Screeching Rockets by A Goodchild, 1944

ABOUT THIS PHOTOGRAPH

Rocket-armed Typhoons proved to be the scourge of the German Army during the latter stages of the Normandy Campaign. The rockets were not particularly accurate, but they had an enormous effect on German morale. In the 1940 Battle of France it had been the wailing siren of the Stukas that was the defining sound of the campaign. In the 1944 Battle of France, it was the screeching rockets that left an indelible impression on the enemy.

But where were the Typhoons on D-Day? Nearly 15,000 sorties were flown by the Allied air forces but hardly any provided direct support for the troops on the ground. A massive naval and aerial bombardment preceded the landings but as the troops went ashore only a handful of Typhoons struck the formidable German defences that confronted them. For the rest of the day frustrated Typhoon pilots waited for orders that never came.

The Canadian and British troops attempting to reach Caen ran into stiff resistance but there was no air support to sweep the opposition aside in the way that the Desert Air Force had become so adept at doing in North Africa and Italy. In terms of close air support, it was not the British Armed Forces’ 'finest hour'! - Greg Baughen

Taken: June 15th, 1944
Location: B-2 Bazenville, Normandy, France
Photographer: A Goodchild
Remaster: Jordan J. Lloyd
Original Format: Photographic print
Commercial Use: ⇲ License this Image