Omaha Beach

Omaha Beach
teenagers, though they were supplemented by veterans
who had fought on the Eastern Front. The 352nd had
never had any battalion or regimental training. Of the
12,020 men of the division, only 6,800 were experienced
combat troops, detailed to defend a 33-mile-long (53kilometre) front. The Germans were largely deployed in
strongpoints along the coast—the German strategy was
based on defeating any seaborne assault at the water line.
Nevertheless, Allied calculations indicated that Omaha’s
defenses were three times as strong as those they had encountered during the Battle of Kwajalein, and its defenders were four times as many.[3]
Very little went as planned during the landing at Omaha.
Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landing
craft to miss their targets throughout the day. The defenses were unexpectedly strong, and inflicted heavy casualties on landing US troops. Under heavy fire, the engineers struggled to clear the beach obstacles; later landings
bunched up around the few channels that were cleared.
Weakened by the casualties taken just in landing, the surviving assault troops could not clear the heavily defended
exits off the beach. This caused further problems and
consequent delays for later landings. Small penetrations
were eventually achieved by groups of survivors making improvised assaults, scaling the bluffs between the
most heavily defended points. By the end of the day, two
small isolated footholds had been won, which were subsequently exploited against weaker defenses further inland,
thus achieving the original D-Day objectives over the following days.
D-Day assault map of the Normandy region and the northwestern coast of France. Utah and Omaha are separated by the
Douve River, whose mouth is clear in the coastline notch (or “corner”) of the map.
Omaha Beach was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in
the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World
War II. Omaha is located on the coast of Normandy,
France, facing the English Channel, and is 5 miles (8 km)
long, from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of
Vierville-sur-Mer on the right bank of the Douve River
estuary. Landings here were necessary in order to link
up the British landings to the east at Gold with the American landing to the west at Utah, thus providing a continuous lodgement on the Normandy coast of the Bay of
the Seine. Taking Omaha was to be the responsibility of
United States Army troops, with sea transport and naval
artillery support provided by the U.S. Navy and elements
of the British Royal Navy.
1 Terrain and defenses
100'-170'
On D-Day, the untested 29th Infantry Division, along
with nine companies of U.S. Army Rangers redirected
from Pointe du Hoc, were to assault the western half of
the beach. The battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division was
given the eastern half. The initial assault waves, consisting of tanks, infantry, and combat engineer forces, were
carefully planned to reduce the coastal defenses and allow
the larger ships of the follow-up waves to land.
LW
18'
HW
300 yards
Shingles
Few
yards
wide
Shelf 200 yards
Sand dunes or sea wall
Diagrammatic cross section of the beach at Omaha
The primary objective at Omaha was to secure a
beachhead of some five miles (eight kilometres) depth,
between Port-en-Bessin and the Vire River, linking with
the British landings at Gold to the east, and reaching
the area of Isigny to the west to link up with VII Corps
landing at Utah. Opposing the landings was the German
352nd Infantry Division, a large portion of whom were
There were originally seventeen sectors along the Normandy coastline with codenames taken from one of the
spelling alphabets of the time, from Able, west of Omaha,
to Rodger on the east flank of the invasion area. Eight
further sectors were added when the planned invasion was
1
2
1
TERRAIN AND DEFENSES
extended to include Utah on the Cotentin Peninsula. Sectors were further subdivided into beaches identified by the
colors Green, Red and White.[4] Omaha was bound at either end by large rocky cliffs, the crescent shaped beach
presented a gently sloping tidal area averaging 300 yards
(275 m) between low and high-water marks. Above the
tide line was a bank of shingle 8 feet (2.4 m) high and
up to 15 yards (14 m) wide in some places. At the western end, the shingle bank rested against a stone (further
east becoming wood) sea wall which ranged from 4–12
feet (1.5–4 m) in height. For the remaining two thirds of
the beach after the seawall ended, the shingle lay against
a low sand embankment. Behind the sand embankment
and sea wall lay a level shelf of sand, narrow at either
end and extending up to 200 yards (180 m) inland in the Inner view of a German casemate at Omaha
center. Steep escarpments or bluffs then rose 100–170
feet (30–50 m), dominating the whole beach and cut into
by small wooded valleys or draws at five points along the
beach, codenamed west to east D-1, D-3, E-1, E-3 and gap across the whole of Easy Red, was 270 yards (250 m)
out from the highwater line and consisted of 200 Belgian
F-1.[5]
Gates with mines lashed to the uprights. Some 32 yards
(30 m) behind these was a continuous line of logs driven
into the sand pointing seaward, every third one capped
with an anti-tank mine. This method was not as effective
as the Germans would have wished. Another 32 yards
(30 m) shoreward of this line was a continuous line of
450 ramps sloping towards the shore, also with mines attached and designed to force flat-bottomed landing craft
to ride up and either flip or detonate the mine. The final
line of obstacles was a continuous line of hedgehogs 165
yards (150 m) from the shoreline.[7] The area between the
shingle bank and the bluffs was both wired and mined,
and mines were also scattered on the bluff slopes. German barricades set up to prevent tanks advancing on the
shores became useful to the Allies, as they provided cover
German Panzer IV turret mounted on bunker at Omaha, June from the hail of bullets.
1944
Coastal troop deployments, comprising five companies
of infantry, were concentrated mostly at 15 strongpoints
called Widerstandsnester (“resistance nests”), numbered
WN-60 in the east to WN-74 near Vierville in the west,
located primarily around the entrances to the draws and
protected by minefields and wire.[8] Positions within each
strongpoint were interconnected by trenches and tunnels.
As well as the basic weaponry of rifles and machine guns,
a total of over 60 light artillery pieces were deployed at
these strongpoints. The heaviest pieces were located in
eight gun casemates and four open positions while the
lighter guns were housed in 35 pillboxes. A further 18
anti-tank guns completed the disposition of artillery targeting the beach. Areas between the strongpoints were
lightly manned with occasional trenches, rifle pits, and
a further 85 machine-gun emplacements.[9][10] No area
A German casemate at Omaha
of the beach was left uncovered, and the disposition of
The German defensive preparations and the lack of any weapons meant that flanking fire could be brought to bear
defense in depth indicated that their plan was to stop the anywhere along the beach.
invasion at the beaches.[6] Four lines of obstacles were Allied intelligence identified the coastal defenses as beconstructed in the water. The first, a non-contiguous line ing manned by a reinforced battalion (800–1000 men)
with a small gap in the middle of Dog White and a larger of the 716th Infantry Division.[11] This was a static de-
3
fensive division estimated to contain up to 50% of nonGerman troops, mostly Russian volunteers and German
Volksdeutsche. The recently activated, but capable 352nd
Infantry Division was identified as being located 20 miles
(30 km) inland at Saint-Lô and was regarded as the most
likely force to be committed to a counter-attack. However, as part of Rommel’s strategy to concentrate defenses
at the water’s edge, the 352nd was ordered forward in
March,[12] taking over responsibility for the defense of
the Normandy coast where Omaha was located. As part
of this reorganization, the 352nd also took under command the two battalions of the 726th Grenadier Regiment
as well as the 439th Ost-Battalion that had been attached
to the 726th.[13] Omaha Beach fell mostly within 'Coast
Defense Sector 2', stretching westwards from Colleville
and allocated to the 916th Grenadier Regiment, with
the third battalion 726th Grenadier Regiment attached.
Two companies of the 726th manned strongpoints in the
Vierville area while two companies of the 916th occupied the St. Laurent area strongpoints in the center of
Omaha. These positions were supported by the artillery
of the first and fourth battalions of the 352nd Artillery
Regiment (twelve 105 mm and four 150 mm howitzers
respectively). The two remaining companies of the 916th
formed a reserve at Formigny, two miles (3 km) inland.
East of Colleville, 'Coast Defense Sector 3' was the responsibility of the remainder of the 726th Grenadier Regiment. Two companies were deployed at the coast, one
in the most easterly series of strongpoints, with artillery
support provided by the third battalion of the 352nd Artillery Regiment. The area reserve, comprising the two
battalions of the 915th Grenadier Regiment and known as
'Kampfgruppe Meyer', was located south-east of Bayeux
outside of the immediate Omaha area.[14]
The failure to identify the reorganization of the defenses
was a rare intelligence breakdown for the allies. Postaction reports still documented the original estimate and
assumed that the 352nd had been deployed to the coastal
defenses by chance, only a few days previously, as part of
an anti-invasion exercise.[14][15] The source of this inaccurate information came from German prisoners of war
from the 352nd Infantry Division captured on D-Day as
reported by the 16th Infantry S-3 D-Day Action Report.
In fact, Allied intelligence had already become aware of
the relocation of the 352nd Infantry Division on June
4. This information was passed on to V Infantry Corps
and 1st Infantry Division HQ through 1st Army; however, at this late stage in the operations, no plans were
changed.[16]
2
Plan of attack
Omaha was divided into ten beaches, codenamed (from
west to east): Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog Green, Dog
White, Dog Red, Easy Green, Easy Red, Fox Green
and Fox Red. The initial assault was to be made by
Official history map showing the V Corps objectives for D-Day
two Regimental Combat Teams (RCT), supported by two
tank battalions, with two battalions of Rangers also attached. The infantry regiments were organized into three
battalions each of around 1,000 men. Each battalion was
organized as three rifle companies each of up to 240 men,
and a support company of up to 190 men.[17] Infantry
companies A through D belonged to the 1st battalion of a
regiment, E through H to the 2nd, I through M to the 3rd;
the letter ‘J’ was not used. (Individual companies will be
referred to in this article by company and regiment, e.g.
Company A of the 116th RCT will be 'A/116'). In addition, each battalion had a headquarters company of up
to 180 men. The tank battalions consisted of three companies, A through C, each of 16 tanks, while the Ranger
battalions were organized into six companies, A through
F, of around 65 men per company.
The 116th RCT of the 29th Infantry Division was to land
two battalions in the western four beaches, to be followed
30 minutes later by the third battalion. Their landings
were to be supported by the tanks of the 743rd Tank Battalion; two companies swimming ashore in amphibious
DD tanks and the remaining company landing directly
onto the beach from assault craft. To the left of the 116th
RCT the 16th RCT of the 1st Infantry Division was also
to land two battalions with the third following 30 minutes after, on Easy Red and Fox Green at the eastern
end of Omaha. Their tank support was to be provided
by the 741st Tank Battalion, again two companies swimming ashore and the third landed conventionally. Three
companies of the 2nd Ranger Battalion were to take a fortified battery at Pointe du Hoc, three miles (5 km) to the
west of Omaha. Meanwhile C company 2nd Rangers was
to land on the right of the 116th RCT and take the positions at Pointe de la Percée. The remaining companies of
2nd Rangers and the 5th Ranger Battalion were to follow
up at Pointe du Hoc if that action proved to be successful,
otherwise they were to follow the 116th into Dog Green
and proceed to Pointe du Hoc overland.[18]
The landings were scheduled to start at 06:30, "H-Hour",
on a flooding tide, preceded by a 40-minute naval and 30minute aerial bombardment of the beach defenses, with
the DD tanks arriving five minutes before H-Hour. The
infantry were organized into specially equipped assault
sections, 32 men strong, one section to a landing craft,
4
3 INITIAL ASSAULT
with each section assigned specific objectives in reducing
the beach defenses. Immediately behind the first landings the Special Engineer Task Force was to land with
the mission of clearing and marking lanes through the
beach obstacles. This would allow the larger ships of
the follow-up landings to get through safely at high tide.
The landing of artillery support was scheduled to start at
H+90 minutes while the main build up of vehicles was to
start at H+180 minutes. At H+195 minutes two further
Regimental Combat Teams, the 115th RCT of the 29th
Infantry Division and the 18th RCT of the 1st Infantry
Division were to land, with the 26th RCT of the 1st Infantry Division to be landed on the orders of the V Corps
commander.[19]
The objective was for the beach defenses to be cleared by H-Hour. A landing craft of the initial assault wave nears the
H+2 hours, whereupon the assault sections were to reor- smoke-shrouded coast following a heavy naval bombardment.
ganize, continuing the battle in battalion formations. The
draws were to be opened to allow traffic to exit the beach
by H+3 hours. By the end of the day, the forces at Omaha
were to have established a bridgehead five miles (8 km)
deep, linked up with the British 50th Division landed at
Gold to the east, and be in position to move on Isigny the
next day, linking up with the American VII Corps at Utah
to the west.[20]
The assault force expected to execute this plan totaled
over 34,000 men and 3,300 vehicles, with naval support
provided by two battleships, three cruisers, 12 destroyers,
and 105 other ships. These were provided predominantly
by the US Navy, but also included British and Free French
warships.[21] The 16th RCT (swollen by 3,502 men and
295 vehicles attached only for the beach landing) numbered 9,828 troops, 919 vehicles and 48 tanks. To move
this force required 2 transport ships, 6 Landing Ships,
Tank (LSTs), 53 LCTs, 5 Landing Craft Infantry (Large)
(LCI/(L)s), 81 LCVPs, 18 LCAs, 13 other landing craft,
and about 64 DUKWs.[22] Assault craft were crewed by
the US Navy, US Coast Guard and the British Royal
Navy.[23]
3
Initial assault
Official history map showing first assault wave landings
automatic weapons and artillery. The force discovered
only then the ineffectiveness of the pre-landing bombardment. Delayed by the weather and attempting to avoid
the landing craft as they ran in, the bombers had dropped
their ordnance too far inland, detonating some landmines
that were planted by the Germans, but having no real effect on the coastal defenses.[26]
3.1 Tank landings
Because sea conditions were so rough, the decision was
made for the 116th RCT to carry the DD tanks of the
743rd tank battalion all the way to the beach, after 27
of the initial 29 DD tanks of the 741st tank battalion
swamped while wading to shore. Coming in opposite
the heavily defended Vierville draw, Company B of the
743rd Tank Battalion lost all but one of its officers and
half of its DD tanks. However, the other two companies
landed to the left of B/743 without initial loss. On the
16th RCT front, the two DD tanks from the 741st tank
battalion that had survived the swim ashore were joined
by three others that were landed directly onto the beach
because of their LCT’s damaged ramp. The remaining
As the boats approached to within a few hundred yards of tank company managed to land 14 of its 16 tanks (althe shore, they came under increasingly heavy fire from though three of these were quickly knocked out).[27][28]
Despite these preparations, very little went according to
plan. Ten landing craft were swamped by the rough
seas before they reached the beach, and several others
stayed afloat only because their passengers bailed water
out with their helmets. Seasickness was prevalent among
the troops waiting offshore. On the 16th RCT front, the
landing boats passed struggling men in life preservers and
on rafts, survivors of the DD tanks which had sunk in
the rough sea.[24] Navigation of the landing vehicles was
made difficult by the smoke and mist obscuring the landmarks they were to use in guiding themselves in, while a
heavy current pushed them continually eastward.[25]
3.2
3.2
Infantry landings
5
Infantry landings
I was the first one out. The seventh man was the next one
to get across the beach without being hit. All the ones inbetween were hit. Two were killed; three were injured.
That’s how lucky you had to be.
Captain Richard Merrill, 2nd Ranger Battalion.[29]
Of the nine companies landing in the first wave, only Easy Red
Dog Green
Fox Green
Easy Green
As infantry disembarked from the landing craft, they often found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards (45
to 90 m) out. To reach the beach they had to wade
through water sometimes neck deep, and they still had
200 yards (180 m) or more to go when they did reach
shore. Those that made it to the shingle did so at a walking pace because they were so heavily laden. Most sections had to brave the full weight of fire from small arms,
mortars, artillery, and interlocking fields of heavy machine gun fire.[32] Where the naval bombardment had set
grass fires burning, as it had at Dog Red opposite the
Les Moulins strongpoint, the smoke obscured the landing
troops and prevented effective fire from being laid down
by the defenders.[30] Some sections of G/116 and F/116
were able to reach the shingle bank relatively unscathed,
though the latter became disorganized after the loss of
their officers. G/116 was able to retain some cohesion,
but this was soon lost as they made their way westwards
under fire along the shingle in an attempt to reach their
assigned objectives.[33] The scattering of the boats was
most evident on the 16th RCT front, where parts of E/16,
F/16 and E/116 had intermingled, making it difficult for
sections to come together to improvise company assaults
that might have reversed the situation caused by the mislandings. Those scattered sections of E/116 landing at
Easy Red were able to escape heavy casualties, although,
having encountered a deep runnel after being landed on
a sandbank, they were forced to discard most of their
weapons to make the swim ashore.[34]
Company A of the 116th RCT at Dog Green and the
Rangers to their right landed where intended. E/116,
aiming for Easy Green, ended up scattered across the
two beaches of the 16th RCT area.[30] G/116, aiming for
Dog White, opened up a 1,000-yard (900 m) gap between
themselves and A/116 to their right when they landed at
Easy Green instead. I/16 drifted so far east it did not land
for another hour and a half.[31]
Casualties were heaviest among the troops landing at either end of Omaha. In the east at Fox Green and the adjacent stretch of Easy Red, scattered elements of three
companies were reduced to half strength by the time
they gained the relative safety of the shingle, many of
them having crawled the 300 yards (270 m) of beach just
ahead of the incoming tide. Within 15 minutes of landing at Dog Green on the western end of the beach, A/116
had been cut to pieces, the leaders among the 120 or so
Dog White
Dog Red
6
4
SECOND ASSAULT WAVE
casualties,[33][35][36][N 2] the survivors reduced to seeking
cover at the water’s edge or behind obstacles. The smaller
Ranger company to their right had fared a little better,
having made the shelter of the bluffs, but were also down
to half strength.
L/16 eventually landed, 30 minutes late, to the left of Fox
Green, taking casualties as the boats ran in and more as
they crossed the 200 yards (180 m) of beach. The terrain
at the very eastern end of Omaha, however, gave them
enough protection to allow the 125 survivors to organize
and begin an assault of the bluffs. They were the only
Official history map showing the second assault wave landings.
company in the first wave able to operate as a unit.[37] All
the other companies were, at best, disorganized, mostly
leaderless and pinned down behind the shingle with no
hope of carrying out their assault missions. At worst, they
had ceased to exist as fighting units. Nearly all had landed
at least a few hundred yards off target, and in an intricately
planned operation where each section on each boat had
been assigned a specific task, this was enough to throw
the whole plan off.
3.3
Engineer landings
Like the infantry, the engineers had been pushed off their
targets, and only five of the 16 teams arrived at their assigned locations. Three teams came in where there were
no infantry or armor to cover them. Working under heavy
fire, the engineers set about their task of clearing gaps
through the beach obstacles—work made more difficult
by loss of equipment, and by infantry passing through
or taking cover behind the obstacles they were trying to
blow. They also suffered heavy casualties as enemy fire
set off the explosives they were working with. Eight men
of one team were dragging their pre-loaded rubber boat
off the LCM when artillery hit; only one survived the resulting detonation of their supplies. Another team had
just finished laying its explosives when the area was struck
by mortar fire. The premature explosion of the charges
killed or wounded 19 engineers, as well as some nearby
infantry. Nevertheless, the engineers succeeded in clearing six gaps, one each at Dog White and Easy Green on
the 116th RCT front, the other four at Easy Red on the
16th RCT front. However, they had suffered casualties
of over 40%.[38][39]
4
Second assault wave
With the initial targets unaccomplished, the second and
larger wave of assault landings brought in reinforcements,
support weapons and headquarter elements at 07:00 only
to face nearly the same difficulties as had the first. The
only advantage enjoyed by second wave was that it was
larger, and so the defenders’ fire was less concentrated.
The survivors of the first wave were unable to provide effective covering fire, and in places the fresh landing troops
An officer observes Omaha as his landing craft approaches the
Norman coast.
suffered casualty rates as high as those of the first wave.
Failure to clear paths through the beach obstacles also
added to the difficulties of the second wave. In addition,
the incoming tide was beginning to hide the remaining
obstacles, causing high attrition among the landing craft
before they had reached the shore. As in the initial landings, difficult navigation caused disruptive mislandings,
scattering the infantry and separating vital headquarters
elements from their units.[40]
On the 116th RCT front, the remainder of the 1st Battalion, B/116, C/116 and D/116, were due to land in
support of A/116 at Dog Green. Three boats, including
their headquarters and beach-master groups, landed too
far west, under the cliffs. Their exact casualties in getting
across the beach are unknown, but the one-third to onehalf that made it to shore spent the rest of the day pinned
down by snipers. Not all sections of the badly scattered
B/116 landed there, but those that did were quickly forced
to join those survivors of A/116 fighting for survival at the
water’s edge.[41] Two companies of 2nd Rangers, coming
in later on the edge of Dog Green, did manage to reach
the seawall, but at the cost of half their strength.[42]
To the left of Dog Green sat Dog White, between the
Vierville and Les Moulins strongpoints (defending draws
D-1 and D-3); and here was a different story. As a result of earlier mis-landings, and now because of their own
4.1
American situation
mis-landing, the troops of C/116 found themselves alone
at Dog White, with only a handful of tanks from the first
wave in sight. The smoke from the grass fires covering
their advance up the beach, they gained the seawall with
few casualties, and were in better shape than any unit on
the 116th RCT front so far.[43] Although the 1st Battalion was effectively disarmed of its heavy weapons when
D/116 suffered a disastrous landing, the build up at Dog
White continued. C/116 was joined by the 5th Ranger
Battalion almost in its entirety. The Ranger commander,
recognizing the situation at Dog Green on the run-in, ordered the assault craft to divert into Dog White. Like
the C/116, the smoke covered their advance, although the
2nd Rangers were caught out on the right flank of the
Ranger’s landing. This was where the 116th RCT regimental command group, including the 29th Division assistant commander Brigadier General Norman “Dutch”
Cota, was able to land relatively unscathed.[42]
7
4.1 American situation
Assault troops of the 3rd Battalion, 16th RCT, from the first two
waves, shelter under the chalk cliffs (which identify this as an
area of Fox Red).
Along with the infantry landing in the second wave, supporting arms began to arrive, meeting the same chaos
and destruction as had the rifle companies. Combat engineers, tasked with clearing the exits and marking beaches,
landed off-target and without their equipment. Additionally, with the exception of DD tanks, they did not have
the benefit of "Hobart’s Funnies" (a wide range of Britishdesigned, specially adapted armored vehicles specifically
designed to penetrate German defenses) which had been
offered to American commanders, and were accepted.
The Americans requested all “Funnies” that were based
on the Sherman M4 tank chassis, however the vehicles
could not be produced in enough quantity to supply both
the Commonwealth forces and American forces in time
for D-Day. And even if enough could have been produced
in time for D-Day there were not enough LCTs available
On the 16th RCT front, at the eastern end of Easy Red, to carry the DD and wading tanks and the “Funnies”.[48]
was another area between strongpoints. This allowed
G/16 and the support battalion to escape complete destruction in their advance up the beach. Nevertheless,
most of G/16’s 63 casualties for the day came before they
had reached the shingle. The other 2nd Battalion company landed in the second wave; H/16 came in a few hundred yards to the left, opposite the E-3 draw, and suffered
for it – they were put out of action for several hours.[46]
Further east, the strongpoint defenses were effective. On
the Dog Red / Easy Green boundary, the defenses around
the Les Moulins strongpoint took a heavy toll on the remaining 2nd Battalion, with H/116 and headquarters elements struggling ashore there. The survivors joined the
remnants of F/116 behind the shingle, and here the battalion commander was able to organize 50 men for an
improvised advance across the shingle. However, a further advance up the bluffs just east of Les Moulins was too
weak to have any effect and was forced back down.[44] To
their left, mainly between the draws on the Easy Green /
Easy Red boundary, the 116th RCT’s support battalion
landed without too much loss, although they did become
scattered, and were too disorganized to play any immediate part in an assault on the bluffs.[45]
On the eastern-most beach, Fox Green, elements of five
different companies had become entangled, and the situation was little improved by the equally disorganized landings of the second wave. Two more companies of the
3rd Battalion joined the melee, and, having drifted east
in the first wave, I/16 finally made their traumatic landing on Fox Green, at 08:00. Two of their six boats were
swamped on their detour to the east, and as they came in
under fire, three of the four remaining boats were damaged by artillery or mines, and the fourth was hung up on
an obstacle. A captain from this company found himself
senior officer, and in charge of the badly out of shape 3rd
Battalion.[47]
Wounded soldiers from a sunken landing craft are brought
ashore.
Many half-tracks, jeeps and trucks floundered in deep
water; those that made it ashore soon became jammed up
on the narrowing beach, making easy targets for the German defenders. Most of the radios were lost, making the
task of organizing the scattered and dispirited troops even
8
5 BREAKTHROUGH
more difficult, and those command groups that did make
the shore found their effectiveness limited to their immediate vicinity. In total the Americans had 2,499 men
killed in action. Except for a few surviving tanks and a
heavy weapons squad here or there, the assault troops had
only their personal weapons, which, having been dragged
through surf and sand, invariably needed cleaning before
they could be used.[49]
The survivors at the shingle, many facing combat for the
first time, found themselves relatively well-protected from
small arms fire, but still exposed to artillery and mortars.
In front of them lay heavily mined flats exposed to active fire from the bluffs above. Morale naturally became
a problem.[50] Many groups were leaderless and witnesses
to the fate of neighboring troops and landings coming in
around them. Wounded men on the beach were drowning in the incoming tide and incoming landing craft were
being pounded and set ablaze.
4.2
German situation
As late as 13:35 the German 352nd division was reporting that the assault had been hurled back into the sea.[51]
From their vantage point at Pointe de la Percée, overlooking the whole beach from the western end, the German perception was that the assault had been stopped
at the beach. An officer there noted that troops were
seeking cover behind obstacles, and counted ten tanks
burning.[52] However, as early as 07:35, the third battalion
of the 726th Grenadier Regiment, defending Draw F-1
on Fox Green beach, was reporting that 100–200 American troops had penetrated the front, with troops inside the
wire at WN-62 and WN-61 attacking the Germans from
the rear.[53] Casualties among the defenders were mounting. While the 916th regiment, defending the center of
the 352nd zone, was reporting that the landings had been
frustrated, it was also requesting reinforcement. The request could not be met, because the situation elsewhere in
Normandy was becoming more urgent for the defenders.
The reserve regiment, the 915th of the 352nd division,
which had earlier been ordered against the American airborne landings to the west of Omaha, was diverted to
the Gold zone east of Omaha, the defenses there having
crumbled.[54]
strongly concentrated defenses around these draws meant
that the troops landing near them quickly wound up in no
shape to carry a further assault. Only in the areas between the draws, at the bluffs, were units able to land in
greater strength. Defenses were also weaker away from
the draws, thus, most advances were made there.[55]
The other key aspect of the next few hours was leadership. The original plan was in tatters, with so many units
mis-landed, disorganized and scattered. Most commanders had fallen or were absent, and there were few ways to
communicate, other than shouted commands. In places,
small groups of men, sometimes scratched together from
different companies, in some cases from different divisions, were "...inspired, encouraged or bullied...”[50] out
of the relative safety of the shingle, starting the grueling
task of reducing the defenses atop the bluffs.
5.1 Assaulting the bluffs
Survivors of C company 2nd Rangers in the first wave
landed on Dog Green around 06:45; by 07:30, they had
scaled the cliffs near Dog White and the Vierville draw.
They were joined later by a mis-landed section from
B/116, and this group spent the better part of the day
tying up and eventually taking WN-73, which defended
draw D-1 at Vierville.[56][57]
At 07:50, Cota led the charge off of Dog Green, between
WN-68 and WN-70, by forcing gaps in the wire with a
Bangalore torpedo and wire cutters. 20 minutes later, the
5th Rangers joined the advance, and blew more openings.
The command party established themselves at the top of
the bluff, and elements of G/116 and H/116 joined them,
having earlier moved laterally along the beach, and now
the narrow front had widened to the east. Before 09:00,
small parties from F/116 and B/116 reached the crests
just east of Dog White.[57][58] The right flank of this penetration was covered by the survivors of the 2nd Rangers’
A and B companies, who had independently fought their
way to the top between 08:00 and 08:30. They took WN70 (already heavily damaged by naval shells), and joined
the 5th Rangers for the move inland. By 09:00 more than
600 American troops, in groups ranging from company
sized to just a few men, had reached the top of the bluff
opposite Dog White and were advancing inland.[59][60]
The 3rd battalion 116th RCT forced its way across the
flats and up the bluff between WN-66 (which defended
5 Breakthrough
the D-3 draw at Les Moulins), and WN-65 (defending the
E-1 draw). They advanced in small groups, supported by
“Are you going to lay there and get killed, or get up and the heavy weapons of M/116, who were held at the base
do something about it?"
of the bluff. Progress was slowed by mines on the slopes
Unidentified lieutenant, Easy Red.[50]
of the bluff, but elements of all three rifle companies, as
well as a stray section of G/116, had gained the top by
reThe key geographical features that had influenced the 09:00, causing the defenders at WN-62 to mistakenly
[61][62]
port
that
both
WN-65
and
WN-66
had
been
taken.
landings also influenced the next phase of the battle:
the draws, the natural exits off the beaches, were the Between 07:30 and 08:30 elements of G/16, E/16, and
main targets in the initial assault plan. However, the E/116 came together and climbed the bluffs at Easy Red,
5.3
Pre-invasion naval bombardment
between WN-64 (defending the E-1 draw) and WN-62
(the E-3 draw). At 09:05, German observers reported
that WN-61 was lost, and that only one machine gun was
still firing from WN-62. 150 men, mostly from G/16,
having reached the top hampered more by minefields than
by enemy fire, continued south to attack the WN-63 command post on the edge of Colleville. Meanwhile E/16,
led by Second Lieutenant John M. Spalding and Captain
Robert L. Sheppard V, turned westward along the top
of the bluffs, engaging in a two-hour battle for WN-64.
His small group of just four men had effectively neutralized this point by mid-morning, taking 21 prisoners—just
in time to prevent them from attacking freshly landing
troops.[63] On the beach below, the 16th RCT commander, Colonel George Taylor had landed at 08:15. With the
words “Two kinds of people are staying on this beach, the
dead and those who are going to die – now let’s get the hell
out of here!"[64] he organized groups of men regardless of
their unit, putting them under the command of the nearest non-commissioned officer and sending them through
the area opened up by G/16. By 09:30, the regimental
command post was set up just below the bluff crest, and
the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 16th RCT were being
sent inland as they reached the crest.[65]
9
gineer who had landed in the first wave at Fox Red, watching the Frankford steaming in towards shore, thought she
had been badly hit and was being beached. Instead, she
turned parallel to the beach and cruised westwards, guns
blazing at targets of opportunity. Thinking she would turn
back out to sea, the engineer soon saw that she had instead
begun backing up, guns still firing. At one point, gunners
aboard the Frankford saw an immobilized tank at the water’s edge, still firing. Watching the fall of its shot, they
followed up with a salvo of their own. In this manner,
the tank acted as the ship’s fire control party for several
minutes.[67]
5.3 Pre-invasion naval bombardment
General Bradley reviewing Allied troops in England
training for D-Day, promised the soldiers that the Germans on the beach would be blasted with naval gunfire
prior to the landing and that: “You men should consider
yourself lucky. You are going to have ringside seats for
the greatest show on earth (naval gunfire).”[68]
Rear Admiral John L. Hall, (Commander Task Force
124, the “Omaha” Beach Assault Force), strongly disapproved of the amount of air and naval bombardment used.
Hall was recorded saying “It’s a crime to send me on the
biggest amphibious attack in history with such inadequate
naval gunfire support.”[69]
On Fox Green, at the eastern end of Omaha, four sections
of L/16 had survived their landing intact and were now
leading elements of I/16, K/16 and E/116 up the slopes.
With supporting fire from the heavy weapons of M/16,
tanks and destroyers, this force eliminated WN-60, which
Later analysis of naval support during the pre-landing
defended the draw at F-1; by 09:00, the 3rd battalion 16th
phase concluded that the navy had provided inadequate
[57][66]
RCT was moving inland.
bombardment, given the size and extent of the planned
assault.[70] Kenneth P. Lord, a U.S. Army planner for the
D-Day invasion, says that, upon hearing the naval gun5.2 Naval support
fire support plan for Omaha, which limited support to
one battleship, two cruisers and six destroyers, he and
other planners were very upset—especially in light of the
tremendous naval gunfire support given to landings in the
Pacific.[71]
Historian Adrian R. Lewis postulates that American casualties would have been greatly reduced if a longer barrage
had been implemented.[72]
5.4 German defenses inland
USS Frankford
The only artillery support for the troops making these tentative advances was from the navy. Finding targets difficult to spot, and in fear of hitting their own troops, the big
guns of the battleships and cruisers concentrated fire on
the flanks of the beaches. The destroyers, however, were
able to get in closer, and from 08:00 began engaging their
own targets. At 09:50, two minutes after the McCook destroyed a 75 mm gun position in WN-74, the destroyers were ordered to get as close in as possible. Some
approached within 1,000 yards (900 m) several times,
scraping bottom and risking running aground.[53] An en-
While the coastal defenses had not turned back the invasion at the beach, they had broken up and weakened the
assault formations struggling through them. The German
emphasis on this Main Line of Resistance (MLR) meant
that defenses further inland were significantly weaker,
and based on small pockets of prepared positions smaller
than company sized in strength. This tactic was enough
to disrupt American advances inland, making it difficult
even to reach the assembly areas, let alone achieve their
D-Day objectives.[73] As an example of the effectiveness
of German defenses despite weakness in numbers, the
5th Ranger battalion was halted in its advance inland by a
10
6 BEACHHEAD
single machine gun position hidden in a hedgerow. One
platoon attempted to outflank the position, only to run
into another machine gun position to the left of the first.
A second platoon dispatched to take this new position ran
into a third, and attempts to deal with this met with fire
from a fourth position. The success of the MLR in blocking the movement of heavy weapons off the beach meant
that, after four hours, the Rangers were forced to give up
on attempts to move them any further inland.[74]
6
Beachhead
Omaha on the afternoon of D-Day
American reinforcements landing on Omaha.
Despite penetrations inland, the key beach objectives had
not been achieved. The draws necessary for the movement of vehicles off the beach had not been opened, and
the strongpoints defending these were still putting up a
spirited resistance. The failure to significantly clear the
beach obstacles tended to force subsequent landings to
concentrate on Easy Green and Easy Red.[75]
The closure of the beach to vehicles resulted in a jam of
landing craft out to sea. The DUKW’s had a particularly
hard time of it in the rough conditions. The experiences
of the 111th Field Artillery battalion of the 116th RCT
are indicative of the general situation these craft faced.
Of the 13 DUKW’s being used to carry this unit in, five
were swamped soon after disembarking from the LCT,
four were lost as they circled in the rendezvous area waiting to land and one capsized as they turned for the beach.
Two were destroyed by enemy fire as they approached the
beach and the lone survivor managed to offload its howitzer to a passing craft before it also succumbed to the sea.
This one gun eventually landed in the afternoon.[76]
Aerial view of Omaha, 6 June 1944, showing the landing of the
18th and 115th infantry regiments.
The official record of Omaha reports that "...the tanks
were leading a hard life...”. According to the commander
of the 2nd battalion 116th RCT the tanks "...saved the
day. They shot the hell out of the Germans, and got the
hell shot out of them.”[77] As the morning progressed the
beach defenses were gradually being reduced, often by
tanks. Scattered along the length of the beach, trapped
between the sea and the impassable shingle embankment
and with no operating radios amongst the commanders,
tanks had to be controlled individually. This was perilous
work. The commanding officer of the 111th Field Artillery, who had landed ahead of his unit, was killed as he
tried to direct the fire of one tank. The command group
of the 741st tank battalion lost three out their group of
five in their efforts. Additionally, the commander of the
743rd tank battalion became a casualty as he approached
one of his tanks with orders. When naval gunfire was
brought to bear against the strong-points defending the E3 draw, a decision was made to try to force this exit with
tanks. Colonel Taylor ordered all available tanks into action against this point at 11:00. Only three were able to
reach the rallying point, and two were knocked out as they
attempted to go up the draw, forcing the remaining tank
to back off.
Where vehicles were landing, they found only a narrow
strip of beach with no shelter from enemy fire and around Reinforcement regiments were due to land by battalion,
08:30 the decision was taken to suspend all such landings. beginning with the 18th RCT at 09:30 on Easy Red. The
6.1
German reactions
first battalion to land, 2/18, arrived at the E-1 draw 30
minutes late after a difficult passage through the congestion off shore. Casualties were light, though. Despite the
existence of a narrow channel through the beach obstacles, the ramps and mines there accounted for the loss 22
LCVPs, 2 LCI(L)s and 4 LCTs. Supported by tank and
subsequent naval fire, the newly arrived troops took the
surrender at 11:30 of the last strong-point defending the
entrance to the E-1 draw. Although a usable exit was finally opened, congestion prevented an early exploitation
inland. The three battalions of the 115th RCT, scheduled to land from 10:30 on Dog Red and Easy Green,
came in together and on top of the 18th RCT landings at
Easy Red. The confusion prevented the remaining two
battalions of the 18th RCT from landing until 13:00, and
delayed the move off the beach of all but 2/18, which had
exited the beach further east before noon, until 14:00.
Even then, this movement was hampered by mines and
enemy positions still in action further up the draw.[78]
Aerial view of Omaha showing the draws, left to right; Vierville
(D-1), Les Moulins (D-3), St. Laurent (E-1), Colleville (E-3) and
“Number 5 Draw” (F-1).
By early afternoon, the strong-point guarding the D-1
draw at Vierville was silenced by the navy. But without enough force on the ground to mop up the remaining defenders, the exit could not be opened. Traffic was
eventually able to use this route by nightfall, and the surviving tanks of the 743rd tank battalion spent the night
near Vierville.[79]
The advance of the 18th RCT cleared away the last remnants of the force defending the E-1 draw. When engineers cut a road up the western side of this draw, it became the main route inland off the beaches. With the congestion on the beaches thus relieved, they were re-opened
for the landing of vehicles by 14:00. Further congestion
on this route, caused by continued resistance just inland
at St. Laurent, was bypassed with a new route, and at
17:00, the surviving tanks of the 741st tank battalion were
ordered inland via the E-1 draw.[80]
The F-1 draw, initially considered too steep for use, was
also eventually opened when engineers laid down a new
road. In the absence of any real progress opening the D3 and E-3 draws, landing schedules were revised to take
advantage of this route, and a company of tanks from the
11
745th tank battalion were able to reach the high ground
by 20:00.[81]
Approaches to the exits were also cleared, with minefields
lifted and holes blown in the embankment to permit the
passage of vehicles. As the tide receded, engineers were
also able to resume their work of clearing the beach obstacles, and by the end of the evening, 13 gaps were opened
and marked.[82]
6.1 German reactions
Observing the build up of shipping off the beach, and in
an attempt to contain what were regarded as minor penetrations at Omaha, a battalion was detached from the
915th Regiment being deployed against the British to the
east. Along with an anti-tank company, this force was attached to the 916th Regiment and committed to a counterattack in the Colleville area in the early afternoon. It
was stopped by “firm American resistance” and reported
heavy losses.[83] The strategic situation in Normandy precluded the reinforcement of the weakened 352nd Division. The main threat was perceived by the Germans to
be the British beachheads to the east of Omaha, and these
received the most attention from the German mobile reserves in the immediate area of Normandy.[84] Preparations were made to bring up units stationed for the defense
of Brittany, southwest of Normandy, but these would not
arrive quickly and would be subject to losses inflicted in
transit by overwhelming Allied air superiority. The last
reserve of the 352nd Division, an engineer battalion, was
attached to the 916th Regiment in the evening. It was deployed to defend against the expected attempt to breakout of the Colleville-St. Laurent beachhead established
on the 16th RCT front. At midnight General Dietrich
Kraiss, commander of the 352nd Division, reporting the
total loss of men and equipment in the coastal positions,
advised that he had sufficient forces to contain the Americans on D+1 but that he would need reinforcements thereafter, only to be told that there were no more reserves
available.[85]
7 End of the day
Following the penetrations inland, confused hard-fought
individual actions pushed the foothold out barely a mile
and a half (2.5 km) deep in the Colleville area to the east,
less than that west of St. Laurent, and an isolated penetration in the Vierville area. Pockets of enemy resistance
still fought on behind the American front line, and the
whole beachhead remained under artillery fire. At 21:00
the landing of the 26th RCT completed the planned landing of infantry, but losses in equipment were high, including 26 artillery pieces, over 50 tanks, about 50 landing
craft and 10 larger vessels.[86] Of the 2,400 tons of supplies scheduled to be landed on D-Day, only 100 tons ac-
12
Official history map showing extent of advances made by
evening.
8 AFTERMATH
Official history map showing advances made by the 29th Infantry
Division in the days immediately after D-Day
Official history map showing advances made by the 1st Infantry
Division in the days immediately after D-Day
An American casualty of the morning’s battle.
tually landed.[87] Casualties for V Corps were estimated
at 3,000 killed, wounded and missing. The heaviest casualties were taken by the infantry, tanks and engineers in
the first landings. The 16th and 116th RCT’s lost about
1,000 men each.[86] Only five tanks of the 741st tank battalion were ready for action the next day.[88] The German 352nd division suffered 1,200 killed, wounded and
missing; about 20% of its strength.[85] Its deployment at
the beach caused such problems that Lieutenant General
Omar Bradley, commander of the U.S. First Army, at one
Supplies and reinforcements being landed at Omaha in the days
stage considered evacuating Omaha,[89] while Field Mar- following the landings
shal Bernard Montgomery considered the possibility of
diverting V Corps forces through Gold.[90]
With the beach assault phase completed the RCTs reorganized into infantry regiments and battalions and over
the course of the next two days achieved the original D8 Aftermath
Day objectives. On the 1st divisional front the 18th Infantry Regiment blocked an attempt by two companies
The foothold gained on D-Day at Omaha, itself two iso- from the 916th and 726th Grenadiers to break out of
lated pockets, was the most tenuous across all the D-Day WN-63 and Colleville, both of which were subsequently
beaches. With the original objective yet to be achieved, taken by the 16th Infantry Regiment which also moved
the priority for the allies was to link up all the Normandy on Port-en-Bessin. The main advance was made by the
beachheads.[90] During the course of June 7, while still 18th Infantry Regiment, with the 3rd battalion of the 26th
under random shellfire, the beach was prepared as a sup- Infantry Regiment attached, south and south-eastwards.
ply area. Surplus cargo ships were deliberately sunk to The heaviest opposition was encountered at Formigny
form an artificial breakwater and, while still less than where troops of the 2nd battalion 915th Grenadiers had
reinforced the headquarters troops of 2nd battalion 916th
planned, 1,429 tons of stores were landed that day.[91]
13
Grenadiers. Attempts by 3/26 and B/18 with support
from the tanks of B/745 were held off and the town did
not fall until the morning of June 8. The threat of an armored counterattack kept the 18th Infantry Regiment on
the defensive for the rest of June 8. The 26th Infantry
Regiment’s three battalions, having been attached to the
16th, 18th and 115th Regiments the previous day, spent
June 8 reassembling before pushing eastwards, forcing
the 1st battalion of the German 726th Grenadiers to
spend the night extricating itself from the pocket thus
forming between Bayeux and Port-en-Bessin. By the
morning of June 9 the 1st Division had established contact with the British XXX Corps, thus linking Omaha
with Gold.[92]
equipment and supplies were brought ashore.[98] Over the
100 days following D-Day more than 1,000,000 tons of
supplies, 100,000 vehicles and 600,000 men were landed,
and 93,000 casualties were evacuated, via Omaha.[99]
Today at Omaha jagged remains of the harbor can be seen
at low tide. The shingle bank is no longer there, cleared
by engineers in the days following D-Day to facilitate the
landing of supplies. The beachfront is more built-up and
the beach road extended, villages have grown and merged,
but the geography of the beach remains as it was and the
remains of the coastal defenses can still be visited.[100] At
the top of the bluff overlooking Omaha near Colleville
is the American cemetery. As late as 1988, particles of
shrapnel, as well as glass and iron beads resulting from
On the 29th divisional front two battalions of the 116th munitions explosions, have been found in the sand of the
Infantry Regiment cleared the last defenders from the beach.[101]
bluffs while the remaining 116th battalion joined the
Rangers in their move west along the coast. This force
relieved the 2nd Ranger companies who were holding
Pointe du Hoc on June 8 and subsequently forced the
German 914th Grenadiers and the 439th Ost-Battalion
to withdraw from the Grandcamp area which lay further
to the west. Early on June 7 WN-69 defending St. Laurent was abandoned and the 115th Infantry Regiment was
therefore able to push inland to the south-west, reaching
the Formigny area on June 7 and the original D-Day phase
line the following day. The third regiment of 29th Division; the 175th, started landing on June 7. By the morning of June 9 this regiment had taken Isigny and on the
evening of the following day forward patrols established
contact with the 101st Airborne Division, thus linking
Omaha with Utah.[93]
In the meantime, the original defender at Omaha, the
352nd Division, was being steadily reduced. By the
morning of June 9 the division was reported as having been "...reduced to 'small groups’...” while the 726th
Grenadier Regiment had "...practically disappeared.”[94]
By June 11 the effectiveness of the 352nd was regarded as
“very slight”,[95] and by June 14 the German corps com- Omaha Beach landscape 67 years after landing. Harbor
mand was reporting the 352nd as completely used up and remains and “Les Braves” monument can be seen on the
sand beach top edge.
needing to be removed from the line.[96]
Once the beachhead had been secured, Omaha became
the location of one of the two Mulberry harbors, prefabricated artificial harbors towed in pieces across the English Channel and assembled just off shore. Construc- 9 See also
tion of 'Mulberry A' at Omaha began the day after D• 82nd armored reconnaissance battalion
Day with the scuttling of ships to form a breakwater. By
D+10 the harbor became operational when the first pier
• List of ships in Omaha Bombardment Group
was completed; LST 342 docking and unloading 78 vehicles in 38 minutes. Three days later the worst storm
to hit Normandy in 40 years began to blow, raging for
three days and not abating until the night of June 22. 10 Notes
The harbor was so completely wrecked that the decision
was taken not to repair it; supplies being subsequently
10.1 Footnotes
landed directly on the beach until fixed port facilities were
[97]
In the few days that the harbor was opera- [1] As well as naval support, men of RAF 21 Base Defense
captured.
tional, 11,000 troops, 2,000 vehicles and 9,000 tons of
Sector (BDS), 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force landed
14
10 NOTES
at Omaha Beach on D-Day to provide Advanced Mobile
Radar Protection for the American sector. This unit suffered 48 casualties out of a group of 180.[1][2]
[2] Official estimates put the casualties for A/116 as high as
two thirds, but of the more than 200 strong company Neillands and De Normann report that the unit "...had 91 men
killed and almost as many wounded. Less than 20 men
got across the beach." Stephen Ambrose reports that the
company "...had lost 96% of its effective strength."
10.2
Citations
[1] “RAF on Omaha Beach”. the Royal Air Force at Omaha
Beach. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
[2] “Report on the Landing in France of the First Echelon
of 21 BD sector on D-day, 6 June 1944”. BBC WW2
People’s War. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
[3] Tourtellot, Arthur B. et. al. Life’s Picture History of World
War II, p. 262. Time Incorporated, New York, 1950.
[17] “16th Infantry Historical Records”. National Archives
(College Park, Maryland), Rg. 407, 301-INF (16)−0.3,
Box 5909, Report of Operations file. 9 July 1945. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
[18] Omaha Beachhead. United States Army Center of Military History. 1994 [20 September 1945]. p. 30. CMH
Pub 100-11. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[19] “Assault Plan”. Omaha Beachhead. United States Army
Center of Military History. 1994 [20 September 1945].
pp. 30–33. CMH Pub 100-11. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[20] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 33. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[21] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-7509-30179.
[22] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 36. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[4] Buckingham, p. 88
[23] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 54. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[5] “Assault Plan”. Omaha Beachhead. United States Army
Center of Military History. 1994 [20 September 1945].
pp. 11–16. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[24] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 38–39. Retrieved 200706-10.
[6] “Enemy Defenses”. Omaha Beachhead. United States
Army Center of Military History. 1994 [20 September
1945]. p. 20. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[25] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 40. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[7] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 40. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[8] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 42. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[9] “Enemy Defenses”. Omaha Beachhead. United States
Army Center of Military History. 1994 [20 September
1945]. p. 25. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[10] Bastable, Jonathon (2006). Voices from D-Day. David &
Charles. p. 132. ISBN 0-7153-2553-1.
[11] “Enemy Defenses”. Omaha Beachhead. United States
Army Center of Military History. 20 September 1945.
p. 26. CMH Pub 100-11. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[26] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 41. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[27] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 61. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[28] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 42. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[29] Bastable, Jonathon (2006). Voices from D-Day. David &
Charles. p. 131. ISBN 0-7153-2553-1.
[30] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 45. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[31] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 47–48. Retrieved 200706-10.
[12] Lt. Col. Fritz Ziegalmann (Chief of Staff of the 352ID).
“The 352nd Infantry Division at Omaha Beach”. Stewart
Bryant. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
[32] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 43–44. Retrieved 200706-10.
[13] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 30. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[33] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 47. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[14] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 33. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[34] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 48. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[15] Major Carl W. Plitt, 16th Infantry S-3. “Summary of
Regimental Situation on D-Day”. National Archives (College Park, Maryland), Rg. 407, 301 INF(16)−0.3.0, Box
5919. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
[35] Neillands, Robin; De Normann, Roderick (2001). DDay, Voices from Normandy. Cassell Military Paperbacks. p. 189. ISBN 0-304-35981-5.
[16] Balkoski, Joseph (2004). Omaha Beach. USA: Stackpole
Books. pp. 47–50. ISBN 0-8117-0079-8.
[36] Ambrose, Stephen E. (2002). D-Day, June 6, 1944, The
Battle for the Normandy Beaches. Pocket Books. p. 331.
ISBN 0-7434-4974-6.
10.2
Citations
[37] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 48–49. Retrieved 200706-10.
[38] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 42–43. Retrieved 200706-10.
15
[57] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 72. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[58] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 59–62. Retrieved 200706-10.
[39] http://www.americandday.org/Veterans/Ross_Wesley.
html eyewitness account
[59] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 77–78. Retrieved 200706-10.
[40] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 49. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[60] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 73. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[41] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 50–51. Retrieved 200706-10.
[61] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 63–65. Retrieved 200706-10.
[42] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 53. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[62] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 73, 76. ISBN 0-7509-30179.
[43] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 50. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[44] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 51–52. Retrieved 200706-10.
[45] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 52. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[46] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 53–54. Retrieved 200706-10.
[47] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 54. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[48] “Cracking Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, The 1st Assault Brigade
Royal Engineers on D-Day” by Richard C. Anderson Jr.
page 242-245. ISBN 978-0-8117-0589-9
[49] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 54–57. Retrieved 200706-10.
[63] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 76–77. ISBN 0-7509-30179.
[64] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 71. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[65] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 66–73. Retrieved 200706-10.
[66] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 73–75. Retrieved 200706-10.
[67] Ambrose, Stephen E. (2002). D-Day, June 6, 1944, The
Battle for the Normandy Beaches. Pocket Books. pp.
386–389. ISBN 0-7434-4974-6. The official history attributes a similar action to the Carmick: “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 81. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[50] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 57. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[68] Balkoski, Joseph (1989), Beyond the Beachhead: The
29th Infantry Division in Normandy, Stackpole Books,
Harrisburg, PA, p. 61, 63.
[51] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 113. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[69] Lewis, Adrian. “The Navy Falls short at Normandy”. December 1998. Naval History Magazine. March 28, 2001.
[52] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 135–136. ISBN 0-75093017-9.
[70] “Amphibious Operations Invasion of Northern France
Western Task Force, June 1944, Chapter 2–27”. From
Hyperwar, retrieved 2008-06-04.
[53] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 71. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[71] Michael Green, James D. Brown, War Stories of D-Day:
Operation Overlord: June 6, 1944, p. 106.
[54] Harrison, Gordon A. (1951). “Cross-Channel Attack”.
Historical Division, War Department. pp. 320–321. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
[72] Lewis, Adrian R. (2001). Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 2, 26. ISBN
0-8078-2609-X.
[55] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 58. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[73] Harrison, Gordon A. (1951). “Cross-Channel Attack”.
Historical Division, War Department. p. 326. Retrieved
2007-06-22.
[56] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 75–77. Retrieved 200706-10.
[74] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 93. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
16
[75] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 79. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[76] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 80. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[77] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 80–81. Retrieved 200706-10.
[78] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. pp. 82–85. Retrieved 200706-10.
[79] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 95. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[80] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 104. Retrieved 2007-0610.
13
EXTERNAL LINKS
[94] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 147. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[95] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 149. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[96] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 161. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[97] “A Harbor Built from Scratch”. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
[98] “Operation Mulberry”. U.S. Army Transportation Museum. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007.
Retrieved 2007-09-10.
[99] “Bridge to the Past—Engineers in World War II”. US
Army Corp of Engineers. Archived from the original on
August 23, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
[81] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 106. Retrieved 2007-06- [100] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sut10.
ton Publishing Limited. pp. 12, 128–184. ISBN 0-75093017-9.
[82] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 102. Retrieved 2007-06- [101] McBride, Earle F.; Picard, M. Dane (September 2011).
10.
“Shrapnel in Omaha Beach sand” (PDF). The Sedimentary
[83] Harrison, Gordon A. (1951). “Cross-Channel Attack”.
Historical Division, War Department. p. 330. Retrieved
2007-06-22.
[84] Harrison, Gordon A. (1951). “Cross-Channel Attack”.
Historical Division, War Department. p. 332. Retrieved
2007-06-22.
[85] Harrison, Gordon A. (1951). “Cross-Channel Attack”.
Historical Division, War Department. p. 334. Retrieved
2007-06-22.
[86] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 109. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[87] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. p. 108. Retrieved 2007-0610.
[88] “Omaha Beachhead”. Historical Division, War Department. 20 September 1945. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
[89] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 70. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[90] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. p. 87. ISBN 0-7509-3017-9.
[91] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-7509-30179.
Record. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
11 References
• Buckingham, William F. (2004). D-Day: The First
72 Hours. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-75242842-0.
12 Further reading
• Harrison, G. A. (1951). Cross-Channel Attack
(PDF). United States Army in World War II: The
European Theater of Operations. Washington, DC:
Office of the Chief of Military History, Department
of the Army. OCLC 606012173. Retrieved 9 June
2014.
• Omaha Beachhead (6 June–13 June 1944). American Forces in Action Series (2011 Digital ed.).
Washington DC: Historical Division, War Department. 1945. OCLC 643549468. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
13 External links
[92] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 94–95, 98–100. ISBN 07509-3017-9.
• Omaha Beach Memorial
[93] Badsey, Stephen; Bean, Tim (2004). Omaha Beach. Sutton Publishing Limited. pp. 92–94, 97–100. ISBN 07509-3017-9.
• American D-Day: Omaha Beach, Utah Beach &
Pointe du Hoc
• 29th Infantry Division Historical Society
17
• 352nd Infantrie Division History
• D-Day : Etat des Lieux : Omaha Beach
• Photos of Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery, with text by Ernie Pyle and President Clinton
• Website & resources on D-Day landing at Omaha
beach IT/EN/FR/DE languages
• IX Engineer Command
• Oral history interview with Franklyn Johnson. from
the Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut
State University. Also, he wrote a book, One More
Hill, ISBN 978-0-553-26728-0, that describes his
experiences as a Lieutenant leading an anti tank platoon across North Africa, the Sicily Campaign, DDay, and on until he was seriously wounded.
Coordinates: 49°22′08″N 0°52′07″W / 49.36889°N
0.86861°W
18
14
14
14.1
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
Text
• Omaha Beach Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha_Beach?oldid=664148561 Contributors: Berek, Sjc, Eclecticology, Danny,
Mbp (usurped), Olivier, Michael Hardy, Yann, Delirium, Ahoerstemeier, Seth ze, JidGom, DJ Clayworth, Tpbradbury, Shizhao, HarryHenryGebel, Raul654, Johnleemk, Bwmodular, Donarreiskoffer, Ke4roh, Chrism, Greudin, Postdlf, Gidonb, Ydorb, Oberiko, Kim Bruning, Peruvianllama, Wwoods, Michael Devore, Joconnor, Mboverload, Joshuapaquin, Edcolins, Crazysim, Antandrus, Mark5677, Kevin
B12, Biot, Ukexpat, Clemwang, Trilobite, D6, DanielCD, Discospinster, Rich Farmbrough, Bender235, Kaisershatner, El C, Shanes,
Sf, Bobo192, TomStar81, Wisdom89, Savvo, Richi, Stevenyenzer, Man vyi, MPerel, Pharos, Eleland, Tek022, Slof, Wrinkles, Andrew
Gray, Hohum, Lumberjack steve, Simone, Dragunova, Axeman89, Joriki, Oskart, Pol098, Bluemoose, BlaiseFEgan, GraemeLeggett,
Pfalstad, Graham87, Kbdank71, Edison, Rjwilmsi, Brighterorange, Toby Douglass, Ian Dunster, FlaBot, RobertG, Nivix, Mongreilf,
K2wiki, Jaraalbe, DVdm, Beanbatch, Igordebraga, Hall Monitor, Sus scrofa, RussBot, Fabartus, Zafiroblue05, Kurt Leyman, Kirill Lokshin, NawlinWiki, Welsh, Zarel, CLAES, ViperBite, Banes, Brian Crawford, DeadEyeArrow, Obi-WanKenobi-2005, Black Falcon, Dnawebmaster, Searchme, Advanced, Ario, GregorH, Dspradau, SuperJumbo, Cromag, DisambigBot, Crunch, Veinor, SmackBot, Lepeu1999,
Roger Davies, Mattarata, Gloin~enwiki, DMorpheus, Michael Dorosh, Eaglizard, Cla68, PJM, Brossow, Gaff, Portillo, Hmains, Betacommand, Durova, Bluebot, Wdywtk, Bjmullan, Snori, Papa November, Sadads, Ataricodfish, Colonies Chris, Rcbutcher, Rlevse, TCY,
Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Sle, Jasca Ducato, Jmlk17, Yerffej201, OmahaBeachMartin~enwiki, Deep evil, Andrew c, Ser Amantio
di Nicolao, Harryboyles, Fubaz, JKBrooks85, Lasindi, Ergative rlt, UberCryxic, NongBot~enwiki, IronGargoyle, Zerath13, Nobunaga24,
Agathoclea, Volker89, Beetstra, SQGibbon, Buckboard, Camp3rstrik3r, Neddyseagoon, Andrwsc, Keith-264, Asatruer, Iridescent, Mamboguy, Theone00, Michael Shade, RekishiEJ, Civil Engineer III, Courcelles, Anger22, Iainidc, Tawkerbot2, Pi, Asteuartw, Plasma Twa
2, ChrisCork, Nick Costa, SkyWalker, President David Palmer, Dycedarg, Shuuvuia, Ennerk, Andkore, Anoneditor, Pewwer42, George
cowie, Doctormatt, Necessary Evil, Kevinp2, Red4tribe, Mike Christie, Gogo Dodo, R-41, Extate, Ss112, Bunker fox, SolarianKnight, Connor.shaw, Kozuch, NMChico24, Thijs!bot, Wikid77, Midgardsormr, Pathbinder, Nilington, SGGH, Zossima, Nirvana77, Nick Number,
Tractorhill, Shelley Konk~enwiki, Mentifisto, EdJogg, AntiVandalBot, Jbrian80, Jayron32, T1n0, TuvicBot, Uusitunnus, MER-C, Txomin,
Conundrum13, Instinct, MegX, .anacondabot, VoABot II, The Anomebot2, Markus Becker02, Ng;jt, Jtk6204, DerHexer, Edward321,
Alunwyn, Claudev8, MartinBot, Eternal Pink, Sm8900, Keith D, AlexiusHoratius, Wiki Raja, J.delanoy, Pharaoh of the Wizards, DrKiernan, Mojodaddy, Mariellebrandt, Bad Night, Elbmc1969, Ghost12332, AntiSpamBot, Tatrgel, Shoessss, Matej1234, Trip Johnson, Thursdae, Hirokun, Xiahou, Jord68, White wyrm, Hugo999, Deor, Minman522, W. B. Wilson, Philip Trueman, TXiKiBoT, Joeyvallone, BuickCenturyDriver, Sarenne, Zurishaddai, Anue, Qxz, StillTrill, Skydotcom, Lucas.pedroza, Telecineguy, Gillyweed, Bahamut0013, Omgimonfrie, Sylent, Koalorka, Wavehunter, The Realms of Gold, Basvo, Aednichols, Angel388, Umbralcorax, Nak3dButl3r, Yintan, Langloisrg,
Radon210, JSpung, Oxymoron83, Contisan, Steven Zhang, Lightmouse, Skinny87, Factotem, Mylorin, Mygerardromance, Maralia, Amylou-xoxo, Dipa1965, Dabomb87, Pinkadelica, Grassfire, WikipedianMarlith, MBK004, ClueBot, Binksternet, The Thing That Should Not
Be, Pdmckinley, Godfollower4ever, AlasdairGreen27, TheOldJacobite, CounterVandalismBot, EnigmaMcmxc, Excirial, Estirabot, Wiki
libs, Central Data Bank, Lord lord al, Tnxman307, Thingg, Aitias, Dank, Londonclanger, BarretB, Cmetian, Kormin, Kcind, Lukeman244,
Rockybiggs, WikHead, PhoenixMourning, HadmarFreiherrvonWieser, Christofurry, Guandalug, Addbot, Pigr8, Nohomers48, SM211,
TutterMouse, Download, LinkFA-Bot, AntonyZ, Acolyte10, F Notebook, Tide rolls, Bfigura’s puppy, Gail, Dwarfboyhopkins, Zorrobot,
Shah 88, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Zhihao1, Dodgerblue777, Rsquire3, Feiraco, Reenem, Rgvedder, Etan J. Tal, Materialscientist, Citation bot,
Xqbot, Locos epraix, RibotBOT, Yoganate79, Joaquin008, Cgersten, StoneProphet, Surv1v4l1st, Gamewiz1123, Jamesooders, Catfishgod,
Pinethicket, Jenomja, Jschnur, ContinueWithCaution, Swalgal, Istcol, Kildruf, Sdguitarman, Aoidh, Diannaa, Sirkablaam, Murraymaynard, Forenti, DASHBot, Christoph Braun, EmausBot, John of Reading, Nezdek, Skyy Train, RA0808, Blablaaa, Slightsmile, Sarlawson,
Danielpsantos14, Josve05a, Ebrambot, H3llBot, Historian61, David J Johnson, Donner60, Damirgraffiti, Zeta1127,89thLegion, Falkandrew22, Cgt, Gwen-chan, ClueBot NG, Chriskalexander, LegitSOI, Bilhartz, Delusion23, Bjhenders88, Njsweigert69, Widr, Accedie,
Popcornduff, Hobbs tx, BG19bot, Raymond415, MusikAnimal, AvocatoBot, AwamerT, Mark Arsten, Anton Bielousov, Yowanvista,
Bundubillal, Benzband, Mitchell443, Autodidaktos, Spital8katz, ChrisGualtieri, Khazar2, Milanfan15, Dexbot, MrHistoryProf, Epicgenius, Goodsgt, I am One of Many, SeniorPoopsNever, JaconaFrere, Jaredismybestfriend, Thorno444444, Cracaoucass, Monkbot, Jss199,
Brechindunc, Deltatank, Knife-in-the-drawer and Anonymous: 524
14.2
Images
• File:Allied_Invasion_Force.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Allied_Invasion_Force.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/Atlases/WorldWarTwoEurope/EuropeanTheaterGIF/WWIIEurope54.gif
Original artist: ?
• File:American_assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_01.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/American_
assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_01.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:American_assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_02.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/American_
assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_02.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
• File:Flag_of_German_Reich_(1935–1945).svg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Flag_of_German_
Reich_%281935%E2%80%931945%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Fornax
• File:Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg License:
PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:German_turret_at_Omaha_Beach.jpg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/German_turret_at_
Omaha_Beach.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Heinkel_He_111_during_the_Battle_of_Britain.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Heinkel_
He_111_during_the_Battle_of_Britain.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This is photograph MH6547 from the collections of the
Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-05) Original artist: Unknown
14.2
Images
19
• File:Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Into_the_Jaws_of_
Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: This media is available in the holdings of the National Archives and
Records Administration, cataloged under the ARC Identifier (National Archives Identifier) 195515. Original artist: Chief Photographer’s
Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent
• File:Normandy5.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Normandy5.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.army.mil/d-day/slideshow.html photo # 10 Original artist: Weintraub, SC190366
• File:Normandy_Invasion,_June_1944.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Normandy_Invasion%2C_
June_1944.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.archivesnormandie39-45.org/specificPhoto.php?ref=p012623 Original
artist: ?
• File:Normandy_Invasion_June_1944.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Normandy_Invasion_June_
1944.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:OmahaBeachBunker1.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/OmahaBeachBunker1.jpg License: CC
BY 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Etan J. Tal
• File:OmahaBeachBunker2.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/OmahaBeachBunker2.jpg License: CC
BY 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Etan J. Tal
• File:Omaha_1944_Initial_assault.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Omaha_1944_Initial_assault.jpg
License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Omaha_1st_Advance.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Omaha_1st_Advance.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_29th_Advance.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Omaha_29th_Advance.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_Beach_1944_Evening.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Omaha_Beach_1944_Evening.
jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_Beach_1944_Objectives.jpg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Omaha_Beach_1944_
Objectives.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Originally from en.wikipedia; description page is/was here. Original artist: Original
uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_Beach_1944_Second_Assault.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/Omaha_Beach_1944_Second_
Assault.jpg License: PD Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Omaha_Beach_American_Casualty.jpg
Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Omaha_Beach_
American_Casualty.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.archivesnormandie39-45.org/specificPhoto.php?ref=p012584
Original artist: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / National Archives USA
• File:Omaha_Beach_First_Wave.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Omaha_Beach_First_Wave.jpg
License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.archivesnormandie39-45.org/specificPhoto.php?ref=p012545; Official photograph 26G-2337 from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command
Original artist: U.S. Coast Guard; Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / National Archives USA
• File:Omaha_Beach_Landing_Craft_Approaches.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Omaha_Beach_
Landing_Craft_Approaches.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http://www.archivesnormandie39-45.org/specificPhoto.php?ref=
p012547 Original artist: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / National Archives USA
• File:Omaha_Beach_Nowadays.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Omaha_Beach_Nowadays.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work: Photoblog, Normandy Original artist: Anton Bielousov
• File:Omaha_beach-aerial-view.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Omaha_beach-aerial-view.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: US National Archives Original artist: US Army
• File:Omaha_beach_aerial_view_draws.jpg Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Omaha_beach_aerial_
view_draws.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Transfered from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at
en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_cross_section.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Omaha_beach_cross_section.svg
License: CC BY-SA 1.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Omaha_beach_dog_green.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Omaha_beach_dog_green.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_dog_red.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Omaha_beach_dog_red.jpg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Original artist: The original uploader was Factotem at English
Wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_dog_white.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Omaha_beach_dog_white.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Original artist: The original uploader was Factotem
at English Wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_easy_green.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Omaha_beach_easy_green.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_easy_red.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Omaha_beach_easy_red.jpg License:
CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia Original artist: Original uploader was Factotem at en.wikipedia
• File:Omaha_beach_fox_green.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Omaha_beach_fox_green.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. Original artist: The original uploader was Factotem
at English Wikipedia
20
14
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
• File:USS_Frankford_0549703.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/USS_Frankford_0549703.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Official U.S. Navy photo NH 99251 from the U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command
Original artist: Photographed from a U.S. Navy aircraft based at Naval Air Station New York
• File:US_flag_48_stars.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/US_flag_48_stars.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: Own work based on PD info Original artist: Created by jacobolus using Adobe Illustrator.
• File:Wikibooks-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikibooks-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: User:Bastique, User:Ramac et al.
• File:Wikinews-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: This is a cropped version of Image:Wikinews-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Simon 01:05, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
Updated by Time3000 17 April 2007 to use official Wikinews colours and appear correctly on dark backgrounds. Originally uploaded by
Simon.
• File:Wikiquote-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg License: Public domain
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
• File:Wikisource-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Rei-artur Original artist: Nicholas Moreau
• File:Wiktionary-logo-en.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Wiktionary-logo-en.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Vector version of Image:Wiktionary-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Fvasconcellos (talk · contribs), based
on original logo tossed together by Brion Vibber
• File:Wiktionary-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Wiktionary-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
14.3
Content license
• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0