Edited by Destroyer History Foundation from NARA photo 88-199-EW.
“Opening the Attack” by Dwight Shepler #149, 1944. Watercolor. D-Day morning broke over the Normandy coast to find the elderly battleship Arkansas (BB-33), matriarch of the battle fleet, conscientiously banging away at the beachhead with her main battery guns. To seaward, 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 Emmons’ bridge at a bombardment station farther inshore.