D-Day 75Th Anniversary
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ABOUT THIS SECTION n May 1944, the Western Allies were finally prepared to deliver their greatest blow of the war, the long-delayed, cross-channel invasion of northern France, code-named Overlord. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was supreme commander of the operation that ultimately I involved the coordinated efforts of 12 nations. After much deliberation, it was decided that the landings would take place on the long, sloping beaches of Normandy. There, the Allies would have the element of surprise. The German high command expected the attack to come in the Pas de Calais region, north of the river Seine where the English Channel is narrowest. It was here that Adolf Hitler had put the bulk of his panzer divisions after being tipped off by Allied undercover agents posing as German sympathizers that the invasion would take place in the Pas de Calais. The following are photos and descriptions of D-Day, as it came to be known, from The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. OFCONTENTS STAFF 4 D-Day timeline Editor LISA GLOWINSKI Copy editors TABLE 12 A survivor’s words MICHAEL TOESET CHRISSY YATES 18 D-Day’s significance Art Director TONY FERNANDEZ-DAVILA 22Photos Cover photo: Wikipedia ©2019 GATEHOUSE MEDIA LLC About The National ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 44 WWII Museum 2 JUNE 6, PHOTOS: WIKIPEDIA PHOTOS: 3 n the early hours of June 6, 1944, 156,000 servicemen from the Allied nations boarded more than 5,000 ships and landing craft that ferried them across English harbors to the beaches of France toward a hail of German gunfire and into history. At the same time, paratroopers and gliders descended into the pitch-black Normandy country- side with the objective of clearing the way for troops on the beaches to head inland. U.S. dead numbered 2,499 in just the first day (total Allied losses topped 4,000). Those who survived the assault were in for a long and treacherous journey that would not end until the surrender of Germany, almost a year later. This is the story of D-Day told in the words of those who lived to tell about it and through the things they car- ried with them — all from the collection of The National WWII Museum. ◗ 0000 to 0100 ◗ 0215 hours U.S. and British Airborne divisions landed in ◗ 0015 hours The German 709 Infantry Division Normandy. 101st Pathfinders fol- reported that enemy paratroopers had lowed by Paratroopers landed around Sainte-Mère-Église. ◗ 0016 hours of the 101st Airborne Members of the 6th British Airborne Division, jumped into Normandy. ◗ 0300 to 0500 aboard 8 Horsa gliders, landed near the Caen Their objective was to Thousands of warships and transports Canal (Benouville) and Orne River bridges. Their control the Western flank began to anchor and lower landing craft mission was to capture the bridges and hold of Normandy by captur- into the water. them. The first glider of the group stopped some ing Sainte-Mère-Église 40 meters from the Benouville bridge, thanks to and seizing the major ◗ 0354 hours superb piloting during the middle of the night. exits that link to Utah CG-4 (WACO) gliders landed in Nor- Within 15 minutes, both bridges were captured. Beach. mandy with extra troops and supplies to support the 82nd and 101st Airborne ◗ 0100 to 0200 Divisions that were already engaged in The “All American” 82nd Airborne Division combat. jumped into combat in Normandy. ◗ 0151 hours Some 369 C-47s arrived over Normandy carrying Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division. Their aim was to land near Sainte-Mère-Église, Amfre- ville and Picauville. Unfortunately, a number of paratroopers landed in areas flooded by the Ger- mans and drown. The survivors’ objective was to ◗ 0121 hours seize beach exits from Utah Beach, capture the Pathfinders of the 82nd Air- town of Sainte-Mère-Église and control the major borne jumped into Normandy causeway just outside of town. to mark the three main Drop ◗ 0155 hours Zones assigned to the division. The first 2,000 aircraft of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces took off from England to support the ground forces of the invasion on the Normandy 101st Airborne coast. Division paratrooper ◗ 0200 to 0300 standing in the Fighting started outside areas where paratroop- door of a C-47. ers began to regroup. All German units were placed on alert. ◗ 0211 hours The German 716 Infantry Division reported that enemy paratroopers had landed east of the Orne River. 5 ◗ 0400 hours Elements of the 505th Para- ◗ 0630 hours — Omaha Beach chute Infantry Regiment, 82nd The 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Airborne Division captured the town of Division landed their first wave of troops Sainte-Mère-Église. under heavy fire. Immediately, GIs coming ashore attempted to make their way toward ◗ 0415 hours the seawall for cover from the enemy fire. Assault units were transferred from transport ships to LCVPs and LCAs off of Omaha Beach. ◗ 0500 to 0600 RAF bombers dropped some 6,000 tons of bombs on coastal defenses in Normandy. ◗ 0535 hours Companies B and C of the 741st Tank Battalion, with Sherman tanks equipped with Duplex Drive to enable movement in water, were launched from their LSTs. However, the seas were rough; of the 32 DD tanks launched, 27 sank and three couldn’t launch from their transport. As a result, despite risks from German artillery, the 743rd Tank Bat- talion decided to land their tanks directly on the beach. ◗ 0537 hours The German-held Longues-sur-Mer battery opened fire for the first time, targeting the USS Emmons. It failed to hit the ship. It then fired on USS Arkansas and missed. At that point, the German battery focused its guns on nearer targets. ◗ 0550 hours Warships opened fire on the German Utah Beach batteries. Shortly after, B-26 Marauders of the 9th Air Force dropped more than 4,000 bombs on tar- gets from Les Dunes-de-Varreville to Beauguillot. ◗ 0555 hours B-24s of the 446th Bomb Group dropped bombs above Vierville, focusing on the strongpoints along the coast between Port-en-Bessin and the Pointe de la Percée. Due to poor weather and poor visibil- ity, however, their efforts to knock them out were Tightly packed troops a failure. crouch inside their LCVP as it plows ◗ 0558 hours through a wave. In the Daylight broke, showing a continuation of gray, distance is the coast cold and rainy weather. Winds stirred up waves of Normandy. up to and beyond two meters. Warships started to open more concentrated fire on the coastal batter- ies to prepare the way for beach landings. ◗ 0600 to 0700 Barges with rocket launchers attached approached the landing beaches and sprayed them with rocket fire. 6 ◗ 0630 hours — Utah Beach The bombardment stopped and the 4th Division headed to shore. Strong currents and confusion placed elements of the division ashore on a less well-defended section of beach. Omaha Beach, Normandy — Landing craft of Infantry 94 noses onto the beach. It carried soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. [GIFT OF MRS. CHARLES JARREAU, THE NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM] U.S. Army troops crouch behind the bulwarks of a landing craft as it nears Omaha Beach. [COAST GUARD COMPASS] 7 ◗ 0725 hours — Gold Beach The British 50th Division landed on a front of beach east of their assigned site. German artillery and machine guns slowed the assigned mission to establish a foothold in the cliffs at Arromanches and quickly took Bayeux. 47th Royal Marine Commandos land at Gold Beach on D-Day. ◗ 0658 hours Col. James Rudder attacked and climbed the east- The bombing over Gold Beach and the west of Juno ern face of the cliffside at Pointe du Hoc, hoping to Beach began. The 1st Bombardment Division struck take out the (155mm) German artillery battery that the coastal batteries and strong points between intelligence believed was situated at its summit. This Longues-sur-Mer and Courseulles-sur-Mer. Simultani- battery was a threat to troops on Omaha and Utah ously, B-17s of the 3rd Bombardment Division bombed beaches. Approximately 20 minutes later, the case- the eastern part of Juno sector to Sword Beach. mates were taken from the Germans, but the artillery pieces had been moved. They were later found 1,100 ◗ 0700 to 0800 meters away and were promptly destroyed. Surviving There was confusion among the troops in the field Germans in the area were captured and became pris- and German high command. Gen. Alfred Jodl refused oners of war. For 36 hours, 190 able Rangers resisted to send in Panzer reinforcements before receiving a violent German counterattack. Only 90 soldiers Hitler’s approval. Hitler was in bed and was not to be came out of this heroic exploit alive. awakened before 0900 hours. ◗ 0745 hours ◗ 0700 hours — Omaha Beach Juno Beach: The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division started to land and were running 15 minutes behind The second wave landed at Omaha Beach. schedule. The German resistance was relentless. ◗ 0700 hours — Sword Beach ◗ 0800 to 1200 The 3rd British Division landed on time. Heavy fight- The offensive began from Utah Beach. American ing in the area slowed down the soldiers’ progress. losses at Omaha Beach. Brits and Canadians moved ◗ 0730 hours inland. The attack on Pointe du Hoc began. Rangers under Lt. 8 ◗ 0800 hours A U.S. Army weapons carrier moved through the surf toward Utah Beach after being launched from its landing craft on June 6, 1944. There was a .50 caliber machine gun on the vehicle, pointed skyward for anti- aircraft defense. Signal Corps photo of the approach to Utah Beach on D-Day.