D-Day: Omaha Beach

The 3-mile stretch of beach codenamed Omaha was the heaviest defended sector of the Normandy landing sites. The Germans had built Resistance nests into the cliffs, barricaded positions on top of the naturally defensive terrain and positioned powerful artillery batteries …

1944-06-06

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The 3-mile stretch of beach codenamed Omaha was the heaviest defended sector of the Normandy landing sites. The Germans had built Resistance nests into the cliffs, barricaded positions on top of the naturally defensive terrain and positioned powerful artillery batteries overlooking the landing site. The preliminary Allied naval bombardment and bombing overshot the coast entirely, so that the German defenses were intact when, at 6.30, the DD tanks started to come ashore followed closely by the 116th and 16th Regimental Combat Teams. Strong currents and the rising tide meant that the American troops landed in the wrong places, causing confusion that was made worse by the extremely effective German machine gun and artillery fire. With the sea wall offering the only protection on the beach, American forces had limited success pushing inland until the second wave arrived at 7.00, breaking the stalemate in several sections. The first breakthroughs were made between the E-1 and E-3 exits and the Americans managed to capture St. Laurent but had to deal with pockets of Resistance all along the front. Progress continued to be slow across all fronts as they pushed inland, suffering devastating losses.

Omaha Beach, France

Omaha, commonly known as 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 June 6, 1944, during World War II. "Omaha" refers to an 8-kilometer (5 mi) section of the coast of Normandy, France, facing the English Channel, 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 to link 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, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided predominantly by the United States Navy and Coast Guard, with contributions from the British, Canadian, and Free French navies.

Wikipedia: Omaha Beach

German

American

Game Type: Breakthrough

Board Type: Beach

Website Access: Available