OMAHA AND UTAH BEACHES CONTOUR AND GRADIENT DRAWINGS
Important set of four eight printed drawing and tracings depicting the contour and gradients, or "rise" of the American landing beaches OMAHA and UTAH, from low-water level to the seawall at UTAH and the top of the bluffs at OMAHA. These images, all marked 'TOP SECRET BIGOT" individually show in printed images side views of the gradients of "UTAH NORTH" and "UTAH SOUTH", along with OMAHA EAST" and "OMAHA WEST". Also present are four tracing templates with similar captions, these showing the contour of the beaches at various dates and various levels of tides. These tracings show the varying amount of exposed beach at various levels of tide. Taken together, the beach gradient and contour levels were most important to those navigating landing craft and their superiors in order to determine the best locations in which to off-load attacking soldiers. Most worthy of study would be the OMAHA images, which show the various depressions and "shingle" in which the first waves of soldiers regrouped under intense enemy fire. The printed gradient images are slightly toned at margins, the tracings are split vertically due to the brittleness of the tracing paper, and a few have just minor loss thereat.