D-Day morning broke over the Normandy coast to find the elderly U.S.S. Arkansas (BB-33), matriarch of the battle fleet, conscientiously banging away at the beachhead with her main battery guns. To seaward, the French cruisers "George Leygues" and "Montcalm," flying extremely large battle flags, sent shells hurtling into their captive homeland. Assault waves of landing craft streamed toward the beaches while attack transports filled the horizon. This was the way the "Arkie" was seen through binoculars from the bridge of U.S.S. Emmons (DD-457) at a bombardment station farther inshore.