AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS : INVASION OF NORTHERN FRANCE COMINCH p-006 Title taken from preface . UNI i ED STAi ES FLEET HKADOUARTa'.RS Of' THE COMMANDER IN CHllD' NAVY DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON 25, D . C . 21 October 1944 SECRET Thie publication "Amphibious Operations" continues the series promulgating timely information drawn from action reports. It follows "Amphibious Operations, Exoludine Mar­ shall Islands Operations, Cominoh P-004", and covers the Invasion of Northern France. Material contained herein has not been subjected to exhaustive study and analysis, but is ]seued in this form to make oommente, reoommendatione, and expressions of opinion concerning war experiences readily available to officers enfaged or interested in amphibious operations. It. should be widely oiroulated among commissioned oerscnnel. This publication is classified as secret, non-re!,'.ist.ered. It shall be handled as prescribed by Article ?6, U, S. Navy Re;ulatione 19a'.:>. When no lon~er required it shall be des­ troyed by burnin(.. No report of destruction need be eub­ mi tted. Thie publica~ion is under the oo~nizance of, and is distributed by the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. Transmission by Re;,iatered Guard Mail or U. a re;iatered mail is authori~ed in a coordanoe with Artiole ?6 (15) (e) and (f), U.S. Navy Re!!ulations. c.~.~~- c. M. OOOKE, Jr., Chi et' of Staff. SECRET DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR COMINCH P- 006 Standard Navy Distribution List No. 26 (15 Sept. 1944 ) List 1 a(l)less Cominch,b(l),c(l)less ComFairShipLant and ComFairShipPac,d(l),e(l),g(l) ComPhibPac(3) , Com­ ThirdPhib\3) , ComSeventhPhib(2) , ComTrComPhibPac(lO), ComTrComPhibLant(35); h(l)less ServLant,ServPnc; i(l)less ComNorWesSecWesSeaFron, ComNorCalifSec­ \VesSeaFron, ComSoCalifSecWesSeaFron, ComSec#ll5, Co.mSec#ll7,ComSurEsGroupESF;j(l),k only to COTCLant (l),COTCPac(3),CO Pre-ComTrCen,COTCPac(6) ; 1 only to Chief of Staff to Cine (1). List 2 a-3(1),a- 8 FairWings only(l),a-15 only to Fleet Aircraft Rec . Unit(l);a-16 only to ComUtWingServ(l); e(l),f(l),g(l)less DesCortShakedownGr;m(l)less LST Div,LCT Groups;n(l)Min..~ons only; w(l) . List 3 a(l),b-1(1) , d(l),f(l) , h(l),i(l),j{l) , k(l) , s(l) , u(l),v-1(1) , x(l) , aa(l),ii(l) , qq{l) , rr(l),uu(l) . List B-3 OinC Constr. Brigades only (1) . Standard Navy Distribution List No . 28 (1 October 1944) List 4 a(l),f(l),h(l),i(l) , j(l),k(l),u(l),v-1 (1),x(l), ii(l),qq(l),rr(l),uu(l) . List 6 a(l)less 17 NavDist Rep,SRNC,PRNC,SDG;b only to CNAOpTra Jacksonville,Fla(25),CNATra Pensa.Fla(l); c ( 1). List 7 a(l)less Nyd Navy #128,Nav DD; d(l) only to Continental Air Centers; e(l) , f(5),g(30) USNA only; h(5),1(2) only to NavTraSta Newport, R. I . List 11 SecNav(3),UnderSecNav(l),ChrmGenBd(2) , InsGen(l), BuAero(5),BuPers(lO),BuOrd(5) , BuShips(5),BuY&D(5) , USMC(900),USCG(3) . Plus Special Distribution. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of copies sent to each addressee. 11 S:SCRET COllTENTS Pa&e Ch.apter I llAP..RATIVE Report of Assault Force "0". 1-2 Chart Sho~·ing Location of Omaha and Ut-.h Beaches 1-3 Composition of Forces. 1-4 SUJ:1nary of Losses. 1-6 11 11 Report of As e:a'tl t Force U • 1-8 Composition of Forces. 1-10 Summ~ry of Losses. 1-14 Plans and Plan~ing . 1-15 Report of Weste rn Task Force 1-15 11 11 Report of Assault Force 0 • 1-16 Training . • . 1-19 Report of We stern Task Force 1-19 11 11 Report of Assault Force 0 • 1-20 Weather. 1-21 Coverinf, Forces. 1-22 Cb.apter 11 HAVAL GUllFlRE ?.eport of Western ~ask Force 2-1 11 11 Report of Assault Force 0 • 2-2 11 Report of Assault Force "0 • 2-8 Pointe Du Hoe Landing. 2-10 Battleships ....... 2-12 Destroyers . 2-13 Accuracy of Naval Gunfire. 2-19 Gunfire Support Craft ... 2-19 Problems of Close Support. 2-21 Preparation Fires, ?Tot Sufficient. 2-27 German Viewpoint on l~aval Gunfire. 2-28 Chapter III AIR SUPPORT Report of Western Task Force ...... 3-1 Air Support Organiz&.tion ........ 3-1 ~laval Doct::-ine on Air Support Organization 3-2 Anti-Aircraft Fire Discipline ... 3-3 Daily Summary D-1 Through D f 4. 3-5 Control of Support Aircraft. 3-7 1 11 Report of As 1Ho.ul t Force '0 • • 3-8 llaval :Joe trine for Deli very of Air Support 3-9 ::teport of Assault Force "U". 3-10 Ch.apter IV SEIP TO S:iOffi': MOVEl-GllT Ociah.a Beo;ch. 4-1 Ticie of "H" hour 4-3 Underwater Demolition. 4-4 Utah Beach . 4-12 Control of Ship to Shore Movement. 4-15 Authority and Responsibility of Control Vessels. 4-1? 111 SZCRET CONTE!~T5 (Cont 1 d) Page Chapter IV SHIP TO s~o.RE MOVEMENT (Cont'd) Gunfire Support for UnderWater Demolition Teams. 4-18 HinPsweeping 4-18 LSTs . 4-22 Small Craft. 4-23 DD Tanks 4-26 Order of Landing 4-2B Chapter V LOGISTICS Report of Western Task Force •......... 5-1 Number of N•val Personnel in Western Task Force. 5-2 Report of Assault Force 11 U" .... 5-2 Permanency of Organizations .... 5-4 Summary of Personnel Vehicles Supplies - Utah. 5-7 Report of Assault Force "0". 5-8 Unloacing by Priorities .::h.irin~ A~sault Phase 5-11 Artificial HHbor Prcject ... 5-17 Effect of The Storm. 5-17 Description of Artificial Harbor Equipment 5-21 Caisson Breakwat~r ~lements. 5-23 Floating ?ier Roadway .... 5-24 Floating Dre•kwater Elenents 5-25 Shore Party ........ 5-28 Lac~ of Coordination in Unloa~ing. 5-?.8 Small Landing Craft VS DUKWS in Unloadinr,. 5-29 Salvage. 5-30 Summary of Dai:tar,e .. 5-34 Medical ....... 5-35 Joint ~vacuation Plans 5-35 Evacuation Totals, Utah Beach. 5-37 Evacuation Totals, Omaha Beach 5-39 Chapter VI COMHUNICAT IONS Report of Assault Force 11 U 11 6-1 Publications ....... 5-2 Tr;offic .......... 6-3 11 11 Report of Assat:.l t Force 0 • 6-4 Frequency AssiGJ1ments .. 5-5 JaJ11~ing Eq~ipment ..... 6-7 CryptograPtic Channels ... 6-9 Post Assault Co~munications. .6-12 RecomwPnd;otior.£ and Com~ents 6-18 Shore Fire Control Party Communic-.tions. 6-20 Count~r~easures. 6-21 Security ..... 6-22 Chapter VII LANDING CRAFT Report of Assault Force "0" ............ 7-1 iv SSCRET CONTENTS (Cont 1d) Page Chapter VII - LANDrnG C~AFT (Cont'd) Drying out of LSTs. 7-1 l'erformance of LCT( 6) . 7-1 !JUKWs • • • • • . • • • • • • · · 7-2 E:!.im!nating Manhandling of Supplies 7-2 Rhino Ferries 7-3 LCC( S). 7-3 Lighters. 7-3 LCT(A) . 7-4 LIST OF EFFECTIVE PA~ES Page Promulgating Letter • . i Distribution List • ii Table of Contents • • .iii to v inclusive Chapter I . .. • 1-1 to 1-23 inclusive Chapter II ... • •• 2-1 to 2-28 inclusive Chapter III • . • J-1 to J-11 inclusive Chapter IV •• • 4-1 to 4-28 inclusive Chapter V •• • 5-1 to 5-40 inclusive Chapter VI •• • 6-1 to 6-22 inclusive Chapter VII • • 7-1 to 7-4 inclusive v (/) t·:l OMAHA REACH 0 Infantry l!k'n are p nned down on the bei!Ch by enemy fire from lhe hill behind tne beacn. LCT's bring in li!nk~ ;>nrl LCl ' s unlo~d :.a tx:l f-1 more infantry. A des•.royf'• moves in to give lose rirE' support ·.;nile 11 c:rui~rr delivers supporting firP in lhe background . A t-3 I I-' oeacn Datta! ion Naval Hospit;il Corpsrrnn aoes to the i!iel of ii woun~ed soldier . SECRE.'T Jromi Commander J.naul t J'orce now, (Commander lleTenth Amphibioua Force). The assault on the VIERVILLE-COLLEVILE Sector o! the HOR!UND! Beaches was part of a joint British-American operation, the purpose of which was to secure a lodgement on the Continent !rom which to develop further offensive operations. Thie in turn, waa a part of a large strategic plan to bring about the total defeat o! Germany by means of aesaulta upon German-occupied Europe from the UNITED KINGDOM, the MEDITERRANEAN, and RUSSIA. The joint attack was launched in two adjacent areas in the BAY OF THE SEINE. Simultaneous assaults vere made by the Eastern Naval Task Force (British and Canadian), composed of Assault Forces "S", "J", and "G", and follow-up J'orce "L11 ; and by the Western Naval Task Force (U.S.), composed of Aasault Forcee 11 011 , and "U", and follow-up lorce "B". The boundary line between the Brit­ ish and U,S, Forces started at the root of PORT EN BESSIN Western Breakwater, thence 0250 true to Meridian oo 40' West, thence northward along this meridian to latitude 490 40 1 North, Aaeault .Force 11 01 at­ tacked enemy beaches in the VIERVILLE-COLLEVILLE Area while J.asault Force "U" attacked beaches in the MADELEINE Area, Force 11 B", landed over the same beaches as lorce "011 under the direction o! the Comman­ der, Force "O", The entire operation was commanded by the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, General D. D, EISENHOWER, U.S.A. Under him were three officers, each acting as the Commander-in-Chief of his respective arm, Their command was exercised jointly, The7 vere:- Naval -- Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief, Expeditionary Force - - Admiral Sir Bertram H, RAMSEY, RN, Army ~ Commander-in-Chief, 21st Army Group -- General Sir Bernard L.