We Called Ourselves Rocketboatmen: The Untold Stories of the Top-Secret LSC(S) Rocket Boat Missions of World War II at Sicily, Normandy (Omaha and Utah Beaches), and Southern France

by William Howard Palmer Jr.

D-Day, June 6, 1944-a day never to be forgotten. More than 156,000 troops crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy, making it the largest seaborne invasion in history. Leading the pre-invasion ashore were the brave, but little known, rocketboatmen, as they called themselves. Their job, as the first close up Naval offense, was to soften up the German beach defenses with 48 rockets, machine gunnery, and smoke screening, preparing the way for the LCVP infantrymen. Through private diary entries and firsthand accounts, many read here for the first time, the unfolding of the earliest events leading up to the invasion is told in vivid and unforgettable detail. In choppy seas, oftentimes like sitting ducks in the water, these young men manned their landing craft approached the beaches at exactly 6:00 A.M.- half an hour before H-hour-unleashed their barrage of forty-eight rockets, twelve boats at Omaha, twelve at Utah Beach, lighting up the coastline like a Fourth of July grand finale. Several boats actually beached at Omaha and Utah under shell and bombardment and crossfire sustaining casualties, eliminating German coastline pill boxes.
Relive their compelling tales in this incredible story.

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2008

Reviews

[Brandy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First-person accounts and private diaries gave the impression of reading a thorough documentary on the events preceding the invasion, and with all the facts supplied, most historians would enjoy reading this book.

[Baylee Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The addition of images regarding the different tactics, naval assets, and units was a nice touch to further recapitulate the events of the invasion of Normandy.

[Elsie Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fear and anxiety of the soldiers awaiting the inevitable conflict were well depicted and were further enhanced through the usage of recorded accounts of different individuals that were involved.

[Phoebe M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book focuses on the lesser-known aspects concerning the Normandy attacks, specifically the rocketboatmen and their role in softening the German forces' fortifications before troop deployment.

[Bertha R Medlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

War isn't just about glory or honor; as the survivors recount the events of the Normandy invasion, it's easy to conclude that it's about terror and careful strategy.

[Liliana E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the troops approached the shorelines the retelling of the surrounding environment being filled with explosions and the fear of death was a simple yet powerful way to portray the scene.

[Josephine I · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was informative and detailed, I never knew that there were so many variations and proposed concepts for the landing crafts and naval tactics.