Bloody Omaha

The D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the largest sea invasion in history, but overwhelming numbers did not guarantee success. The 116th Regiment of the American 29th Infantry Division landed in the area designated “Omaha Beach” along …

1944-06-06

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The D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the largest sea invasion in history, but overwhelming numbers did not guarantee success. The 116th Regiment of the American 29th Infantry Division landed in the area designated “Omaha Beach” along with the veteran 1st Infantry Division. The green 116th was reinforced with men of the elite 2nd and 5 th Army Ranger Battalions, plus Shermans of the 741st Tank Battalion. In their first combat, the men wearing the blue and gray patches of the 29th ran into elements of the German 352nd Infantry Division. Although this was also the German division’s first battle, its green troops fought from fortifications and were led by a cadre of veterans from the Eastern Front. The result was a near disaster for the Americans.

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

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