Invasion of Normandy

After leading the massive Allied invasion force across the English Channel to France, in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, off Utah Beach the destroyer USS Corry engaged in fierce combat with German artillery firing from the Normandy shore. A prime target at the front of the invasion force, the Corry drew sustained shelling for more than an hour while successfully evading major damage. Getting as close as 1,000 yards from the beach, she fired several hundred rounds of 5-inch ammunition at numerous Nazi targets. As H-Hour neared (0630), when troops would begin fighting their way onto the beaches, two Allied planes began generating smoke screens between the shore batteries and bombarding warships to conceal the ships from enemy fire. While other frontline destroyers and rear vessels were receiving smoke cover, the plane assigned to lay smoke for the Corry suddenly got shot down, leaving the Corry fully exposed to German gunners who were now firing at her in full fury. At just about H-Hour, while attempting to evade intense enemy fire, the Corry suffered direct heavy-caliber artillery hits in her engineering spaces amidships. Men were thrown from their positions. Steam hissed and roared violently from behind the bridge. With her rudder jammed she went around in a circle before all steam was lost. Still under heavy fire, the Corry began sinking rapidly with her keel broken and a foot-wide crack across her main deck amidships. After the order to abandon ship, crewmembers fought to survive in bone-chilling water for more than two hours as they awaited rescue under constant enemy fire from German shore gunners. One crewmember raised the American flag up the sinking Corry's main mast, which remained above the surface of the shallow 30-foot deep water when the ship settled on the bottom. The ship blast along with casualties suffered out in the water resulted in 24 crewmen giving their lives and at least 60 being wounded. For USS Corry survivors, the morning of June 6, 1944 was one harrowing experience they'd never forget.

Chombor, John, Jr., S2c