Most D-Day film was lost?

[snopes]

Comment: I heard that a LTC had collected (and then lost) most of the D
Day invasion film taken by military photographers.

As told to me, this LTC had consolidated the film in a duffle bag and then
dropped it into the water as he climbed a rope ladder to board a transport
back across the channel.

This is why we have limited film footage of that day. Is this True?

[rlobinske]

I'd guess that it's plausible.

After the end of the war, most of the official photos, negatives and many records of the 73rd Bombardment Wing (stationed on Saipan) were loaded onto a B-29 returning to the states. The aircraft suffered a mechanical failure and crashed, resulting in the loss of all cargo on board.

[Malruhn]

I recall hearing the exact same thing some 25 years ago... an LTC and a lost duffle-bag as he climbed a Jacobs Ladder onto a transport. No clue as to veracity, though it does sound plausible.

[Andrew of Ware]

I remember reading about this recently - a few years ago. It was probably in 2004 during the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The story I heard was that the photographs were damaged as they were being developed. There were very few of his photos that could be salvaged. Now where did I read it? BBC History Magazine? English Heritage Magazine?

[Andrew of Ware]

Success!!!!

Robert Capa is your man. Here's his story. Sorry the page is in a strange format, but you can read it.

And I was correct (for once). It was the technician at the photo lab in London who ruined all but ten of the photographs.

A darkroom technician was almost as anxious to see the invasion images as Capa himself. In his haste, the technician dried the film too quickly. The excess heat melted the emulsion on all but 10 of the frames. Those that remained were blurred, surreal shots, which succinctly conveyed the chaos and confusion of the day.

Capa was working for TIME Magazine, by the way.

ETA: Just done a bit of Googling. Here's the same article in rather more friendly format.

[Ali Infree]

Capa was working for TIME Magazine, by the way.

Good find, but just to be pedantic, Capa worked for Life magazine.

Ali "any publicity is good publicity" Infree

[Andrew of Ware]

Originally Posted by Ali Infree

Good find, but just to be pedantic, Capa worked for Life magazine.

Ali "any publicity is good publicity" Infree

:o You're quite right. How could I have been so stupid?

[RichardM]

I am reading "the Victors" by Stephen Ambrose and he mentions this. Is was only Capa's photos that were affected, not the rest of the photos taken during D-Day. 170 of the 180 photos were lost. There were many other photogrophers there so there should not be any particular reason that there are a limited number of photographs of D-Day.