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Here at Ozark Airfield Artworks we offer a large selection art prints. These prints
mainly depict modern and historic aviation along with military, civil and space flight. We
also deal with naval subjects and military armor and infantry works. These prints are
from all the top national and international artists along with some local artists. Many of
our prints are signed by the artist and by famous pilots and veterans. If you are looking
for a specific plane, pilot, artist or subject please contact us.

All images are copyrighted by the individual artist and may not be
reproduced without their consent.

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"At The Crossroads"

by Artist
James Dietz

Image Size: 25" x 16.50"
Overall Size: 31" x 23"

250 Publisher Proof Edition

At The Crossroads

On June 6, 1944, mission Boston was initiated by the U.S. 82nd Airborne
Division as a component of Operation Neptune. Neptune was the code
name for the airborne assault behind German lines, which launched the
Normandy invasion. It was the first major action of Operation Overlord.

Approximately 6,420 paratroopers jumped from nearly 370 C-47 Skytrain
troop carrier aircraft into an intended objective area of roughly 10 square
miles located on either side of the Merderet River on the Cotentin
Peninsula of France five hours ahead of the D-Day landings. The drops
were scattered by bad weather and German antiaircraft fire over an area
3 to 4 times as large as planned. Most of the troops missed their drop
zones entirely. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment jumped
accurately and captured its objective, the town of Sainte-Mère-Église,
which proved essential to the success of the division. The town was
significant in theWorldWar II Normandy landings because the village
stood right in the middle of route N13, which the Germans would have
most likely used on any significant counterattack on the troops landing
on Utah and Omaha Beaches.

The early landings, at about 0140 directly on Sainte-Mère-Église resulted
in heavy casualties for the paratroopers. Some buildings in town were
on fire during the night, and they illuminated the sky, making easy
targets of the descending men. Some were sucked into the fire.Many
hanging from trees and utility poles were shot before they could cut
loose. The few who did make it alive to the ground were almost
immediately taken prisoner. After the initial excitement, curiously, the
Germans went back to bed after the immediate threat subsided.

The timely assembly enabled the 505th to accomplish two of its missions
on schedule. The 3rd Battalion captured Sainte-Mère-Église by 0430 after
small firefights. It set out roadblocks and took up defensive positions
against expected counterattacks. The 2nd Battalion established a
blocking position on the northern approaches to Sainte-Mère-Église with
a single platoon while the rest of the unit reinforced the 3rd Battalion
when it came under heavy attack from the south by infantry and armor at
mid-morning. The platoon delayed two companies of German for eight
hours, allowing the troops in Sainte-Mère-Église to repel the southern
threat.

In the early morning of 6 June 1944 mixed units of the U.S. 82nd Airborne
and U.S. 101st Airborne Divisions occupied the town, giving it the claim
to be the first town liberated in the invasion. However, later in the day,
heavy German counterattacks began and continued into the next day.
The lightly armed paratroopers held the town until reinforced by tanks
from the nearby beach landings at Utah.

At The Crossroads, depicts paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne
Division on 7 June 1944. Private John Steele’s parachute can still be
seen caught on the spire of the town church. Also evident are vehicles
that have recently arrived in the town. After almost 30 hours of fighting,
these soldiers are taking a brief moment to relax and recover before
moving inland to continue the fight across France. They were truly at the
crossroads of the Normandy invasion.