Smoke over Cherbourg Peninsula.

Smoke over Cherbourg Peninsula. A huge pall of battle smoke voils the pock-marked Cherbourg Peninsula, evidence of the intense artillery barrage as well as dive-bombing and bombing from medium altitude carried out by B-26 Marauders and fighterbombers of the Ninth U.S. Air Force. In one of the greatest aerial and land bombardments in history June 23, 1944, the Allies unleashed thousands of tons of bombs and shells on the steel and concrete girdle which separated the beleagured German fortross from American amored and infantry divisions closing in on the city.