The Longest Day

Directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Gerd Oswald and Darryl F. Zanuck. Written by Cornelius Ryan, Romain Gary, James Jones, David Pursall and Jack Seddon.

to the young, lost American soldier Schultz.

to his chaplain who insists on finding his Communion set, despite being chest-deep in a river and under fire.

on the necessity of launching the Invasion in such bad weather.

to his men just before they embark.

See also General Günther Blumentritt below.

• "Au cœur des ténèbres, au plus profond de la nuit, il ne faut jamais désespérer. Gardons notre foi intacte, inébranlable! Pour chacun de nous, la délivrance approche." ("In the heart of the darkness, in the deepest of the night, we must never lose hope. Let us keep our faith intact, steadfast! For each of us, deliverance is coming.")

to his congregation in Sainte-Mère-Église, which includes a stonefaced Nazi officer.

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

• "Glauben Sie mir, meine Herren, die ersten vierundzwanzig Stunden dieser Invasion werden entscheidend sein! Das wird für die Alliierten, aber auch für die Deutschen, der längste Tag werden — der längste Tag." ("Believe me, gentlemen, the first twenty-four hours of this invasion will be decisive! It will become for the Allies, as well as for the Germans, the longest day — the longest day.")

speaking the title line to his generals.

• "Normandie. Wie dumm von mir! Wie dumm!" ("Normandy. How stupid of me! How stupid!)

to himself in reaction to receiving the news of the Invasion by phone when he is home in Germany celebrating his wife's birthday, on 6 June.

• "Die Invasion! Sie kommen!" ("The invasion! They're coming!")

looking utterly terrified, to his men in his command bunker upon seeing, through his binoculars, the fleet coming straight at him.

• "Auf mich zu, direkt!" ("Straight for me!")

when asked by his superior where the invasion ships were headed.

• "Die fünftausend Schiffe, die die Alliierten gar nicht haben können, wie Sie meinen, sie haben sie! Ja, sie haben sie!" ("Those five thousand ships, you say the Allies can't possibly have, they've got them! Yes, they've got them!")

reporting to his superior.

Cmdr. Colin Maud, RN

• "Get off the beach! Move inland! Get off the beach! Move inland! The sooner we get off this beach, the sooner they'll stop this blasted shelling. It's very bad for the dog."

• "As my grandmother used to say, anything mechanical, give it a good bash."

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt

• "Eine Invasion in der Normandie wäre gegen alle Gesetze militärischer Logik – gegen alle Logik überhaupt. ("An invasion in Normandy would be against all laws of military logic – against all logic, utterly.")

to himself, as he perhaps begins to realize that it is the invasion, and not simply a diversion as he has believed.

• "Jetzt will ich wirklich wissen, auf welcher Seite der liebe Gott steht." ("Now I'd really like to know what side God is on.")

See also Lieutenant-Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort above.

British

Americans

French

Germans