Side Note about Washington and the dearth of information

Trout goes on, "Washington, like the rest of the nation is momentarily waiting for official word from our side about those German claims [that the invasion of the continent had begun].  The city of Washington awoke rapidly after the first broadcast more than 3 hours ago.  Lights flashed on and radios were tuned in.  You may have had the same experience.  Newsman hurried to their offices, and there was just one question on everyone's lips, 'was it official?'  So far, as we've told you repeatedly, it is not official.  If the White House knows anything about the report, there is no sign.  Only a few lights glow here and there..."

Trout continues, still no confirmation from the Allies

Trout goes on, still with no official word from Allied headquarters:  "That is about the entire story as far as we know it at the moment.  At this point, there's no way in which any of us can know whether there's even a faint spark of truth behind this German story.  We don't know .  But there are several bits of evidence suggesting that the Germans are trying some kind of trick."  At this point, Trout takes the listener on a tour of the CBS studios, trailing his microphone cable.  He stops at a Brown teletype printer and reads a report from Reuter, the British news agency, about a directive issued from Allied Supreme Command specially addressed to all Frenchmen living at least within 35 km of the coast:  "The air war has entered upon a new phase.  You will be warned an hour before an attack.  Leaflets will be dropped by Allied planes.  As soon as you get the warning, go to your domicile and go at least 2 kilometers from it in to the open country.  2) Take along only what you can easily carry. 3) Keep off all roads, railways lines and bridges. 4) Do not form groups which could be mistaken for troop concentrations."  

More early reports

Trout continues broadcasting what little information American news agencies had in the early morning hours of June 6:

"The German-controlled Calais radio came on the air today with this announcement in the English language: 'This is D-Day.  We shall now bring music for the Allied Invasion Forces.'  

Up to this time, almost an hour and  a half from the first German broadcast, the United States Office of War Information, whose facilities will be used by American press organizations when Allied Armies enter western Europe, has not transmitted any information at all to support the German claims.  Director Elmer Davis of the OWI rushed to his headquarters immediately when OWI officials advised him of the broadcast from Germany.  He told the United Press: 'We have no more information than you have.  I'll stay here until I find out whether the story is true or not.'"

Early, unconfirmed D-Day announcements continued

"Now here’s what Trans Ocean, one of the German news agencies, says: ‘Early this morning landing craft and light warships were observed in the area between the mouth of the Somme* and Eastern coast of Normandy.’ The Trans Ocean broadcast, still unconfirmed,  concludes this way: ‘the long-expected Anglo-American invasion appears to have begun.’

The German broadcast on the long-expected invasion by the Allies were [sic] relayed both to North America and to Germans in the Homeland.  Germans at home were told by DMB's domestic broadcast at dawn in Europe."

*later corrected, without comment, to "Seine." 

Trout, continued

"It's now almost 2 and a half hours since the Germans first broadcast their claims that what they called the Allied invasion had begun.  There's no confirmation from any Allied source and the Germans are not telling this story to their own people;  that's very important.  General Eisenhower's spokesman has made no official statement.  The War Department in Washington says it has no information about any invasion operations. The Office of War Information is silent.  In short, there's no reason to believe the continuing German reports of an Allied invasion.  Continuing reports from the Berlin Radio say that heavy fleets of Allied bombers are attacking Dunkirk and Calais.  The Oslo Radio Network appears to have gone off the air.  And the Luxembourg Radio claims that Allied aircraft are approaching Southern Germany.  Meanwhile, in Great Britain, the British Radio has broadcast a warning to the peoples of the occupied countries that a new phase of the air war has started.  The British announcement says that occupants of coastal towns will be notified by the leaflets dropped from planes when they are to be attacked.  The notices may come as little as an hour before the attack and the inhabitants are warned to leave their towns instantly without waiting to take baggage or any possessions.  In addition the inhabitants of the 22-mile belt along the invasion coast have been warned to leave as soon as possible in preparation for this new and drastic phase of the aerial bombardment. Butt, as yet, there is no word that any warning leaflets have been dropped on any towns within the so-called invasion area. This is merely an advance warning of things to come."

Still no confirmation

"Now it should be remembered of course that Germans are quite capable of faking this entire series of reports.  Their main reason for doing so in addition to trying to smoke out Allied plans, would be to try to start a premature uprising by the Resistance movement along the Channel coast.  But the French and the Belgians and the Dutch have all been warned about this possibility repeatedly and you will recall that Prime Minister Winston Churchill some time ago warned that we could expect false alarms or diversionary tactics before the Big Show began.

There is, as yet, no reason to believe the German story.  Nevertheless, because of high public interest in this country, Columbia is planning to continue overtime operations tonight to all of its affiliate stations until such time as the enemy accounts are proved false or official word from Allied sources is forthcoming."

D-Day Begins: first reports

I'm working my way through the complete broadcast day of D-Day, June, 6 1944.  I found the mp3's for this at the Old Time Radio Catalog site (otrcat.com).  Most of my podcasts are free downloads from iTunes, but otrcat.com is an inexpensive way to feed my history podcast addiction.  There's a huge variety of old radio broadcasts,  in both CD and MP3 formats.

The first reports were unclear as to the veracity of the German broadcasts proclaiming the beginning of the invasion.  Bob Trout (1909-2000) anchored Columbia's early-morning broadcast.  Here's his verbatim report:

"CBS World News, Bob Trout speaking and again we bring you the available report, all of them from German sources,  of what the Berlin Radio calls, 'The Invasion.'  There is still no Allied confirmation from any source.  The correspondents who rushed to the War Department in Washington soon after the first German broadcast was heard were told that our War Department had no information on the German report. There's been no announcement of any sort from Allied headquarters in London.  The first news of the German announcement reached this country at 12:37 a.m. Eastern War Time.  The Associated Press recorded this broadcast and immediately pointed out that it could be one which Allied leaders have warned us to expect from the Germans.  Shortly after 1:00 a.m. Eastern War Time the Berlin Radio opened its news program with a so-called "Invasion Announcement."  Columbia Shortwave Listening Station here in New York heard the Berlin Radio say, and I quote, 'Here is a special bulletin.  Early this morning, the long-awaited British and American invasion began when paratroops landed in the area of the Somme estuary.  The harbor of Le Havre is being fiercely bombarded at the present moment.  Naval forces of the German Navy are off the coast fighting with enemy landing vessels.  We just brought you a special bulletin.'  That is the invasion announcement as heard from the Berlin Radio by Columbia Shortwave Listening Station.