#18: I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944

Thunder rumbled, as though Paul’s fear was tearing open the sky.  

Paul glanced out over the English Channel. Through the thick fog, he could see small flashes of orange. 

There was a faint whistling sound that got louder and louder and louder: Sssssssssssssssss.

Seconds later, Kaboom!

An explosion rocked the ground. Both Paul and the Nazi fell to the ground. Paul coughed, and tears poured from his eyes. He scrambled to his feet. He still had no idea what was happening, but this was his chance to get away from here. He started to run. 

But then it hit him . . . that thundering sound. The bright orange flashes through the fog. The explosion. 

The Allied ships were here!

Paul’s joy turned to dread as thunder roared again. Sssssssssssssssss. Kaboom!

The Allies were firing from their battleships, Paul realized. They must be trying to crush the Nazi defenses on the cliffs. The Allies wanted to clear their way before the soldiers poured onto the beaches. 

But if Paul didn’t get out of here now, those Allied battleships were going to crush him, too.