The Longest Day Page #3

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and are bogged down.

If we overshoot, we come down

like clay pigeons...

...smack dab in the center

of Sainte-Mre-Eglise.

That's why I gave the men training

in low-level jumps near the villages.

So I've heard.

Got a complaint from

the city council at Bexhall.

Some of your men overshot

the drop zone and landed in the town.

-Tied up traffic for an hour.

-That's true, sir. I was with them.

Sudden crosswind hit us,

swept us over the treetops...

...scattered us all over the place.

-Where did you end up?

-In the courtyard of a convent.

Relax, Van. Sit down.

The last few months have been

a tough grind on all of us.

I hear you've been working yourself

and your battalion hard.

Almost without a stop.

Now that we're almost

at the end of the line...

...why don't you try easing up

on yourself and on the men?

Sometimes a battalion can be

sharpened to too fine a point.

Sometimes a commander can too.

Well...

...if there's any further delay...

...I request permission to submit

a new placement for our drop zones.

All right. Put it in writing.

Make it official.

That's your prerogative.

But Ike has called a final meeting

for tonight at Southwick House.

If it's on, we'll get

the green light by 9:30.

-What are the chances?

-Better than 50-50.

Forget everything I said. I got

the best battalion in this division...

...and they're ready.

Here it is. The latest report.

-It's Southwick House, sir.

-Stagg here.

Yes, sir. The new front's moving in

much faster than we thought.

Yes, sir, it's definitely improving.

I'll be there, sir. 9:30.

-Would you like some more tea, sir?

-Coffee, and make it black.

Please.

What's that you're saying?

But you know I can't get there

with my equipment for two days.

I wouldn't be surprised if...

-When's the next weather report?

-Tonight at 8, General.

Yes, I did, General.

Please wish her a happy birthday.

Thank you, Speidel.

In Normandy.

Trying to pick a trend is difficult.

From a meteorological standpoint,

conditions almost resemble mid-winter.

And Normandy?

High winds, clouds,

and some fog over the beaches.

However, I can say with a certain

degree of safety...

...that we can expect a brief period

of fair conditions.

Let me summarize, then.

What you're promising us is a barely

tolerable period of fair conditions.

Am I right?

Yes.

Conditions that are far below

the minimum requirements.

That's all I can promise.

You've done your best, Stagg.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Well...

...there it is.

We've postponed the attack

once already.

Now, either we go on the 6th,

with only marginal conditions...

...or postpone again...

...in the hope of getting

perfect conditions.

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