D-Day OMAHA Beach
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| Omaha Beach |
Six thousand yards from the beach DD Tanks (Double Duplex Tanks) capable of swimming to the beaches were launched.
In the heavy swell most sunk, only two made it to the breaches. The weather also caused the loss of many guns as well as troop carrying landing craft.
The infantry approaching OMAHA BEACH were therefore without specialist beech clearing engineers, no armoured support, and short on artillery. The 3 hour journey left many sea sick, and as they arrived at the beaches, difficulties in navigation due to smoke and mist obscuring landmarks, meant the majority of landing craft missed their intended locations. In most cases the landing craft found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards short of the beach, and consequently had to wade through water, often up to neck height, before they could reach the beach.
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| Omaha Beach - Landing 6th June 1944 |
Defences on OMAHA were stronger than expected, the air and naval bombardment were ineffective, and therefore the Germans were able to bring the full weight of machine gun fire from interlocking positions on to the beaches as well as artillery and mortar fire.
The first wave were unable to move off the beach, and the problem was made worse by the arrival of the second wave. At 08:30 landings were suspended, the assaulting craft being required to circle off the beach. At 09:50, destroyers were ordered to get as close to the beach as possible to provide covering fire, some coming so close the bottom of the ship scraped the sea bottom.
Eventually small penetrations were made by impromptu assaults of groups scratched together from different units, aided by tank fire and naval gun fire support. This allowed two exits from the beaches to be formed. These were exploited to create a small bridgehead; however none of the original objectives were achieved.
Over 2,000 casualties were incurred establishing the beachhead.
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| Omaha Beach - 2014 |
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| Omaha Beach Memorial |
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| Omaha Beach Memorial |
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