B-24 0VER THE GOLFE DE LA NAPOULE. Smoke rising in distance, near village of Théoule-sur-Mer, is caused by bombing of railroad, highway, and bridges. At right is Cannes. The air offensive in support of the invasion actually began as early as 28 April 1944 when heavy bombers attacked Toulon. Between that time and August, the Mediterranean Allied air force dropped more than 12,500 tons of bombs on southern France. Beginning on 10 August the offensive was continued by attacking coastal batteries and radar stations, harassing coastal defense troops, and isolating the target area by destroying bridges across the Rhône.] [Illustration: ITALY WATERPROOFED PRIEST undergoing test in preparation for the invasion. The invasion training center at Salerno, Italy, established a school of one week’s instruction in waterproofing vehicles for the coming assault. The 105-mm. howitzer motor carriage M7 was the principal artillery weapon of the U. S. armored division.] [Illustration: ITALY VEHICLES ASSEMBLED AT THE PORT OF NAPLES for the invasion of southern France. The troop list of those landing during the first four days included over 155,000 personnel and 20,000 vehicles of all types, including personnel and cargo carriers as well as armored vehicles.] [Illustration: ITALY LOADED LST’S IN NAPLES HARBOR in August 1944 before the invasion. By this time the Germans had been pushed north of Florence, their air force had been greatly reduced, and their airfields in the Po Valley were under constant air attacks by medium and heavy bombers.] [Illustration: ITALY MEN ON A BEACH NEAR NAPLES waiting for water transportation to take them to near-by landing craft and transports in the Bay of Naples. This was the final loading before the invasion. Although the Germans were aware of the concentration of troops and shipping and knew that the invasion was in preparation, no enemy bombings interfered with the loading operations. The Allied air forces had rendered most of their airfields within range of Naples inoperative for all practical purposes.] [Illustration: ITALY MEN RECEIVING CARTRIDGES OF CARBON DIOXIDE for their life preservers, prior to boarding ships for the invasion. Rations for the first days were also issued, each man receiving one K ration, one D ration, one small bottle of Halazone tablets to purify water, one bottle of salt tablets, and two packages of cigarettes.] [Illustration: ITALY FULLY EQUIPPED INFANTRY SOLDIER, armed with both a carbine and a rocket launcher, boarding a transport. (2.36-inch rocket launcher M1A1, known as the bazooka.)] [Illustration: EN ROUTE TO SOUTHERN FRANCE