Bloody Omaha Beach

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Sheldrake
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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#76

Post by Sheldrake » 18 Jan 2016, 23:24

Richard Anderson wrote:
Sheldrake wrote:There is a report in signals log of the 352nd Infantry Division timed at 07.45 hours from IR No 916: near WN 70 that three tanks were rolling up the hill; three tanks had penetrated into NW 66 and that the upper casemate of WN 62 had been put out of action by a direct hit.

This suggests that the 743 made a nuisance of themselves. It is probably that it was a tank round which silenced the 75mm gun in the upper casemate of WN62
There were no tanks of the 743rd Tank Battalion "into" WN66 or "rolling up the hill" near WN70 at that hour I'm afraid. Most were concentrated along the bluff between WN 66 and WN 65, east of Les Moulins. They could not negotiate the bluffs and the AT wall at Les Moulins prevented them from getting into the draw (it was actually unreinforced concrete and easily breached, but they did not know that until later in the day). They supported the advance of the 5th Ranger Battalion and elements of the 116th over the bluffs by fire, but their movement was restricted by the arc of fire of the 88mm in WN 72 and the Belgian 75mm in the bunker on the bluff above WN72.

OTOH, yes, one of the two 75mm guns at WN62 was taken out, but by one of the few DD tanks of the 741st landed, but more critically, also the 88mm in the bunker at WN61 was taken out by a Bazooka.
If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?

Although the wired defences of WN 66 were on the top of the bluff, there seem to have been positions at the bottom, near the anti-tank ditch.
WN66_Overlord planning map.jpg
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Richard Anderson
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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#77

Post by Richard Anderson » 19 Jan 2016, 05:29

Sheldrake wrote:If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?

Although the wired defences of WN 66 were on the top of the bluff, there seem to have been positions at the bottom, near the anti-tank ditch.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, the lower level defenses of WN66 were overrun, including IIRC the two partly complete tank turrets? That does not mean they were "rolling up the hill" at WN 66 or WN 70, since that never happened and was physically impossible.
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
Artillery Hell


Aber
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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#78

Post by Aber » 19 Jan 2016, 10:24

Richard Anderson wrote:
Sheldrake wrote:If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?

Although the wired defences of WN 66 were on the top of the bluff, there seem to have been positions at the bottom, near the anti-tank ditch.
Sorry, I wasn't clear. Yes, the lower level defenses of WN66 were overrun, including IIRC the two partly complete tank turrets? That does not mean they were "rolling up the hill" at WN 66 or WN 70, since that never happened and was physically impossible.
Isn't the Fog of War wonderful for the historian? :wink:

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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#79

Post by Manuferey » 20 Jan 2016, 02:19

Sheldrake wrote:If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?
Could they have been bulldozers or GMC M3 TDs from 2nd Rangers if any of them had landed by that time? :idea:

Emmanuel

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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#80

Post by Richard Anderson » 20 Jan 2016, 04:41

Manuferey wrote:
Sheldrake wrote:If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?
Could they have been bulldozers or GMC M3 TDs from 2nd Rangers if any of them had landed by that time? :idea:

Emmanuel
2d Rangers did not have any GMC M3 TD. All the dozers in the initial waves were tankdozer. Bulldozers did not come in until c. H+120 IIRC.
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
Artillery Hell

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Manuferey
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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#81

Post by Manuferey » 21 Jan 2016, 01:37

Richard Anderson wrote:
Manuferey wrote:
Sheldrake wrote:If not, then whose were the tanks that the IR 916 reported at 0745 hours?
Could they have been bulldozers or GMC M3 TDs from 2nd Rangers if any of them had landed by that time? :idea:

Emmanuel
2d Rangers did not have any GMC M3 TD. All the dozers in the initial waves were tankdozer. Bulldozers did not come in until c. H+120 IIRC.
Rich,

I have the information from Steve (aka searay on this forum) :wink: : "The M3 75mm GMC on Omaha Beach were from the Cannon Platoon of the 2nd Rangers HQ Company." See his post in this thread:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9#p1644019

Emmanuel

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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#82

Post by Richard Anderson » 21 Jan 2016, 05:20

Manuferey wrote:I have the information from Steve (aka searay on this forum) :wink: : "The M3 75mm GMC on Omaha Beach were from the Cannon Platoon of the 2nd Rangers HQ Company." See his post in this thread:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9#p1644019

Emmanuel
Interesting, I had forgotten all about that. I probably meant to check the AAR of the 2d Rangers, which right now is packed away in Bremerton Washington. I still don't recall any mention of them or any indication of them on the loading plans?
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
Artillery Hell

Delta Tank
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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#83

Post by Delta Tank » 01 Jun 2021, 14:11

To all,

I may of asked this once before, but, were the defenses on Omaha Beach evenly spread or was the western portion more heavily defended? When I look at the “Resistance Nest” there are more to the west where the 116th Infantry landed, then to the east where the 16th Infantry landed.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

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Re: Bloody Omaha Beach

#84

Post by LineDoggie » 01 Jun 2021, 19:07

Always remember where the troops were supposed to land versus where they wound up.

A116 and C2RGR were almost 3 miles from where the next US unit landed, allowing their positions to maximize defensive fires on the small group
"There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here".
Col. George Taylor, 16th Infantry Regiment, Omaha Beach

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