OMAHA BEACHHEAD
(6 June-13 June 1944)

Cover: Omaha Beachhead

American Forces in Action Series
Historical Division
War Department

Facsimile Reprint, 1984, 1989, 1994
CMH Pub 100-11
Center of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.


WAR DEPARTMENT
Historical Division
Washington 25, D. C.
20 September 1945

Omaha Beachhead, seventh of a series called American Forces In Action, is the first of a number of narratives dealing with U. S. military operations in France. Utah Beach to Cherbourg, planned for later publication, will round out the account of the invasion at corps level and below. Larger phases of the NEPTUNE operation, including high-level planning, naval operations, and the action of British units, are treated here only in outline.

Omaha Beachhead was prepared in the field by the 2d Information and Historical Service, attached to First Army, and by the Historical Section, European Theater of Operations. Although as published this book contains no documentation, the original manuscript, fully documented, is on file in the War Department. It is based on complete unit reports and records, on interviews, and on available enemy records. Some unit records for the period concerned are inadequate, and despite all care used in research and assembly of the materials, it is recognized that the information is not complete in all details and may involve minor errors of fact. Before a final official history of the campaign in France is prepared, the gaps should be filled and the errors corrected. This can be done only if individuals who possess additional information will furnish it to the War Department. Readers are therefore urged to send directly to the Historical Division, War Department, Washington 25, D. C., all comments, criticisms, and additional data which may help in the preparation of a complete and definitive history of this operation.


CONTENTS

FOREWORD  
OPERATION NEPTUNE 1
Navy and Air Forces 2
21 Army Group 3
V Corps Planning 6
ASSAULT PLAN 8
Terrain 10
Enemy Defenses 20
Pre-Assault Bombardment Plans 28
Plan of Assault Landings 30
Plan for Movement to Inland Objectives 33
D DAY: THE LANDINGS 35
Approach to the Beach 38
The Initial Assault Wave 42
The Later Assault Waves: 116th RCT 49
The Later Assault Waves: 16th RCT 53
Conditions on the Beach: 0730-0800 54
ASSAULT OF THE BLUFFS 58
The Advance from Dog White 59
The Advance between D-3 and E-1 Draws 63
The Advance from Easy Red 65
The Advance from Fox Green 73
Other Assault Actions 75
The Beach: 0800-1200 79
Landings of Reinforcements on Easy Red 82
The Rangers at Pointe du Hoe 87
ADVANCE INLAND 92
Vierville Area 93
St-Laurent Area 97
Colleville Area 98
Afternoon on the Beach 101
At the End of D Day 107
The Enemy Side 112
ATTAINMENT OF D-DAY OBJECTIVES (7-8 JUNE) 116
Trevieres-Tour-en-Bessin (1st Division) 116
Grandcamp-Isigny Area (29th Division) 122
Improvement at the Beach  
The Enemy Side 134
THE ATTACK OF 9-11 JUNE 136
Advance to Cerisy Forest (1st and 2nd Division) 138
Across the Lower Aure (29th Division) 143
The Enemy Side 147
THE ATTACK OF 12-13 JUNE 150
Advance to Caumont 151
Crossing the Elle River 153
Action West of the Vire 157
The Enemy Side 159
CONCLUSION 163
ANNEX NO. 1: Unit Citations 164
ANNEX NO. 2: Abbreviations 165

Maps

1 Disposition of German Forces in the West, 6 June 1944

4

2 Enemy Defenses at D-3 Draw (les Moulins)

22

3 The Advance between D-3 and E-1 Draws

64

4 Advance from Easy Red

66

5 The Penetration at Fox Green

72

6 The 2d Ranger Battalion at Pointe du Hoe, 6 June

86

7 The Relief of Pointe du Hoe, 7-8 June

124

8 Action at Grandcamp, 8 June

129

9 Carentan-Isigny Area, 12-13 June

156

Maps I-XVI are in attached envelope

I Invasion Area

II Omaha Beach Terrain

III Terrain Inland from Omaha Beach

IV D-Day Ohjectives, V Corps

V First Wave Landings (Infantry)

VI Later Assault Landings (Infantry)

VII Vierville-St-Laurent Area (To Noon 6 June)

VIII St-Laurent-Colleville Area (To Noon 6 June)

IX Evening of D Day

X The D-Day Beachheads

XI 1st Division, 7-8 June

XII 29th Division, 7-8 June

XIII Enemy Reinforcements, 6-8 June

XIV V Corps Attack, 9-11 June

XV V Corps Attack, 12-13 June

XVI Development of the Beachheads


page updated 1 October 2002


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