American Forces in Action Series

OMAHABeachhead
(6 June--13 June 1944)

Historical Division
War Department


CONTENTS

Foreword iii
Operation NEPTUNE 1
  Navy and Air Forces 2
  21 Army Group 3
  V Corps Planning 6
Assault Plan 8
  Terrain 10
  Enemy Defenses 20
  Pre-Assault Bombardment Plans 28
  Plan of Assault Landings 30
  Plan for Movement to Inland Objectives 33
D Day: The Landings 35
  Approach to the Beach 38
  The Initial Assault Wave 42
  The Later Assault Waves: 116th RCT 49
  Later Assault Waves: 16th RCT 53
  Conditions on the Beach: 0730-0800 54
Assault on the Bluffs 58
  The Advance from Dog White 59
  The Advance between D-3 and E-1 Draws 63
  The Advance from Easy Red 65
  The Advance from Fox Green 73
  Other Assault Actions 75
  The Beach: 0800-1200 79
  Landing of Reinforcements on Easy Red 82
  The Rangers at Pointe du Hoe 87
Advance Inland 92
  Vierville Area 93
  St.-Laurent Area 97
  Colleville Area 98
  Afternoon on the Beach 101
  At the End of D Day 107
  The Enemy Side 112
Attainment of D-Day objectives (7-8 June) 116
  Trévières--Tour-en-Bessin (1st Division) 116
  Grandcamp--Isigny Area (29th Division) 122
  Improvement at the Beach 131
  The Enemy Side 134
The Attack of 9-11 June 136
  Advance to Cerisy Fore1st and 2d Divisions) 138
  Across the Lower Aure (29th Division) 143
  The Ennemy Side 147
The Attack of 12-13 June 150
  Advance to Caumont 151
  Crossing the Elle River 153
  Action West of the Vire 157
  The Enemy Side 159
Conclusion 163
  Annex No. 1: Unit Citations 164
  Annex No. 2: Abbreviations 165

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Illustrations

  Page
U.S. Commanders viii
Unit Commanders 8
The Crescent Curve of Omaha Beach 10
The Gently Sloping Tidal Flat 11
The Shingle Embankment 12
The Beach Flat 13
At the Western End of Omaha 14
Marshes Along the Beach Flat 14
Along Easy Red Sector 15
E-1 Draw 15
Hedgerows 17
Sunken Roads 18
Trévières 18
Underwater Obstacles 21
Pillbox near Vierville Draw (D-1) 23
Gun Emplacement Overlooking Beach 24
Trenches Along the Bluff Edge 26
Enemy Shore Defenses 27
German Mortar Position 28
Landing Diagram, Omaha Beach 31
Loading LST's for the Invasion 36
The Lane of Ships 37
Landing Craft 39
Mist and Smoke Obscurandmarks 40
Assault Landing 44
Smoke From Grass Fires 45
Men From Wrecked Landing Craft 46
The Obstacles Were Used as Shelter 51
Artillery Fire COncentrated on Larger Craft 55
Noon of D Day, Dog White 59
Penetration Area, 116th Infantry 60
Profile View of Bluffs, Dog White 61
Easy Green 63
Easy Red 67
E-1 Strongpoint 68
Path Through Minefields 69
Advance from Easy Red 70
Rocky Ledges 74
Beach Sector Charlie 76
The "Fortified" House 76
The Bluffs on Dog Green 78
Vehicles are Held on the Tidal Flat 81
High-Tide Landings 83
A Crowded Beach 84
The Tip of POinte du Hoe 89
The Cliffs at Pointe du Hoe 90
The Vierville Draw Under Fire 94
Head of D-3 Draw 96
Entrance to Colleville from West 99

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  Page
Landings Were Delayed 102
Breaches in the Shingle Embankment 104
The E-1 Exit Road 105
Roadblocks Were Demolished 106
Wreckage on Easy Red 107
Debris 108
Wreckage Littered the Beaches 109
A Pillbnox Used as Headquarters 115
Tanks Roll Through Colleville 118
Observation Was Difficult 120
Typical Norman Orchard 125
Damage in Isigny 128
Organizing the Beach 131
Landing Supplies 132
The 2d Division Starts Inland 137
The Approach to Trévierères 140
The Aure River 142
Cerisy Forest 146
Caumont 152
A German 88-MM 160
Insignia 16
LCI-91 167

Maps

No.   Page
1 Disposition of German Forces in the West, 6 June 1944 4
2 Enemy Defenses at D-3 Draw (les Moulins) 22
3 The Advance between D-3 and E-1 Draws 64
4 Advance from Easy Red 66
5 The Penetration at Fox Green 72
6 The 2d Ranger Battalion at Poine du Hoe, 6 June 86
7 The Relief of Pointe du Hoe, 7-8 June 124
8 Action at Grandcamp, 8 June 129
9 Caremtam--Isigny Area, 12-13 June 156

Maps I-XVI are in attached envelope  
I Invasion Area  
II Omaha Beach Terrain  
III Terrain Inland from Omaha Beach  
IV D-Day Objectives, V Corps  
V First Wave Landings (Infantry)  
VI Later Assault Landingnfantry)  
VII Vierville--St-Laurent Area (To Noon 6 June)  
VIII St-Laurent--Colleville Area (To Noon 6 June)  
IX Evening of D Day  
X The D-Day Beachheads  
XI 1st Division, 7-8 June  
XII 29th Division, 7-8 June  
XIII Enemy Reinforcements, 6-8 June  
XIV V Corps Attack, 9-11 June  
XV V Corps Attack, 12-13 June  
XVI Development of the Beachheads  

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U.S. COMMANDERS IN THE OMAHA BEACHHEAD OPERATIONS
Lt. Gen. Omar N. Bradley, Maj. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ranks as of June 1944; Photograph taken Juy 1944)

--viii--

Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation