Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach:
“A Flawed Victory”
By: Eric Papesh
Paper Overview:
I. Omaha Beach: An Introduction
II. The Strategy for D-Day
III. D-Day: The Battle Begins
IV. Unexpected Opposition
V. The Battle for the Beach
VI. The End Result
Omaha Beach: An Introduction Of the five beach assault landings that occurred on June 6, 1944, D-day, on the beaches of Normandy, Omaha Beach was the only one that was ever in doubt. Just minutes after the first U.S. beach landing over 1/3 of the troops assaulting the beach in the first wave were wiped out by German gun fire. The beach, termed “Bloody Omaha”, was considered the most difficult to take because of its rough coastal terrain and the unexpected resistance by top-rate German divisions and inadequate fire support from the allies. However, over the course of the day the American forces were able to breach the Atlantic wall and gain a foothold along the French coast. While we were visiting Normandy, I was able to walk along Omaha Beach and see for myself what the battlefield looked like, though much has changed in the last 65 years. Just trying to imagine what the assault must have been like for any soldier who had to move along the beach under heavy German fire and no supporting fire is unthinkable in my mind. The shear casualty rates that were described on memorials around the beaches really put into perspective the violence that occurred on those beaches in the course of only a day of fighting.
This is a picture of Omaha Beach from the Normandy American Cemetery located just off the coast. The hillside clefts down into a steep Cliffside covered with trees and rocks. My own personal experience, the climb down and back up was difficult without anyone shooting; the men who made that climb were true soldiers.
The Strategy for D-Day
The plans for D-day came about long before the assaults even took place. An attack on the “Fortress Europe” was planned in early 1942 after the
“A Flawed Victory”
By: Eric Papesh
Paper Overview:
I. Omaha Beach: An Introduction
II. The Strategy for D-Day
III. D-Day: The Battle Begins
IV. Unexpected Opposition
V. The Battle for the Beach
VI. The End Result
Omaha Beach: An Introduction Of the five beach assault landings that occurred on June 6, 1944, D-day, on the beaches of Normandy, Omaha Beach was the only one that was ever in doubt. Just minutes after the first U.S. beach landing over 1/3 of the troops assaulting the beach in the first wave were wiped out by German gun fire. The beach, termed “Bloody Omaha”, was considered the most difficult to take because of its rough coastal terrain and the unexpected resistance by top-rate German divisions and inadequate fire support from the allies. However, over the course of the day the American forces were able to breach the Atlantic wall and gain a foothold along the French coast. While we were visiting Normandy, I was able to walk along Omaha Beach and see for myself what the battlefield looked like, though much has changed in the last 65 years. Just trying to imagine what the assault must have been like for any soldier who had to move along the beach under heavy German fire and no supporting fire is unthinkable in my mind. The shear casualty rates that were described on memorials around the beaches really put into perspective the violence that occurred on those beaches in the course of only a day of fighting.
This is a picture of Omaha Beach from the Normandy American Cemetery located just off the coast. The hillside clefts down into a steep Cliffside covered with trees and rocks. My own personal experience, the climb down and back up was difficult without anyone shooting; the men who made that climb were true soldiers.
The Strategy for D-Day
The plans for D-day came about long before the assaults even took place. An attack on the “Fortress Europe” was planned in early 1942 after the
Cited: Zaloga, Steve. D-Day 1944: Omaha Beach. Oxford, Osprey Series ©2003 Thompson, R.W. D-day: Spearhead of the Invasion. Random House Inc. ©1968. Lewis, Adrian. Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory. Journal of Military History: June 2006, Vol.70, Iss.3 Personal Journal kept during the trip. Includes documented information seen while in Normandy and pamphlet info. from the beach sites.