In his book, Back in Focus, Charles Herrick makes an excellent argument that Capa’s sole assignment that day was to bring back photographs of the invasion in time to make a deadline for publication in the next issue of Lifemagazine. That was it. His job was not to go ashore with troops or to follow the troops inland. That would come later. His only responsibility that day was to provide invasion pictures on time. Herrick states,
It’s important to remember that Capa was in the ground forces still photo pool. The mission of that pool was to get the first photos of the invasion back to London as quickly as possible… Speed was vital, and stepping ashore wasn’t going to improve your chances of getting your film back quickly.” 12
In fact, Herrick states there was fierce competition between the photographers to return pictures first. Another pool photographer that day, Bert Brandt, “knew that, too, which is why he merely rode to the beach on a landing craft and immediately returned to his attack transport for the trip back to the UK.”13
Herrick cites Richard Whelan, Capa’s authorized biographer, saying that, once Capa had photographs of troops going ashore, “he wanted to get his pix back to London as quickly as possible.”14
According to his memoir, just prior to the LCVP landing and dropping its ramp, Capa determined that finally there was sufficient light for photographs and removed the “first Contax camera out of its waterproof oilskin.” This implies he had not taken any photographs in the LCVP until they arrived at the beach. That fits with Capa’s claim that he went in early, because sunrise was 0557 that morning in Normandy. If Capa had arrived much later, after 0800 as the Clan contend, he would have had plenty of light for photographs during the trip in. In fact, had there been clear skies, the soldiers would have seen the setting full moon in the west just as the sun was rising in the east that day.
Waterproof oilskin camera bag from the 1940’s.
Capa described standing on the ramp of the boat making photographs just after the men departed. He described the men, “Waist-deep, with rifles ready to shoot, with the invasion obstacles and the smoking beach in the background – this was good enough for the photographer.” [emphasis added] In other words, he felt that these images fulfilled his assignment. He had good photographs of men attacking the beach. Indeed, of this group, negative 29 (Figure 5) is widely acclaimed as iconic. To finish his assignment, he had to get his film back to the Life offices in London as soon as possible.
12. Herrick, pp. 168-9
13. ibid., p. 173
14. ibid., p. 174