Quite an impressive display of graphics powers.

It's my understanding that the smaller arms bunkers fields of fire were off to the sides with a blank wall presented to seaward. Much like the "stacked boxes" of way early forts, each could cover the other the vulnerable fronts of the other.

The purpose was to prevent ships from being able to shell the bunker directly.

Ships could concentrate an enormous amount of firepower up to 20 miles inland, making reinforcing the landing areas difficult. However, properly dug in a force could usually survive the "prep".

A big argument Rommel had with his superiors was whether to keep reinforcements near the shores or inland. Rommel's idea was that at least they'd be at the landing zone, Hitler's and others wanted to hold them back for survivability and to provide reinforcements for whatever prooved to be a main landing area and not a feint. And that was always a problem for the Japanese. Another issue they had was in knowing just where an invasion would take place. Trying to defend everything was more than anyone could do.

One wouldn't think that a sea-launched invasion could present so may problems to a land-based defense, but they could. With sea and air superiority successful landings were well 'nigh unpreventable. A beachhead could be established. Without almost complete air and sea superiority invasions are folly. Too much is too vulnerable for too long.

Arf