THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO & OMAHA BEACH
"Omaha" was the code name for one of five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion that helped bring a close to World War II. It was the largest of the assault areas, stretching over 6 miles (10 kilometres) between Port-en-Bessin on the east (where we go for lunch one day of the visit) and the mouth of the Vire River on the west. The western third of the beach was backed by a 10-foot- (3-metre-) high seawall, and the whole beach was overlooked by cliffs 100 feet high. There were five exits from the sand and shingle beach; the best was a paved road in a ravine leading to the village of Vierville-sur-Mer, two were only dirt paths, and two were dirt roads leading to the villages of Colleville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. This meant that American soldiers climbing up the beach had a hard job getting to their targets.
German fortifications
The Germans under Field Marshal Rommel had built strong defenses to protect this enclosed battlefield. The waters and beach were heavily mined, and there were 12 strong points called Widerstandsnester ("resistance nests"). Numerous other fighting positions dotted the area, supported by an extensive trench system. The defending forces consisted of three battalions of the veteran 352nd Infantry Division. Their weapons were fixed to cover the beach with grazing enfilade fire as well as plunging fire from the cliffs. Omaha was a killing zone. We visit these trench and resistance nest systems during the trip.
Click this diagram for a larger image of what went on
A disaster
The beach was to be assaulted at 0630 hours by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, with the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division attached for D-Day only. Omaha was wide enough to land two regiments side by side with armour in front.
From the beginning everything went wrong at Omaha. Special "DD" tanks (amphibious Sherman tanks fitted with flotation screens) that were supposed to support the 116th Regiment sank in the choppy waters of the Channel. Only 2 of the 29 launched made it to the beach. With the exception of Company A, no unit of the 116th landed where it was planned. Strong winds and tidal currents carried the landing craft from right to left. The 16th Regiment on the east half of the beach fared little better, landing in a state of confusion with units badly intermingled.
Deadly fire - a killing zone
Throughout the landing, German gunners poured deadly fire into the ranks of the invading Americans. Bodies lay on the beach or floated in the water. Men sought refuge behind beach obstacles, pondering the deadly sprint across the beach to the seawall, which offered some safety at the base of the cliff. Destroyed craft and vehicles littered the water's edge and beach, and at 0830 hours all landing ceased at Omaha. The troops on the beach were left on their own and realized that the exits were not the way off. Slowly, and in small groups, they scaled the cliffs. Meanwhile, navy destroyers steamed in and, scraping their bottoms in the shallow water, blasted the German fortifications at point-blank range. By 1200 hours German fire was noticeably decreased as the defensive positions were taken from the rear. Then one by one the exits were opened.
At the 360 degree cinema in Arromanches pupils on the trip will experience what it was like to be under so much gun fire at Omaha Beach.
Article adapted from Encyclopædia Britannica. Copyright © 1998-1999 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc
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