it?
-Watch your side bets.
-$ 100.
You got a letter for me.
Schultz, huh?
Yeah, that's it.
Thanks, buddy.
-How much did you take him for?
-Not much. Just a hair over $2500.
-$2500?
-Yeah.
Oh, man, $2500?
It's too bad you had to win it now.
What do you mean, now?
Suppose we take off tonight.
What will you do with it?
Five I take with me to Paris
to blow on the broads and wine.
A thou I leave here for seed
when I get back.
And the rest I send to my mother.
Oh, man, $2500. And in Paris.
You always was lucky.
Hey, remember that night
in Fort Bragg?
I remember it.
You know, I think I sneak over there
and give it a big whang myself.
Why not? What's to lose?
Damn it.
Why did he have to mention Fort Bragg?
I was lucky, all right,
in that crap game.
Next day I break my leg in a jump.
And two months in traction.
$2500.
That's more money I ever had
in my whole life.
I know.
Man, I just know.
I wonder how long it takes
to lose $2500?
Pint of sludge, Ted.
Oh, hello, Dave.
Hey, you seen Johnny?
Yes.
Well, where is he?
Come on, Dave.
I need my boots.
Johnny's borrowed them.
Where is he?
At the bottom...
...of the Channel.
You mean...
...he's bought it?
Ack-ack over Calais.
He jumped clean,
but his parachute didn't open.
That leaves just you
in the squadron, Dave.
I mean, of the old 1940 mob.
What's always worried me
about being one of the few...
...is the way we keep on
getting fewer.
Yeah.
Poor old Johnny.
Bad luck, it happening now.
-Now, then. What's the difference?
-He went through the Battle of Britain!
And now if the big show
starts tonight...
...he won't be in it.
Look, will you please
shut up about him?
All right, all right.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
You heard something about tonight?
No, no. I haven't heard anything.
-What are you talking about then?
-Well, it's just...
-Go on, go on.
-I have a feeling it's on for tonight.
-That's all.
-A feeling.
Take your feeling somewhere else.
I've got a letter to write.
I've had this feeling since I woke up.
I've had it with me all day long.
I can't shake it off.
It's tonight. I know it is.
All right, it's tonight.
Suits me fine.
Tonight. This afternoon. Now!
I mean...
...as soon as I finish this beer.
-General, can you spare me a minute?
-Come in.
-Thank you.
-Can I get you coffee?
-No, thanks.
-I'll get some for myself.
Is it still raining?
On and off, off and on.
Sometimes I wonder
which side God's on.
What?
I say, sometimes I wonder
which side God's on.
Good question.
What's on your mind, Van?
I'm concerned about the placement
of our drop zones.
Go on.
I know this is a hell of a late date
to bring up something new...
...but you've given me
a tough nut to crack.
-It gets tougher every time I try.
-I know, Van.
Sainte-Mre-Eglise straddles
the only road the Germans can use...
...to drive into our northern flank.
But it has to be taken.
And it has to be held.
That's why I gave you the job, Van.
-Can I use your board?
-Of course.
Here's the town. Heavily fortified.
Down here is the swamp area
that the Germans have flooded.
And in between, four miles
from the town, is our drop zone.
Now if anything goes wrong
and we undershoot...
...we land in this flooded area
and are bogged down.
If we overshoot, we come down
like clay pigeons...
...smack dab in the center
of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
That's why I gave the men training
in low-level jumps near the villages.
So I've heard.
Got a complaint from
the city council at Bexhall.
Some of your men overshot
the drop zone and landed in the town.
-Tied up traffic for an hour.
-That's true, sir. I was with them.
Sudden crosswind hit us,
swept us over the treetops...
...scattered us all over the place.
-Where did you end up?
-In the courtyard of a convent.
Relax, Van. Sit down.
The last few months have been
a tough grind on all of us.
I hear you've been working yourself
and your battalion hard.
Almost without a stop.
Now that we're almost
at the end of the line...
...why don't you try easing up
on yourself and on the men?
Sometimes a battalion can be
sharpened to too fine a point.
Sometimes a commander can too.
Well...
...if there's any further delay...
...I request permission to submit
a new placement for our drop zones.
All right. Put it in writing.
Make it official.
That's your prerogative.
But Ike has called a final meeting
for tonight at Southwick House.
If it's on, we'll get
the green light by 9:30.
-What are the chances?
-Better than 50-50.
Forget everything I said. I got
the best battalion in this division...
...and they're ready.
Here it is. The latest report.
-It's Southwick House, sir.
-Stagg here.
Yes, sir. The new front's moving in
much faster than we thought.
Yes, sir, it's definitely improving.
I'll be there, sir. 9:30.
-Would you like some more tea, sir?
-Coffee, and make it black.
Please.
What's that you're saying?
But you know I can't get there
with my equipment for two days.
I wouldn't be surprised if...
-When's the next weather report?
-Tonight at 8, General.
Yes, I did, General.
Please wish her a happy birthday.
Thank you, Speidel.
In Normandy.
Trying to pick a trend is difficult.
From a meteorological standpoint,
conditions almost resemble mid-winter.
And Normandy?
High winds, clouds,
and some fog over the beaches.
However, I can say with a certain
degree of safety...
...that we can expect a brief period
of fair conditions.
Let me summarize, then.
What you're promising us is a barely
tolerable period of fair conditions.
Am I right?
Yes.
Conditions that are far below
the minimum requirements.
That's all I can promise.
You've done your best, Stagg.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Well...
...there it is.
We've postponed the attack
once already.
Now, either we go on the 6th,
with only marginal conditions...
...or postpone again...
...in the hope of getting
perfect conditions.
What do you think, Monty?
I say, go. Go.
I must remind everybody...
...that the American convoy
for the Omaha and Utah beaches...
...they've farthest to go...
...must be given the order
within the next half-hour...
...if the assault is to take place
on the 6th.
We can't keep almost a quarter
of a million men on ships...
...in embarkation areas, indefinitely.
The longer we wait, the more
acute our security problem.
The next time...
...the tides and the moon
will be right...
Not before July.
Gentlemen...
...such a postponement...
...is too bitter to contemplate.
Never.
I'm quite positive
we must give the order.
I don't like it...
...but there it is.
Gentlemen...
...I don't see how we can possibly
do anything else but go.
Wilson speaking.
Yes, sir.
It's on, sir. Ike's made the
decision. Tonight, as scheduled!
Colonel Tomson speaking.
Thank you.
Next stop...
...Normandy.
God help us now.
Gentlemen...
...the day we've been
waiting for has arrived.
Invasion! We're on our way.
General.
The orders have been given.
It's on.
Have the battalion commanders
join me in the wardroom.
All right, Sergeant.
You men are the eyes
of our airborne army.
You, the pathfinders, will have
one job, and one job only:
To light the drop zones
for our paratroops.
Along with the British and Canadians
you'll be the first men...
...to land in France.
And remember this:
When you get to Normandy...
...you'll only have one friend:
God.
And this.
This...
...is Rupert.
Now, we are going to drop Rupert...
...and a lot more like him...
...behind the invasion area.
He's...
...a very extraordinary
fellow, Rupert.
He's sort of a...
...one-man army, all by himself.
Let me show you.
Let me show you what happens
when Rupert...
...hits the ground.
Sergeant, switch off
the lights, please.
All right, Sergeant, that's all.
All right, come on. Simmer down.
Come on, up.
It's possible that Rupert and his men
will do the same thing to the Germans.
Confuse them, make them look
over their shoulders...
...and launch an attack
in the wrong direction.
Ten-hut!
-The crickets have been distributed.
-So I heard.
At ease!
You're as ready as we can make you.
This five-cent toy...
...wasn't issued to you for laughs.
It may save your life.
You're gonna be landing in the dark.
On the other side of that hedgerow...
...the fellow may not be wearing
the same uniform you are. So...
...one click...
...is to be answered by two clicks.
And if you don't
get that answering click...
...hit the dirt and open fire.
I repeat:
One click...
...must be answered by two clicks.
Now, hang on to this gimmick.
It's as important as your weapon.
Do you read me?
Loud and clear, sir.
All right. One more thing.
Your assignment tonight is strategic.
You can't give the enemy a break.
Send them to hell.
That is all.
I repeat:
"John has a long mustache."
No, not yet...
Oh, my Lord!
"John has a long mustache."
Make any sense to you, mac?
As I said last night, they're code
messages to the Resistance chaps.
Obviously, one message means
something to one group...
...and another means something
to another group.
"There is a fire at the travel agency."
I repeat:
I repeat:
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
We'll be back.
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
I repeat:
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
"There is a fire at the travel agency."
The best hand I've had all night.
Let me see here...
Pardon me.
Wait. Give that to me.
What's come?
The second verse.
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor."
Thank you.
It's almost impossible to believe.
Every dot represents a ship.
You got battlewagons, cruisers,
destroyers, minesweepers.
You got assault craft of every size
and every type.
The biggest armada
the world's ever known.
Here.
You remember it.
Remember every bit of it.
We're on the eve of a day...
...that people will talk about
long after we're dead and gone.
You wanna know something?
It gives me goose pimples
just to be part of it.
You could call it one of them...
...crazy, quickie wartime marriages,
you know?
Met at a dance at the USO
and all that...
...but, I mean, I took it serious.
And so did she.
We didn't do it just for kicks.
-When did you get the letter?
-Week ago.
Two weeks.
Maybe I was wrong, what I wrote her.
I mean, she's a high-class model
and all, and I...
I'm not the kind of guy
to get married that easy.
I mean, it wasn't no joke to me.
But oh, man, we really had some
wonderful times together.
And you think she's got a boyfriend?
Well, she never actually said so...
I mean...
You think I was right?
I mean, was I fair?
She can't get one
without your permission, right?
You gotta give your okay.
I know it's the law.
They passed it for all the Dear Johns.
Well, I guess I better be
getting back to the outfit.
Good luck.
You too.
Who was that guy?
The one you was talking to so long?
I don't know, Sparrow.
I never saw him before in my life.
Thank you.
What's that?
Dummkopf, that's the "V for
victory" sign. Three dots and a dash.
Ain't you never heard
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony?
Release point coming up, Major Howard.
Right, prepare for landing.
Cutting loose now.
Roger and out.
Major Howard, I cannot overestimate
the importance of your task.
The Orne River Bridge must be captured
before the enemy can destroy it.
It's a vital military artery, and the
enemy has prepared it for demolition.
It must be taken by surprise
and captured intact.
Your gliders will land at night,
without the benefit of ground support.
You will assault the garrison,
overwhelm it...
...and hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
Major Howard!
There's the bridge coming up.
Just on our left.
Right, link your arms.
Brace yourselves.
Feet up!
Hang on!
Smoke screen. Smoke.
Up the action, bucks!
Up the action, bucks!
Right, Tom.
Over the bridge.
Check for demolition charges!
Hello! Hello!
Clear.
It's working!
Where's the doc?
On the third glider.
There's no report from them.
Walsh.
Sir?
Tom, Ruskin and Royal have had it.
Take over.
On the other end of the bridge.
-What happened to you?
-Broke it on landing.
-Isn't the doc with you?
-No, he's missing.
We crashed in the river.
Afraid we've got a lot of casualties.
I'm all right, sir.
So are the boys.
-Okay, carry on.
-Right, sir. Come on!
Well, I'll be...
Hey, doc! Doc!
What are you doing there?
That's the German side.
Sir, anybody can make a mistake.
Sir?
The demolition charges have
been removed. It's all clear.
Good. Corporal Smith.
Send out the success code words.
Keep sending until acknowledged.
-John, set up HQ in that pillbox.
-Right, sir.
All in less than 15 minutes.
Only a matter of time before
they counterattack.
-What about the paratroopers?
-7th Para might not get here for hours.
And Lovat and his commandos...
It could be midday
before they get here.
The question is,
how long can we hold?
Hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
It's raining again.
Thank you.
Yes, I know.
Any of it.
We're 11 minutes from the green light.
Now, once more, I repeat:
If, for any reason, we fail
to hit our drop zones...
...move north by east.
North by east.
The Germans have flooded large
swamp areas behind the coast.
Avoid them if possible.
We came here to fight, not to swim.
Do you read me?
Loud and clear, sir.
How'd you make out?
How did you make out at the game?
I lost.
Now we're both jumping clean.
I see. Oh, well.
Just a moment.
The radar report.
And the...
Call the OB West? Very well.
Bye, Rupert.
Do your duty for God, king,
and your country.
-Are we late?
-No, but...
What is it?
Stop!
We said, stop!
Stop, or I'll shoot!
-It's abandoned.
-Show me your papers.
Hurry up!
Come with me.
Go on!
Put your bicycle there.
Hans!
Hans, where are you?
-What's going on here?
-Nothing!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Anything important?
Put it over there.
Rubber dummies!
I must get in touch with OB West.
They're enemy paratroopers!
Blimey, mate...
...you'll wake up the whole blooming
German Army!
Fellas!
I'm hung up!
Fellas!
-Are you all right?
-Yeah.
Awfully sorry, old man.
Simply landed here by accident.
What's that?
Sorry I startled you.
I'm trying to find my communion set.
Your what?
My communion set. I've lost it.
Now listen, padre.
We've got no time to look for...
I'm sure that it was here
that I lost it.
We're under fire, padre.
Don't you think we ought to...
You go on, my boy. Go on.
I'm sure I shall only be a minute.
Cor! Stuff a grouse.
I've got it! I've got it!
Glory be.
Now, my son, let's go
about God's work this night.
Pluskat.
Oh, yes, I can hear it.
Well, wait a minute.
Yes, just a moment.
Yes, Cherbourg is getting hit again.
Thank you, sir.
Higher! Higher!
-Is it important?
-Very important, Mayor Renaud.
What's wrong, madam?
-A parachutist?
-Yes, that's right.
-British or German?
-What?
-Without a word?
-Just "Shh!"
Bonjour, madame...
...je suis amricain.
Bonjour, mademoiselle...
...je suis amricain.
We seem to be circling.
Maybe they're having difficulty
finding the drop zone.
Je suis...
...amricain.
Je suis amricain.
Voulez-vous...
...mademoiselle?
Okay.
Go!
Go!
Paratroopers!
-Would you like coffee?
-Yes, thank you.
For God's sakes, padre,
stop that damn noise.
I'm sorry, son. I'm afraid I'm lost.
Well, who ain't? Now, come on.
Two clicks.
I heard two clicks.
Man...
...am I glad to see you.
-You guys the 82nd?
-No. This is the 101.
Where's the 82nd?
Look, bud, we don't even know
where our own outfit is.
Well, somebody's shooting at somebody.
Let's us go find this war.
Come on.
Maybe they're Limeys
and ain't got no cricket.
They must be our guys.
Okay.
No.
Hey.
Hey, they were Germans.
Toward Caen.
Yes, I'll let you know right away.
Of course.
Are you positive that ankle's broken?
Compound fracture, sir.
Well, put the boot back on
and lace it up...
...tight.
Don't get mad, I didn't break it.
And you're not walking on it.
-You're not going to try...
-Knock it off and do as you're told.
Yes?
A, B and C Company are scattered
all over like we are.
Go on.
Conklin landed on a stone wall, broke
his shoulder. I left him with a medic.
Any contact with F Company?
No, but they must be up ahead
in the direction of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
Well, go ahead. Tie it off.
Tie it off.
Well, here's where we are.
The northern edge of the swamp area...
...five miles from our drop zone.
Five miles.
-F Company?
-No, sir.
And we've got scouts
all over the place.
We even picked up a group
from the 101.
F Company were the first
of the lead planes.
Well, give me a hand.
Can I have my rifle?
Well, we'll head out this way.
We ought to reach high ground
and open country by daybreak.
All right. Have the men spread out...
...pick up any stragglers
they can find.
-Pass the word.
-Right, sir.
All right, men, spread out.
Pick up stragglers you see.
Pass the word down.
All right...
...let's go.
Yes. Thank you, Pemsel.
A diversionary attack, Blumentritt.
Where we always expected it!
Well, that about covers it, gentlemen.
Most of you have had
your feet wet before:
Dunkirk, Dieppe, Norway.
And we know what it means
to be driven into the sea.
In a few hours
we're going back from the sea.
And this time we're going to stay.
There's no time
for any sob stuff about...
...England, home and beauty.
Remember, our people have had a
rough time for four and a half years.
They've earned the final victory.
Let's give it to them.
And to our French comrades in arms,
I say:
Good luck.
Tomorrow morning, we'll take them.
Come in, Teddy.
Did you have to put it in writing?
I knew you wouldn't let me go
unless I did.
You're putting me on the spot.
-I didn't mean to, Tubby.
-The hell you didn't.
You put that request in writing,
made it official.
You're the assistant division
commander.
And that's why I'm supposed to go
ashore in the first wave.
That's where I'm supposed to be.
You know that.
You're important
to this operation.
We can't have you knocked off
on the first day.
But that's not the real reason.
Isn't it because my father was
president of the United States?
And a great president.
And a great soldier.
He led the charge of the Rough Riders
up San Juan Hill.
So now you've got to be
the first man ashore on Utah Beach.
But that's where I'm supposed to be,
Tubby. That's my job.
Also, I've been there side by side
with the men all through training.
They're used to seeing where I belong.
They have a right to expect me there.
President's son or not.
Is my request denied?
No, you know it's not.
Request reluctantly approved.
Thanks, Tubby.
Thanks a lot.
Say...
...how's that arthritis of yours?
Arthritis?
Haven't had a touch in months.
Glad to hear it.
One more thing...
I understand.
Not now.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Sit down.
It's unbelievable.
Can I...
...bring you anything, sir?
He was here a minute ago.
Not even a seagull...
My God!
The invasion.
They're coming!
It's amazing.
It's beyond belief.
General, in exactly two minutes...
...the fleet will open fire.
Your attention, please.
The Admiral has an announcement.
Long live France!
They're landing!
They're coming! They're coming!
I'm not crazy.
Look, they're landing!
The Americans, the English
and the French!
We're under fire. Yes, under fire!
It's wonderful!
Yes? What is it now?
Listen to me, Pips.
Those French bastards!
Sergeant!
Gentlemen, come here please.
There it is, men.
Omaha Beach, dead ahead.
Lock on the target!
Stand by!
Get off of the beach!
Let's go!
Come on, move up!
Hello, General, sir.
Are you all right, boy?
Yes, sir.
Don't you think you better go
back and get your rifle?
Out there, sir?
You're almost sure to need it
before this day is over.
Yes, sir.
Come on! Move on up! Let's go.
Medic!
Medic!
General, first reports
from Omaha, sir.
"Assault teams have landed.
No direct radio contact,
but destroyers report...
...first and second waves
appear pinned down on the beach.
Concentrated artillery
and mortar fire.
Third wave floundering."
Heavy casualties, sir.
When the mortars and machine guns
are silenced...
...have the battalion commanders
join me...
...over there.
Okay.
Hang on to that map case, Eddie.
I made it.
Hey, I made it.
Did you see me get those two guys?
Hey, Sergeant?
Sergeant?
As best as I can figure it,
this is the wrong beach.
We're a mile and a quarter south
of where we were supposed to land.
We should be up there.
Control boat must've been confused
by the naval bombardment smoke.
I agree with you,
but what will we do now?
Our reinforcements and heavy equipment
will approach in a very few minutes.
-I know, I know.
-What if they land at the right beach?
The reinforcements will have to
follow us wherever we are.
We're starting the war from right here.
-Head inland. We're going inland.
-Okay, let's go.
All right. Let's go!
Stand by to beach.
Duncan, take care of that strongpoint.
Any minute now. Stand by!
Let's give it them back for Dunkirk!
You hear that? Dunkirk.
Do you hear it, Clough?
Sure he was at school at the time.
Come on, you bums!
Come out, you dirty slobs!
Flanagan's back!
The evil of it all. Drowning a man
before he fights.
Oh, come on!
Keep those vehicles moving!
MP, chase out those cyclists.
Get off the beach! Move inland!
Come on, you lot!
Hurry it up.
Never mind the blathering!
We must put these down somewhere.
The sooner you get off the beach...
...the sooner they'll stop
this blasted shelling.
It's very bad for the dog!
Down, Winston, down!
Beach Master Sword, Section 2-A.
Third wave ashore on time.
No obstruction to follow-up.
Standing by.
Get going!
For heaven's sake,
get that carrier off the beach!
I was told I could transmit
a newsflash on your radio.
If you can't drive it, carry it!
You were saying?
I was told I could transmit
a newsflash on your...
My dear fellow, I don't want
to appear uncooperative...
Yes, I know all about
the power of the press.
But this line happens
to be rather busy! Come on!
Down, Winston. Down, Winston.
What did he say?
The answer is no.
We have to use the damn pigeons.
I've got these ready.
Here, clip this on.
They're going the wrong way.
Not toward the Germans, you idiots!
The other way! The other way!
Damned traitors!
-Hold it.
-Can't you get your finger out?
What's the matter?
Engine won't start, sir.
Full of seawater, I think.
My old grandmother used to say...
...anything mechanical,
give it a good bash.
Try it now.
Thank you, sir.
Off you go. Good luck.
I'm sure that got it out.
That's what I call a hell of a man!
Aye, I like his dog too.
Don't stand there yapping!
This isn't Hyde Park Corner!
The war's over there!
Come along!
Come on!
-Thank you.
-Everything's going according to plan.
Stand by to move.
Millin, "Blue Bonnet."
What in God's name...?
Oh, my friends. What a day!
What a day!
Welcome to France.
Welcome to Colleville!
Most kind of you.
Very nice to meet you...
Look at this. I kept it for you all.
But I don't think there
will be enough for everyone.
Perhaps next time. We have
a previous engagement: The war!
Mustn't lose that champagne!
All right, men, fall in!
Millin, "Blue Bonnet."
Goodbye.
Thank you, boys! Thank you!
Long live France!
Long live the Allies!
If you ask me, Flanagan...
...there's a lot of very
peculiar blokes on this beach.
Welcome!
Welcome to you all!
Rommel speaking.
Good morning.
What?
What!
Where?
Normandy!
There it is.
You mean to tell me
that's all we gotta climb?
They're not as high
as the practice ones.
They wasn't shooting at us then.
Why can't the Air Force
or Navy do this job?
The big guns in bunkers behind the
cliff can't be seen from the air.
We knock them out or they'll
murder our guys on the beach.
Yeah, well if you ask me...
...three grandmothers with brooms
could sweep us off there...
...like flies off of a sugar cake.
That's it, the one we're after.
It's empty.
The Air Force and Navy
really plastered this baby.
But I don't get...
The guns.
There ain't no mounts.
They've never even been installed.
You mean...
...we come up all this way...
...for nothing?
Don't worry, sarge,
you'll be all right.
Medic! Medic!
I wonder what "bitte, bitte" means?
What the hell are you
wearing a life preserver for?
I can't swim.
Normandy. It really is Normandy.
Yes, Field Marshal.
Call him?
What's that?
Here, let me help you.
You all right, Tom?
Come on, they're up there.
-Sir.
-Well?
Mr. Smith says to tell you
he's stood his men too.
The Jerries are moving up
into the woods...
...with machine guns and mortars.
-Tell the men to stand firm!
-Tell the chaps...
Tell them to expect another
counterattack, a heavy one.
-Here you are, mate.
-Ta.
What's the matter?
Listen. I thought I heard bagpipes.
Don't be daft!
I told you I heard bagpipes!
It's the reinforcements.
It's Lovat!
Come on!
Come on!
-Sorry I'm late.
-Better than never, sir.
Glad to see you, Shimmy.
You boys are right on target.
What's the situation?
Jerry's regrouping in the woods,
about a mile.
With mortars and machine guns.
Numbers?
No idea, Shimmy, but they seem
to be moving forward in force.
In that case, we won't wait.
We'd better get moving.
All right, we're going across.
-Millin!
-Sir?
"Black Bear," sir.
All right, come on.
Everybody up!
On your feet!
There he goes. He's at it again.
Ever hear such a bleeding racket
in all your life?
Yeah, it takes an Irishman
to play the pipes.
Hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
North by east, north by east.
Sainte-Mre-Eglise is that way.
Somebody turned that sign around.
Doesn't anybody in this outfit
look at a compass besides me?
Hey, you guys!
Over here! Over here!
Over here, on the double.
-Where you taking that?
-We don't know, sir.
We took the wrong road.
What do you got in here, ammo?
Yes, sir.
You 82nd?
No, sir, 101.
Well, you're in the 82nd now.
-But, sir, we're...
-But what?
Nothing, sir.
All right, move out.
-Knock that sign down!
-Yes, sir.
-Something's moving up there, colonel.
-Hit the dirt! Take cover.
Lieutenant Sheen, sir, A Company.
Colonel, it's me!
-Where did you come from?
-Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
We hold the main road
and north side of the square.
The Germans have a battery
on the other side of the town...
-...and command the countryside.
-And Major Lance?
-Holed up in a building in the square.
-F Company?
They overshot the drop zone
and landed in the middle of the town.
Go on.
It was a nightmare, sir. A slaughter.
They were mowed down
before they hit the ground.
Major Lance sent me to try
and contact you, sir.
He wants your permission to pull back
and regroup outside of town.
No, damn it. We came here
to take Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
We're gonna take it and hold it.
Follow the lieutenant, gentlemen.
-Sir.
-Thank you.
British and Canadians advancing
steadily from Sword, Gold, and Juno.
Anything from Omaha?
Nothing since the first message:
Heavy fighting, heavy casualties.
Sir.
Omaha?
No.
I can't understand why Jerry hasn't
brought his heavy armor into play.
All the panzer divisions
except the 21 st...
...seem to be sitting it out
in the rear.
Sir.
French commandos driving inland
from Sword...
...have reached the outskirts
of Ouistreham.
Ouistreham.
Fall back!
Take cover!
Fire!
Get the wounded out of here!
Go back!
Get out of here!
It's a tank!
It's Kieffer!
In the other direction!
Clear away the debris! Hurry!
Yeah, yeah, you're trying.
That thing still work?
Yes, sir, now and then.
-Anything from the other beaches?
-Not directly.
A while ago the sergeant picked up
some flashes from the destroyers.
The 4th Division is off Utah Beach
and moving inland.
Inland?
-What about the 1 st Division?
-They're hung up, sir.
Like we are.
Move out.
-What do you think?
-Think?
We must have close to a thousand
casualties up to now.
Do you want me to have the ships
start picking us up?
-You think it's that bad?
-I don't see what else to do.
We can't get up this hill.
If we don't get off this beach,
we won't have any division left.
What?
These are our men, Tom.
You think we brought them in so some
die and ask the rest to turn tail?
Hell, no.
We're gonna get up that hill.
Find me somebody to speak
for the Rangers.
Back down the beach
on the right there's a gully.
With a heavily defended roadblock
and machine gun nests on both sides.
-If we can blow our way through...
-We've hit it three times.
-We didn't get close.
-Three times isn't enough.
We're gonna hit it again.
Can you find me some engineers?
They're all around you!
I mean engineers
with equipment still working.
Then I shouldn't radio the ships?
No, damn it!
We need bangalore torpedoes,
bazookas, mortars, wire cutters...
...and every man that can stand.
Pass the word, will you?
Okay, Norm.
Now listen to me, all of you.
You guys got to snap out of it.
We're getting off of here,
and we're going inland.
What about weapons, General?
My men lost everything.
They gotta have something
to fight with.
Strip the dead and the wounded.
Pick up anything that'll shoot.
I don't have to tell you the score,
you all know it.
Only two kinds of people
are gonna stay on this beach:
Those that are already dead and those
that will die. Get off your butts!
You guys are the fighting 29th!
I've looked at the naval reports.
Yes?
According to reports from the offshore
destroyers, Omaha is a shambles.
There's no evidence...
To quote the report exactly:
"There is no evidence of any movement
that can be observed off the beach."
I'd better have a look through these.
How is Ike taking it?
Like everybody else, sir.
Hanging on by his fingernails.
Can you hear me?
Nonsense!
Yes, General.
-Where is everybody?
-What?
I said, where is everybody?
I can't hear you.
It's them bells.
I've had them in my ears
for 10 hours.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Hey, Sergeant, where's Major Lance?
We moved the CP to that
building. The major's there.
Get him, the colonel's here.
What?
Hold it!
Colonel, am I glad to see you!
Those bodies. Get those bodies down.
Why are you leaving them up there?
Get them down!
But we've been under fire, sir.
I know you have, but I don't care!
Get them down! Down!
-I don't want those boys left there.
-Take a detail and cut them down.
-At once!
-Yes, sir.
Has there been a linkup between our
forces and the troops from the sea?
I don't know, Major. I don't even
know if the landings took place.
But I am sure we're gonna hold
this town until the linkup does come.
Whenever that is, today, tomorrow,
till hell freezes over.
For their sake,
if for no other reason.
Show me the enemy positions.
Well, sir, the Germans' strong point
is right there.
That's over there on the hill.
They've got no tanks yet.
They've got heavy guns and machine
gun positions at the top of that road.
How many men have you got?
Not enough.
Lt. Wilson will take A Company
and reinforce Major Lance.
The rest of the command will follow us
straight up that road.
Good luck, Major.
All right, A Company, fall out.
-Private.
-Yes, sir.
It's a helluva war.
It's a privilege to serve
with you, colonel.
Well, God willing, we'll do
what we came here to do.
Ready, sir.
Move out!
The old man sure has changed
since yesterday.
Or maybe it's just
that we've changed...
...since yesterday.
Lovat and his commandos
have reached the bridge.
Bob, did you hear?
Yes, I heard.
"Sainte-Mre-Eglise captured
by units of the 82nd Airborne."
"101 Airborne driving on Utah."
That's good. Good.
Yes, but if we can't get off Omaha
it doesn't mean a damn. We know it.
We'll have two cut-off beachheads,
one in British zone and one at Utah.
Yes...
...and the Germans in between.
You guys engineers?
Yes, sir. 299th.
Where are your officers?
Who's in charge here?
I guess I am, sir.
None of our officers made it in.
What about your equipment?
Those torpedoes work?
Yes, sir, we'll make them work!
-What's your name, Sergeant?
-It's Fuller, sir, John H.
You're Lieutenant Fuller from now on,
whether you like it or not.
You send some men down to the foot
of that gully with those torpedoes.
You and the rest of the men follow me.
Yes, sir!
All right, men!
Let's move that equipment down here.
-I got a rifle, sir.
-Well, good for you, son!
The Rangers are ready, General.
Okay, Major, move them out.
Captain, move them up.
Move them up!
-Well, Tom?
-We're ready.
As ready as we'll ever be.
It'll work. It's got to work.
We're getting murdered here! We might
as well move inland and get murdered!
-You ready?
-Yes, sir.
You're gonna blow
that roadblock for me.
When I give the word
everything pops at once. Okay?
Yes, sir.
First, we gotta blow a hole
through that wire with bangalores.
If that works, we'll pack
everything we've got into that wall.
All right, let's go!
All right, let's go! Go! Go!
You don't say!
Don't worry, Yank.
He's dead.
Give me a cigarette.
I'm dying for a cigarette.
You hurt bad?
Shot down during the night.
He was gonna make sure of me,
but I got him...
...with this.
You ever killed a man?
I mean, face to face?
No.
Neither had I, face to face.
I've been sitting here looking at him.
Have you noticed anything peculiar
about him?
No.
He's got his boots...
...on the wrong feet.
He must have been
in a big hurry, huh?
Is it bad?
Split wide open...
...from the crotch to the knee.
A medic came along and gave me
a shot of morphine.
I hope he'll be back
before it wears off.
He said he would.
Did he sew you up?
Well, when he came to shore
he lost most of his equipment.
So he pinned it together...
...with safety pins.
Getting on toward night.
You know something?
I haven't fired my gun all day.
I keep hearing shooting, but every
time I get there, everybody's gone.
Funny, isn't it?
He's dead.
I'm crippled.
You're lost.
I suppose it's always like that.
I mean war.
I wonder who won.
Okay, run me up the hill, son.
...on every rock.
I repeat:
I've ordered alerts again and again.
Tell me this:
-Anything else?
-No, sir.
Good morning, Field Marshal.
-Any news?
-Nothing important.
Snap it up. Jerk the lead.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
You expect us to eat this slop again?
I don't care what you do with it, mac.
Eat it, throw it out.
I get paid for cooking it.
Come on. Put it on.
Snap it up.
Jerk the lead.
Didn't you get any sleep?
Are you kidding? I haven't slept
since we got here.
I got the absolute lowdown.
It's on for tonight. For sure.
Yeah.
I got in this crap game
with this guy from F Company.
-He's an orderly for some general.
-Move it. Move it.
Hey, Hutchy!
Hutchy, I want to ask you something.
Hey, Hutchinson...
...do you think they'd let me write
home? If it was really important?
Not likely, mate. Security.
I don't think old Churchill trusts us.
It's the wife, you see.
She's going to have a baby.
Your first, is it?
Oh, it's not mine, but I'm dead
worried about her.
She's not too strong, you see.
Man, that stink.
Diesel oil, backed-up toilets, vomit.
And there ain't no place left
to get sick in.
The puke bags is full.
The fire buckets is full.
All we got left is our helmets.
June.
Every June my old man
used to take me camping...
...up in the Blue Mountains.
We'd hunt and fish all day long.
And at night...
...we'd sleep out under the stars.
Didn't even need a blanket.
June.
Wind and rain. Wind and rain.
Don't it ever stop?
Look, Dad, all I want
to do is get going.
Wind or no wind. Even if we land
in Paris on the Eiffel Tower.
-Come to think of it...
-Colonel wants us.
All of us.
All troops will participate
in ground tactics and deployment.
In this weather, sir?
Of course, Harding, if you can ensure
that we'll land in France...
-...in sunshine and dry weather.
-Didn't mean that.
-What did you mean?
-It isn't the weather.
It's the waiting.
These men are itching to go.
I don't think I have to remind you...
...that this war has been going on
for almost five years.
Half of Europe has been
overrun and occupied.
We're comparative newcomers.
England's gone through a blitz with
a knife at her throat since 1940.
I am quite sure that they too
are impatient and itching to go.
Do I make myself clear?
Yes, sir. Quite clear.
Three million men penned up
on this island.
All over England,
in staging areas like this.
We're on the threshold
of the most crucial day of our times.
Three million men out there...
...keyed up, and waiting for
that big step-off.
They aren't exactly alone.
Notify the men. Full packs
and equipment, 14:00 hours.
Yes, sir.
This allows you more freedom.
Quicker to get rid of
when we hit the beach.
-Well?
-It's on.
Tonight, as scheduled.
-If the weather isn't worse.
-How worse can it get?
Ike has called a high-level
conference for 9:30.
I am not Eisenhower. I am
an assistant division commander.
I don't know from nothing,
but he can't call it off again.
Frank, turn that thing off.
Four thousand ships loaded for bear.
Troops ready to go.
Eleven thousand planes on the line.
Eighteen thousand paratroopers.
God only knows how many gliders.
Norm, relax.
RAF says the gale can stop
as suddenly as it began.
So they told us yesterday
and the day before.
Look, Norm.
We're all of us just as...
...dedicated to this thing as you are,
just as anxious to get going.
And that includes Ike.
Now if he calls it off again,
he knows what he's doing.
Of course he does. I know that.
I'm just thinking about those
assault troops. 200,000 of them...
...out there on those ships.
They're probably seasick as hell.
Some of those men have been
on those tubs for almost three days.
I say go.
Go. Weather or no weather.
No!
A hundred on the bone! Let's go.
-Hey, give me $50. I'm busted.
-I'm not doing so good myself.
Hey, lend me $50?
-Lend me 20 bucks?
-Drop dead.
Lend me $ 10?
-Fifty on a bet.
-I got it.
One, two, three, four, five.
Fifty!
Let me hear it, let me hear it.
-Five and two, four and three.
-Six! That's the way we go!
Seven points in a row. It ain't
logical, it just ain't logical.
-There's a hundred out there.
-$ 100 dollars, $20 dollars.
Anything open?
-Forty more.
-Forty more.
You got a bet.
-Okay, you mother-loving...
-Just a minute. Wait a minute.
Here you are. Use this.
-You don't think I'd...
-I don't think anything.
I just like to hear the sound
when it comes out of the cup.
That's it. Shake it.
Okay. Let me see what you do
with it now. Go ahead. Shoot.
-What is it?
-Nothing.
-Seven!
-That's what I wanted!
Who put this cup in the game?
-Next shooter. Who's coming up?
-I'll go $ 100.
He's shooting a hundred.
Who's got it?
-Watch your side bets.
-$ 100.
You got a letter for me.
Schultz, huh?
Yeah, that's it.
Thanks, buddy.
-How much did you take him for?
-Not much. Just a hair over $2500.
-$2500?
-Yeah.
Oh, man, $2500?
It's too bad you had to win it now.
What do you mean, now?
Suppose we take off tonight.
What will you do with it?
Five I take with me to Paris
to blow on the broads and wine.
A thou I leave here for seed
when I get back.
And the rest I send to my mother.
Oh, man, $2500. And in Paris.
You always was lucky.
Hey, remember that night
in Fort Bragg?
I remember it.
You know, I think I sneak over there
and give it a big whang myself.
Why not? What's to lose?
Damn it.
Why did he have to mention Fort Bragg?
I was lucky, all right,
in that crap game.
Next day I break my leg in a jump.
And two months in traction.
$2500.
That's more money I ever had
in my whole life.
I know.
Man, I just know.
I wonder how long it takes
to lose $2500?
Pint of sludge, Ted.
Oh, hello, Dave.
Hey, you seen Johnny?
Yes.
Well, where is he?
Come on, Dave.
I need my boots.
Johnny's borrowed them.
Where is he?
At the bottom...
...of the Channel.
You mean...
...he's bought it?
Ack-ack over Calais.
He jumped clean,
but his parachute didn't open.
That leaves just you
in the squadron, Dave.
I mean, of the old 1940 mob.
What's always worried me
about being one of the few...
...is the way we keep on
getting fewer.
Yeah.
Poor old Johnny.
Bad luck, it happening now.
-Now, then. What's the difference?
-He went through the Battle of Britain!
And now if the big show
starts tonight...
...he won't be in it.
Look, will you please
shut up about him?
All right, all right.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
You heard something about tonight?
No, no. I haven't heard anything.
-What are you talking about then?
-Well, it's just...
-Go on, go on.
-I have a feeling it's on for tonight.
-That's all.
-A feeling.
Take your feeling somewhere else.
I've got a letter to write.
I've had this feeling since I woke up.
I've had it with me all day long.
I can't shake it off.
It's tonight. I know it is.
All right, it's tonight.
Suits me fine.
Tonight. This afternoon. Now!
I mean...
...as soon as I finish this beer.
-General, can you spare me a minute?
-Come in.
-Thank you.
-Can I get you coffee?
-No, thanks.
-I'll get some for myself.
Is it still raining?
On and off, off and on.
Sometimes I wonder
which side God's on.
What?
I say, sometimes I wonder
which side God's on.
Good question.
What's on your mind, Van?
I'm concerned about the placement
of our drop zones.
Go on.
I know this is a hell of a late date
to bring up something new...
...but you've given me
a tough nut to crack.
-It gets tougher every time I try.
-I know, Van.
Sainte-Mre-Eglise straddles
the only road the Germans can use...
...to drive into our northern flank.
But it has to be taken.
And it has to be held.
That's why I gave you the job, Van.
-Can I use your board?
-Of course.
Here's the town. Heavily fortified.
Down here is the swamp area
that the Germans have flooded.
And in between, four miles
from the town, is our drop zone.
Now if anything goes wrong
and we undershoot...
...we land in this flooded area
and are bogged down.
If we overshoot, we come down
like clay pigeons...
...smack dab in the center
of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
That's why I gave the men training
in low-level jumps near the villages.
So I've heard.
Got a complaint from
the city council at Bexhall.
Some of your men overshot
the drop zone and landed in the town.
-Tied up traffic for an hour.
-That's true, sir. I was with them.
Sudden crosswind hit us,
swept us over the treetops...
...scattered us all over the place.
-Where did you end up?
-In the courtyard of a convent.
Relax, Van. Sit down.
The last few months have been
a tough grind on all of us.
I hear you've been working yourself
and your battalion hard.
Almost without a stop.
Now that we're almost
at the end of the line...
...why don't you try easing up
on yourself and on the men?
Sometimes a battalion can be
sharpened to too fine a point.
Sometimes a commander can too.
Well...
...if there's any further delay...
...I request permission to submit
a new placement for our drop zones.
All right. Put it in writing.
Make it official.
That's your prerogative.
But Ike has called a final meeting
for tonight at Southwick House.
If it's on, we'll get
the green light by 9:30.
-What are the chances?
-Better than 50-50.
Forget everything I said. I got
the best battalion in this division...
...and they're ready.
Here it is. The latest report.
-It's Southwick House, sir.
-Stagg here.
Yes, sir. The new front's moving in
much faster than we thought.
Yes, sir, it's definitely improving.
I'll be there, sir. 9:30.
-Would you like some more tea, sir?
-Coffee, and make it black.
Please.
What's that you're saying?
But you know I can't get there
with my equipment for two days.
I wouldn't be surprised if...
-When's the next weather report?
-Tonight at 8, General.
Yes, I did, General.
Please wish her a happy birthday.
Thank you, Speidel.
In Normandy.
Trying to pick a trend is difficult.
From a meteorological standpoint,
conditions almost resemble mid-winter.
And Normandy?
High winds, clouds,
and some fog over the beaches.
However, I can say with a certain
degree of safety...
...that we can expect a brief period
of fair conditions.
Let me summarize, then.
What you're promising us is a barely
tolerable period of fair conditions.
Am I right?
Yes.
Conditions that are far below
the minimum requirements.
That's all I can promise.
You've done your best, Stagg.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Well...
...there it is.
We've postponed the attack
once already.
Now, either we go on the 6th,
with only marginal conditions...
...or postpone again...
...in the hope of getting
perfect conditions.
What do you think, Monty?
I say, go. Go.
I must remind everybody...
...that the American convoy
for the Omaha and Utah beaches...
...they've farthest to go...
...must be given the order
within the next half-hour...
...if the assault is to take place
on the 6th.
We can't keep almost a quarter
of a million men on ships...
...in embarkation areas, indefinitely.
The longer we wait, the more
acute our security problem.
The next time...
...the tides and the moon
will be right...
Not before July.
Gentlemen...
...such a postponement...
...is too bitter to contemplate.
Never.
I'm quite positive
we must give the order.
I don't like it...
...but there it is.
Gentlemen...
...I don't see how we can possibly
do anything else but go.
Wilson speaking.
Yes, sir.
It's on, sir. Ike's made the
decision. Tonight, as scheduled!
Colonel Tomson speaking.
Thank you.
Next stop...
...Normandy.
God help us now.
Gentlemen...
...the day we've been
waiting for has arrived.
Invasion! We're on our way.
General.
The orders have been given.
It's on.
Have the battalion commanders
join me in the wardroom.
All right, Sergeant.
You men are the eyes
of our airborne army.
You, the pathfinders, will have
one job, and one job only:
To light the drop zones
for our paratroops.
Along with the British and Canadians
you'll be the first men...
...to land in France.
And remember this:
When you get to Normandy...
...you'll only have one friend:
God.
And this.
This...
...is Rupert.
Now, we are going to drop Rupert...
...and a lot more like him...
...behind the invasion area.
He's...
...a very extraordinary
fellow, Rupert.
He's sort of a...
...one-man army, all by himself.
Let me show you.
Let me show you what happens
when Rupert...
...hits the ground.
Sergeant, switch off
the lights, please.
All right, Sergeant, that's all.
All right, come on. Simmer down.
Come on, up.
It's possible that Rupert and his men
will do the same thing to the Germans.
Confuse them, make them look
over their shoulders...
...and launch an attack
in the wrong direction.
Ten-hut!
-The crickets have been distributed.
-So I heard.
At ease!
You're as ready as we can make you.
This five-cent toy...
...wasn't issued to you for laughs.
It may save your life.
You're gonna be landing in the dark.
On the other side of that hedgerow...
...the fellow may not be wearing
the same uniform you are. So...
...one click...
...is to be answered by two clicks.
And if you don't
get that answering click...
...hit the dirt and open fire.
I repeat:
One click...
...must be answered by two clicks.
Now, hang on to this gimmick.
It's as important as your weapon.
Do you read me?
Loud and clear, sir.
All right. One more thing.
Your assignment tonight is strategic.
You can't give the enemy a break.
Send them to hell.
That is all.
I repeat:
"John has a long mustache."
No, not yet...
Oh, my Lord!
"John has a long mustache."
Make any sense to you, mac?
As I said last night, they're code
messages to the Resistance chaps.
Obviously, one message means
something to one group...
...and another means something
to another group.
"There is a fire at the travel agency."
I repeat:
I repeat:
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
We'll be back.
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
I repeat:
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor. "
"There is a fire at the travel agency."
The best hand I've had all night.
Let me see here...
Pardon me.
Wait. Give that to me.
What's come?
The second verse.
"Wounds my heart with a
monotonous languor."
Thank you.
It's almost impossible to believe.
Every dot represents a ship.
You got battlewagons, cruisers,
destroyers, minesweepers.
You got assault craft of every size
and every type.
The biggest armada
the world's ever known.
Here.
You remember it.
Remember every bit of it.
We're on the eve of a day...
...that people will talk about
long after we're dead and gone.
You wanna know something?
It gives me goose pimples
just to be part of it.
You could call it one of them...
...crazy, quickie wartime marriages,
you know?
Met at a dance at the USO
and all that...
...but, I mean, I took it serious.
And so did she.
We didn't do it just for kicks.
-When did you get the letter?
-Week ago.
Two weeks.
Maybe I was wrong, what I wrote her.
I mean, she's a high-class model
and all, and I...
I'm not the kind of guy
to get married that easy.
I mean, it wasn't no joke to me.
But oh, man, we really had some
wonderful times together.
And you think she's got a boyfriend?
Well, she never actually said so...
I mean...
You think I was right?
I mean, was I fair?
She can't get one
without your permission, right?
You gotta give your okay.
I know it's the law.
They passed it for all the Dear Johns.
Well, I guess I better be
getting back to the outfit.
Good luck.
You too.
Who was that guy?
The one you was talking to so long?
I don't know, Sparrow.
I never saw him before in my life.
Thank you.
What's that?
Dummkopf, that's the "V for
victory" sign. Three dots and a dash.
Ain't you never heard
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony?
Release point coming up, Major Howard.
Right, prepare for landing.
Cutting loose now.
Roger and out.
Major Howard, I cannot overestimate
the importance of your task.
The Orne River Bridge must be captured
before the enemy can destroy it.
It's a vital military artery, and the
enemy has prepared it for demolition.
It must be taken by surprise
and captured intact.
Your gliders will land at night,
without the benefit of ground support.
You will assault the garrison,
overwhelm it...
...and hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
Major Howard!
There's the bridge coming up.
Just on our left.
Right, link your arms.
Brace yourselves.
Feet up!
Hang on!
Smoke screen. Smoke.
Up the action, bucks!
Up the action, bucks!
Right, Tom.
Over the bridge.
Check for demolition charges!
Hello! Hello!
Clear.
It's working!
Where's the doc?
On the third glider.
There's no report from them.
Walsh.
Sir?
Tom, Ruskin and Royal have had it.
Take over.
On the other end of the bridge.
-What happened to you?
-Broke it on landing.
-Isn't the doc with you?
-No, he's missing.
We crashed in the river.
Afraid we've got a lot of casualties.
I'm all right, sir.
So are the boys.
-Okay, carry on.
-Right, sir. Come on!
Well, I'll be...
Hey, doc! Doc!
What are you doing there?
That's the German side.
Sir, anybody can make a mistake.
Sir?
The demolition charges have
been removed. It's all clear.
Good. Corporal Smith.
Send out the success code words.
Keep sending until acknowledged.
-John, set up HQ in that pillbox.
-Right, sir.
All in less than 15 minutes.
Only a matter of time before
they counterattack.
-What about the paratroopers?
-7th Para might not get here for hours.
And Lovat and his commandos...
It could be midday
before they get here.
The question is,
how long can we hold?
Hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
It's raining again.
Thank you.
Yes, I know.
Any of it.
We're 11 minutes from the green light.
Now, once more, I repeat:
If, for any reason, we fail
to hit our drop zones...
...move north by east.
North by east.
The Germans have flooded large
swamp areas behind the coast.
Avoid them if possible.
We came here to fight, not to swim.
Do you read me?
Loud and clear, sir.
How'd you make out?
How did you make out at the game?
I lost.
Now we're both jumping clean.
I see. Oh, well.
Just a moment.
The radar report.
And the...
Call the OB West? Very well.
Bye, Rupert.
Do your duty for God, king,
and your country.
-Are we late?
-No, but...
What is it?
Stop!
We said, stop!
Stop, or I'll shoot!
-It's abandoned.
-Show me your papers.
Hurry up!
Come with me.
Go on!
Put your bicycle there.
Hans!
Hans, where are you?
-What's going on here?
-Nothing!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Stop!
Anything important?
Put it over there.
Rubber dummies!
I must get in touch with OB West.
They're enemy paratroopers!
Blimey, mate...
...you'll wake up the whole blooming
German Army!
Fellas!
I'm hung up!
Fellas!
-Are you all right?
-Yeah.
Awfully sorry, old man.
Simply landed here by accident.
What's that?
Sorry I startled you.
I'm trying to find my communion set.
Your what?
My communion set. I've lost it.
Now listen, padre.
We've got no time to look for...
I'm sure that it was here
that I lost it.
We're under fire, padre.
Don't you think we ought to...
You go on, my boy. Go on.
I'm sure I shall only be a minute.
Cor! Stuff a grouse.
I've got it! I've got it!
Glory be.
Now, my son, let's go
about God's work this night.
Pluskat.
Oh, yes, I can hear it.
Well, wait a minute.
Yes, just a moment.
Yes, Cherbourg is getting hit again.
Thank you, sir.
Higher! Higher!
-Is it important?
-Very important, Mayor Renaud.
What's wrong, madam?
-A parachutist?
-Yes, that's right.
-British or German?
-What?
-Without a word?
-Just "Shh!"
Bonjour, madame...
...je suis amricain.
Bonjour, mademoiselle...
...je suis amricain.
We seem to be circling.
Maybe they're having difficulty
finding the drop zone.
Je suis...
...amricain.
Je suis amricain.
Voulez-vous...
...mademoiselle?
Okay.
Go!
Go!
Paratroopers!
-Would you like coffee?
-Yes, thank you.
For God's sakes, padre,
stop that damn noise.
I'm sorry, son. I'm afraid I'm lost.
Well, who ain't? Now, come on.
Two clicks.
I heard two clicks.
Man...
...am I glad to see you.
-You guys the 82nd?
-No. This is the 101.
Where's the 82nd?
Look, bud, we don't even know
where our own outfit is.
Well, somebody's shooting at somebody.
Let's us go find this war.
Come on.
Maybe they're Limeys
and ain't got no cricket.
They must be our guys.
Okay.
No.
Hey.
Hey, they were Germans.
Toward Caen.
Yes, I'll let you know right away.
Of course.
Are you positive that ankle's broken?
Compound fracture, sir.
Well, put the boot back on
and lace it up...
...tight.
Don't get mad, I didn't break it.
And you're not walking on it.
-You're not going to try...
-Knock it off and do as you're told.
Yes?
A, B and C Company are scattered
all over like we are.
Go on.
Conklin landed on a stone wall, broke
his shoulder. I left him with a medic.
Any contact with F Company?
No, but they must be up ahead
in the direction of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
Well, go ahead. Tie it off.
Tie it off.
Well, here's where we are.
The northern edge of the swamp area...
...five miles from our drop zone.
Five miles.
-F Company?
-No, sir.
And we've got scouts
all over the place.
We even picked up a group
from the 101.
F Company were the first
of the lead planes.
Well, give me a hand.
Can I have my rifle?
Well, we'll head out this way.
We ought to reach high ground
and open country by daybreak.
All right. Have the men spread out...
...pick up any stragglers
they can find.
-Pass the word.
-Right, sir.
All right, men, spread out.
Pick up stragglers you see.
Pass the word down.
All right...
...let's go.
Yes. Thank you, Pemsel.
A diversionary attack, Blumentritt.
Where we always expected it!
Well, that about covers it, gentlemen.
Most of you have had
your feet wet before:
Dunkirk, Dieppe, Norway.
And we know what it means
to be driven into the sea.
In a few hours
we're going back from the sea.
And this time we're going to stay.
There's no time
for any sob stuff about...
...England, home and beauty.
Remember, our people have had a
rough time for four and a half years.
They've earned the final victory.
Let's give it to them.
And to our French comrades in arms,
I say:
Good luck.
Tomorrow morning, we'll take them.
Come in, Teddy.
Did you have to put it in writing?
I knew you wouldn't let me go
unless I did.
You're putting me on the spot.
-I didn't mean to, Tubby.
-The hell you didn't.
You put that request in writing,
made it official.
You're the assistant division
commander.
And that's why I'm supposed to go
ashore in the first wave.
That's where I'm supposed to be.
You know that.
You're important
to this operation.
We can't have you knocked off
on the first day.
But that's not the real reason.
Isn't it because my father was
president of the United States?
And a great president.
And a great soldier.
He led the charge of the Rough Riders
up San Juan Hill.
So now you've got to be
the first man ashore on Utah Beach.
But that's where I'm supposed to be,
Tubby. That's my job.
Also, I've been there side by side
with the men all through training.
They're used to seeing where I belong.
They have a right to expect me there.
President's son or not.
Is my request denied?
No, you know it's not.
Request reluctantly approved.
Thanks, Tubby.
Thanks a lot.
Say...
...how's that arthritis of yours?
Arthritis?
Haven't had a touch in months.
Glad to hear it.
One more thing...
I understand.
Not now.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Sit down.
It's unbelievable.
Can I...
...bring you anything, sir?
He was here a minute ago.
Not even a seagull...
My God!
The invasion.
They're coming!
It's amazing.
It's beyond belief.
General, in exactly two minutes...
...the fleet will open fire.
Your attention, please.
The Admiral has an announcement.
Long live France!
They're landing!
They're coming! They're coming!
I'm not crazy.
Look, they're landing!
The Americans, the English
and the French!
We're under fire. Yes, under fire!
It's wonderful!
Yes? What is it now?
Listen to me, Pips.
Those French bastards!
Sergeant!
Gentlemen, come here please.
There it is, men.
Omaha Beach, dead ahead.
Lock on the target!
Stand by!
Get off of the beach!
Let's go!
Come on, move up!
Hello, General, sir.
Are you all right, boy?
Yes, sir.
Don't you think you better go
back and get your rifle?
Out there, sir?
You're almost sure to need it
before this day is over.
Yes, sir.
Come on! Move on up! Let's go.
Medic!
Medic!
General, first reports
from Omaha, sir.
"Assault teams have landed.
No direct radio contact,
but destroyers report...
...first and second waves
appear pinned down on the beach.
Concentrated artillery
and mortar fire.
Third wave floundering."
Heavy casualties, sir.
When the mortars and machine guns
are silenced...
...have the battalion commanders
join me...
...over there.
Okay.
Hang on to that map case, Eddie.
I made it.
Hey, I made it.
Did you see me get those two guys?
Hey, Sergeant?
Sergeant?
As best as I can figure it,
this is the wrong beach.
We're a mile and a quarter south
of where we were supposed to land.
We should be up there.
Control boat must've been confused
by the naval bombardment smoke.
I agree with you,
but what will we do now?
Our reinforcements and heavy equipment
will approach in a very few minutes.
-I know, I know.
-What if they land at the right beach?
The reinforcements will have to
follow us wherever we are.
We're starting the war from right here.
-Head inland. We're going inland.
-Okay, let's go.
All right. Let's go!
Stand by to beach.
Duncan, take care of that strongpoint.
Any minute now. Stand by!
Let's give it them back for Dunkirk!
You hear that? Dunkirk.
Do you hear it, Clough?
Sure he was at school at the time.
Come on, you bums!
Come out, you dirty slobs!
Flanagan's back!
The evil of it all. Drowning a man
before he fights.
Oh, come on!
Keep those vehicles moving!
MP, chase out those cyclists.
Get off the beach! Move inland!
Come on, you lot!
Hurry it up.
Never mind the blathering!
We must put these down somewhere.
The sooner you get off the beach...
...the sooner they'll stop
this blasted shelling.
It's very bad for the dog!
Down, Winston, down!
Beach Master Sword, Section 2-A.
Third wave ashore on time.
No obstruction to follow-up.
Standing by.
Get going!
For heaven's sake,
get that carrier off the beach!
I was told I could transmit
a newsflash on your radio.
If you can't drive it, carry it!
You were saying?
I was told I could transmit
a newsflash on your...
My dear fellow, I don't want
to appear uncooperative...
Yes, I know all about
the power of the press.
But this line happens
to be rather busy! Come on!
Down, Winston. Down, Winston.
What did he say?
The answer is no.
We have to use the damn pigeons.
I've got these ready.
Here, clip this on.
They're going the wrong way.
Not toward the Germans, you idiots!
The other way! The other way!
Damned traitors!
-Hold it.
-Can't you get your finger out?
What's the matter?
Engine won't start, sir.
Full of seawater, I think.
My old grandmother used to say...
...anything mechanical,
give it a good bash.
Try it now.
Thank you, sir.
Off you go. Good luck.
I'm sure that got it out.
That's what I call a hell of a man!
Aye, I like his dog too.
Don't stand there yapping!
This isn't Hyde Park Corner!
The war's over there!
Come along!
Come on!
-Thank you.
-Everything's going according to plan.
Stand by to move.
Millin, "Blue Bonnet."
What in God's name...?
Oh, my friends. What a day!
What a day!
Welcome to France.
Welcome to Colleville!
Most kind of you.
Very nice to meet you...
Look at this. I kept it for you all.
But I don't think there
will be enough for everyone.
Perhaps next time. We have
a previous engagement: The war!
Mustn't lose that champagne!
All right, men, fall in!
Millin, "Blue Bonnet."
Goodbye.
Thank you, boys! Thank you!
Long live France!
Long live the Allies!
If you ask me, Flanagan...
...there's a lot of very
peculiar blokes on this beach.
Welcome!
Welcome to you all!
Rommel speaking.
Good morning.
What?
What!
Where?
Normandy!
There it is.
You mean to tell me
that's all we gotta climb?
They're not as high
as the practice ones.
They wasn't shooting at us then.
Why can't the Air Force
or Navy do this job?
The big guns in bunkers behind the
cliff can't be seen from the air.
We knock them out or they'll
murder our guys on the beach.
Yeah, well if you ask me...
...three grandmothers with brooms
could sweep us off there...
...like flies off of a sugar cake.
That's it, the one we're after.
It's empty.
The Air Force and Navy
really plastered this baby.
But I don't get...
The guns.
There ain't no mounts.
They've never even been installed.
You mean...
...we come up all this way...
...for nothing?
Don't worry, sarge,
you'll be all right.
Medic! Medic!
I wonder what "bitte, bitte" means?
What the hell are you
wearing a life preserver for?
I can't swim.
Normandy. It really is Normandy.
Yes, Field Marshal.
Call him?
What's that?
Here, let me help you.
You all right, Tom?
Come on, they're up there.
-Sir.
-Well?
Mr. Smith says to tell you
he's stood his men too.
The Jerries are moving up
into the woods...
...with machine guns and mortars.
-Tell the men to stand firm!
-Tell the chaps...
Tell them to expect another
counterattack, a heavy one.
-Here you are, mate.
-Ta.
What's the matter?
Listen. I thought I heard bagpipes.
Don't be daft!
I told you I heard bagpipes!
It's the reinforcements.
It's Lovat!
Come on!
Come on!
-Sorry I'm late.
-Better than never, sir.
Glad to see you, Shimmy.
You boys are right on target.
What's the situation?
Jerry's regrouping in the woods,
about a mile.
With mortars and machine guns.
Numbers?
No idea, Shimmy, but they seem
to be moving forward in force.
In that case, we won't wait.
We'd better get moving.
All right, we're going across.
-Millin!
-Sir?
"Black Bear," sir.
All right, come on.
Everybody up!
On your feet!
There he goes. He's at it again.
Ever hear such a bleeding racket
in all your life?
Yeah, it takes an Irishman
to play the pipes.
Hold until relieved.
Hold until relieved.
North by east, north by east.
Sainte-Mre-Eglise is that way.
Somebody turned that sign around.
Doesn't anybody in this outfit
look at a compass besides me?
Hey, you guys!
Over here! Over here!
Over here, on the double.
-Where you taking that?
-We don't know, sir.
We took the wrong road.
What do you got in here, ammo?
Yes, sir.
You 82nd?
No, sir, 101.
Well, you're in the 82nd now.
-But, sir, we're...
-But what?
Nothing, sir.
All right, move out.
-Knock that sign down!
-Yes, sir.
-Something's moving up there, colonel.
-Hit the dirt! Take cover.
Lieutenant Sheen, sir, A Company.
Colonel, it's me!
-Where did you come from?
-Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
We hold the main road
and north side of the square.
The Germans have a battery
on the other side of the town...
-...and command the countryside.
-And Major Lance?
-Holed up in a building in the square.
-F Company?
They overshot the drop zone
and landed in the middle of the town.
Go on.
It was a nightmare, sir. A slaughter.
They were mowed down
before they hit the ground.
Major Lance sent me to try
and contact you, sir.
He wants your permission to pull back
and regroup outside of town.
No, damn it. We came here
to take Sainte-Mre-Eglise.
We're gonna take it and hold it.
Follow the lieutenant, gentlemen.
-Sir.
-Thank you.
British and Canadians advancing
steadily from Sword, Gold, and Juno.
Anything from Omaha?
Nothing since the first message:
Heavy fighting, heavy casualties.
Sir.
Omaha?
No.
I can't understand why Jerry hasn't
brought his heavy armor into play.
All the panzer divisions
except the 21 st...
...seem to be sitting it out
in the rear.
Sir.
French commandos driving inland
from Sword...
...have reached the outskirts
of Ouistreham.
Ouistreham.
Fall back!
Take cover!
Fire!
Get the wounded out of here!
Go back!
Get out of here!
It's a tank!
It's Kieffer!
In the other direction!
Clear away the debris! Hurry!
Yeah, yeah, you're trying.
That thing still work?
Yes, sir, now and then.
-Anything from the other beaches?
-Not directly.
A while ago the sergeant picked up
some flashes from the destroyers.
The 4th Division is off Utah Beach
and moving inland.
Inland?
-What about the 1 st Division?
-They're hung up, sir.
Like we are.
Move out.
-What do you think?
-Think?
We must have close to a thousand
casualties up to now.
Do you want me to have the ships
start picking us up?
-You think it's that bad?
-I don't see what else to do.
We can't get up this hill.
If we don't get off this beach,
we won't have any division left.
What?
These are our men, Tom.
You think we brought them in so some
die and ask the rest to turn tail?
Hell, no.
We're gonna get up that hill.
Find me somebody to speak
for the Rangers.
Back down the beach
on the right there's a gully.
With a heavily defended roadblock
and machine gun nests on both sides.
-If we can blow our way through...
-We've hit it three times.
-We didn't get close.
-Three times isn't enough.
We're gonna hit it again.
Can you find me some engineers?
They're all around you!
I mean engineers
with equipment still working.
Then I shouldn't radio the ships?
No, damn it!
We need bangalore torpedoes,
bazookas, mortars, wire cutters...
...and every man that can stand.
Pass the word, will you?
Okay, Norm.
Now listen to me, all of you.
You guys got to snap out of it.
We're getting off of here,
and we're going inland.
What about weapons, General?
My men lost everything.
They gotta have something
to fight with.
Strip the dead and the wounded.
Pick up anything that'll shoot.
I don't have to tell you the score,
you all know it.
Only two kinds of people
are gonna stay on this beach:
Those that are already dead and those
that will die. Get off your butts!
You guys are the fighting 29th!
I've looked at the naval reports.
Yes?
According to reports from the offshore
destroyers, Omaha is a shambles.
There's no evidence...
To quote the report exactly:
"There is no evidence of any movement
that can be observed off the beach."
I'd better have a look through these.
How is Ike taking it?
Like everybody else, sir.
Hanging on by his fingernails.
Can you hear me?
Nonsense!
Yes, General.
-Where is everybody?
-What?
I said, where is everybody?
I can't hear you.
It's them bells.
I've had them in my ears
for 10 hours.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Hey, Sergeant, where's Major Lance?
We moved the CP to that
building. The major's there.
Get him, the colonel's here.
What?
Hold it!
Colonel, am I glad to see you!
Those bodies. Get those bodies down.
Why are you leaving them up there?
Get them down!
But we've been under fire, sir.
I know you have, but I don't care!
Get them down! Down!
-I don't want those boys left there.
-Take a detail and cut them down.
-At once!
-Yes, sir.
Has there been a linkup between our
forces and the troops from the sea?
I don't know, Major. I don't even
know if the landings took place.
But I am sure we're gonna hold
this town until the linkup does come.
Whenever that is, today, tomorrow,
till hell freezes over.
For their sake,
if for no other reason.
Show me the enemy positions.
Well, sir, the Germans' strong point
is right there.
That's over there on the hill.
They've got no tanks yet.
They've got heavy guns and machine
gun positions at the top of that road.
How many men have you got?
Not enough.
Lt. Wilson will take A Company
and reinforce Major Lance.
The rest of the command will follow us
straight up that road.
Good luck, Major.
All right, A Company, fall out.
-Private.
-Yes, sir.
It's a helluva war.
It's a privilege to serve
with you, colonel.
Well, God willing, we'll do
what we came here to do.
Ready, sir.
Move out!
The old man sure has changed
since yesterday.
Or maybe it's just
that we've changed...
...since yesterday.
Lovat and his commandos
have reached the bridge.
Bob, did you hear?
Yes, I heard.
"Sainte-Mre-Eglise captured
by units of the 82nd Airborne."
"101 Airborne driving on Utah."
That's good. Good.
Yes, but if we can't get off Omaha
it doesn't mean a damn. We know it.
We'll have two cut-off beachheads,
one in British zone and one at Utah.
Yes...
...and the Germans in between.
You guys engineers?
Yes, sir. 299th.
Where are your officers?
Who's in charge here?
I guess I am, sir.
None of our officers made it in.
What about your equipment?
Those torpedoes work?
Yes, sir, we'll make them work!
-What's your name, Sergeant?
-It's Fuller, sir, John H.
You're Lieutenant Fuller from now on,
whether you like it or not.
You send some men down to the foot
of that gully with those torpedoes.
You and the rest of the men follow me.
Yes, sir!
All right, men!
Let's move that equipment down here.
-I got a rifle, sir.
-Well, good for you, son!
The Rangers are ready, General.
Okay, Major, move them out.
Captain, move them up.
Move them up!
-Well, Tom?
-We're ready.
As ready as we'll ever be.
It'll work. It's got to work.
We're getting murdered here! We might
as well move inland and get murdered!
-You ready?
-Yes, sir.
You're gonna blow
that roadblock for me.
When I give the word
everything pops at once. Okay?
Yes, sir.
First, we gotta blow a hole
through that wire with bangalores.
If that works, we'll pack
everything we've got into that wall.
All right, let's go!
All right, let's go! Go! Go!
You don't say!
Don't worry, Yank.
He's dead.
Give me a cigarette.
I'm dying for a cigarette.
You hurt bad?
Shot down during the night.
He was gonna make sure of me,
but I got him...
...with this.
You ever killed a man?
I mean, face to face?
No.
Neither had I, face to face.
I've been sitting here looking at him.
Have you noticed anything peculiar
about him?
No.
He's got his boots...
...on the wrong feet.
He must have been
in a big hurry, huh?
Is it bad?
Split wide open...
...from the crotch to the knee.
A medic came along and gave me
a shot of morphine.
I hope he'll be back
before it wears off.
He said he would.
Did he sew you up?
Well, when he came to shore
he lost most of his equipment.
So he pinned it together...
...with safety pins.
Getting on toward night.
You know something?
I haven't fired my gun all day.
I keep hearing shooting, but every
time I get there, everybody's gone.
Funny, isn't it?
He's dead.
I'm crippled.
You're lost.
I suppose it's always like that.
I mean war.
I wonder who won.
Okay, run me up the hill, son.