OMAHA BEACHHEAD (6 June-13 June 1944) American Forces in Action Series Historical Division War Department Facsimile Reprint, 1984 CMH Pub 100-11 Center of Military History United States Army Washington, D.C. (For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20492 (Uploaded by Larry W. Jewell, jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu) Foreword In the thick of battle, the soldier is busy doing his job. He had the knowledge and confidence that his job is part of a unified plan to defeat the enemy, but he does not have time to survey a campaign from a fox hole. If he should be wounded and removed behind the lines, he may have even less opportunity to learn what place he and his unit had in the larger fight. AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION is a series prepared by the War Department especially for the information of wounded men. It will show these soldiers, who have served their country so well, the part they and their comrades played in achievement which do honor to the record of the United States Army. G. C. Marshall, Chief of Staff. WAR DEPARTMENT Historical Division Washington 25, D.C. 20 September 1945 OMAHA BEACHHEAD, seventh of a series call AMERICAN FORCES IN ACTION, is the first of a number of narratives dealing with U.S. military operations in France. UTAH BEACH TO CHERBOURG, planned for later publication, will round out the account of the invasion at corps level and below. Larger phases of the NEPTUNE operation, including high-level planning, naval operations, and the action of British units, are treated here only in outline. OMAHA BEACHHEAD was prepared in the field by the 2d Information and Historical Service, attached to First Army, and by the Historical Section, European Theater of Operations. Although as published this book contains no documentation, the original manuscript, fully documented, is on file in the War Department. It is based on complete unit reports and records, on interviews, and on available enemy records. Some unit records for the period concerned are inadequate, and despite all care used in research and assembly of the materials, it is recognized that the information is not complete in all details and may involve minor errors of fact. Before a final official history of the campaign in France is prepared, the gaps should be filled and the errors corrected. This can be done only if individuals who possess additional information will furnish it to the War Department. Readers are therefore urged to send directly to the Historical Division, War Department, Washington, 25, D.C., all comments, criticisms, and additional data which may help in the preparation of a complete and definitive history of this operation. CONTENTS 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 The Later Assault Waves: 16th RCT....................................53 Conditions on the Beach: 0730-0800...................................54 ASSAULT OF 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 Landings 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 Trevieres-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 Forest (1st and 2nd Division).....................138 Across the Lower Aure (29th Division)...............................143 The Enemy 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 (Information on Photos and Maps not included in etext version.)