The Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, through the eyes of German soldiers—a history of the defense of the Omaha beach, built on the memories and documented fates of the defenders of strongpoint number 62 and the decisions of the German command that day. At the center of the story are machine gunners Heinrich Zeverloh and Franz Heckel from the 352nd and 716th Infantry Divisions, commanded by Lieutenant Generals Dietrich Kreiss and Wilhelm Richter, as well as artillery officer Bernhard Frörking, who was killed on D-Day. The turning point was Field Marshal Rommel's absence from the front and Hitler's delay in deploying tank reserves, which deprived the German defense of the chance to repel the landing in the first hours. The story then moves on to the battle for Port-en-Bessin, the retreat of the remnants of the 352nd Division to Saint-Lô under the command of General Erich Marcks, and the final defeat of the German group at Falaise. The story concludes with the post-war fates of the surviving defenders of Omaha Beach—their capture, silence about their experiences, and belated recognition, including the story behind the nickname "The Beast of Omaha."

SOURCES:
— Heinrich Severloh (co-authored with Helmut Konrad von Keusgen) — "WN 62: A German Soldier's Memories of the Defense of Omaha Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944" — 2000. Primary source: detailed, hour-by-hour recollections of a German machine gunner about the defense of strongpoint number 62, the death of Frörking, his capture, and the author's subsequent life.
— Alan Davidge — "The Beast of Omaha: A German Soldier Who Defended Omaha Beach" — Warfare History Network. A comprehensive historical reconstruction of the morning of June 6th, with time-lapse details, including information on the strongpoint garrison's composition, armament, the actions of Zeverloh and Heckel, and the overall picture of the battle at Omaha.
— "Omaha Beach" — encyclopedic article, Wikipedia. The most comprehensive collection of data on the forces of both sides, the numbers and armament of the strongpoints, the battle's progress hour by hour, and the final losses of both sides on June 6th.
— "352nd Infantry Division" and "LXXXIV Army Corps (Wehrmacht)" — encyclopedic articles, Wikipedia. Detailed information on the structure of the German defense, the command (Kreiss, Marx), the division's transfer to the coast, the course of the battle, and the fate of units up to the Falaise Pocket.