LANDINGS
The Normandy landings, code named Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings took place on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 6:30 a.m. The term D-Day was used for the day of the actual landing of the Allied troops in Normandy. The landings took place in two different phases: an airborne assault landing of 24,000 US, British, and Canadian airborne troops at midnight, and a stealthy approach to the landings of Allied infantry and armored divisions on the coast of France starting at 6:30 a.m. Secrecy was accomplished due to the harsh weather and the tactical plan implemented in the months before the landings, code named Operation Bodyguard, to distract German attention from the possibility of landings in Normandy. The key to success was convincing Adolf Hitler that the landing of Allied troops would actually occur at the Pas-de-Calais. Including to Operation Bodyguard there were also decoy operations taking place simultaneously with the landings named Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable used to distract German forces from the true landing areas off the coast. |
Sword Beach-The
taking of Sword Beach began at 3:00 with aerial attacks of the German coastal
defenses and artillery sites. The naval bombardment began a few hours later
with the first units reaching the beach at 07:30. These were the DD tanks of
13th/18th Hussars followed closely by the infantry of 8th Brigade.
On Sword Beach, the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties. They had advanced about eight kilometers (5 mi) by the end of the day but failed to take some of the deliberately ambitious targets set by Montgomery. In particular, Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until mid-July; its central urban area was cleared 8–9 July, and the suburbs were fully cleared by 20 July in Operation Atlantic.
Omaha Beach- Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landings to drift eastwards, missing their assigned sectors and the initial assault waves of tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. Of the 16 tanks that landed upon the shores of Omaha Beach only two survived the landing. The official record stated that "within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, [the leading] company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded [...] It had become a struggle for survival and rescue".
Only a few gaps were blown in the beach obstacles, resulting in problems for subsequent landings. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the original D-Day objectives were accomplished by Day 3.
Utah Beach-Casualties on Utah Beach, were the lightest of any beach, with 197 out of the roughly 23,000 men that landed. The 4th Infantry Division troops landing at Utah Beach found themselves in the wrong positions because of a current that pushed their landing craft to the southeast. Instead of landing at Tare Green and Uncle Red sectors, they came ashore at Victor sector, relatively little German opposition was encountered. The 4th Infantry Division was able to press inland relatively easily over beach exits that had been seized from the inland side by the 502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division. This was partially by accident, because their planned landing was further along the beach. (Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the Assistant Commander of the 4th Division, upon discovering the landings were off course, became famous for saying "We will start the war from right here.") By early afternoon, the 4th Infantry Division had succeeded in linking up with elements of the 101st. American casualties were light, the troops were able to press inward much faster than expected, making it a near-complete success
Gold Beach- “Gold” was the code name for the center beach
Juno Beach- The Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach faced heavy casualties, concrete fortifications, and a seawall twice the height of the one at Omaha Beach. The first wave suffered 50% casualties. The use of armor was successful at Juno, in some instances actually landing ahead of the infantry as intended and helping to clear a path inland.
Despite the obstacles, the Canadians were off the beach within hours and beginning their advance inland. A single troop of four tanks managed to reach the final objective phase line, but hastily retreated, having outrun its infantry support. In particular, two fortified positions at the Douvres Radar Station remained in German hands (and would for several days until captured by British commandos), and no link had been established with Sword Beach.
By the end of D-Day, 30,000 Canadians had been successfully landed, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force.
On Sword Beach, the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties. They had advanced about eight kilometers (5 mi) by the end of the day but failed to take some of the deliberately ambitious targets set by Montgomery. In particular, Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until mid-July; its central urban area was cleared 8–9 July, and the suburbs were fully cleared by 20 July in Operation Atlantic.
Omaha Beach- Difficulties in navigation caused the majority of landings to drift eastwards, missing their assigned sectors and the initial assault waves of tanks, infantry and engineers took heavy casualties. Of the 16 tanks that landed upon the shores of Omaha Beach only two survived the landing. The official record stated that "within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, [the leading] company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded [...] It had become a struggle for survival and rescue".
Only a few gaps were blown in the beach obstacles, resulting in problems for subsequent landings. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the original D-Day objectives were accomplished by Day 3.
Utah Beach-Casualties on Utah Beach, were the lightest of any beach, with 197 out of the roughly 23,000 men that landed. The 4th Infantry Division troops landing at Utah Beach found themselves in the wrong positions because of a current that pushed their landing craft to the southeast. Instead of landing at Tare Green and Uncle Red sectors, they came ashore at Victor sector, relatively little German opposition was encountered. The 4th Infantry Division was able to press inland relatively easily over beach exits that had been seized from the inland side by the 502nd and 506th Parachute Infantry Regiments of the 101st Airborne Division. This was partially by accident, because their planned landing was further along the beach. (Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the Assistant Commander of the 4th Division, upon discovering the landings were off course, became famous for saying "We will start the war from right here.") By early afternoon, the 4th Infantry Division had succeeded in linking up with elements of the 101st. American casualties were light, the troops were able to press inward much faster than expected, making it a near-complete success
Gold Beach- “Gold” was the code name for the center beach
Juno Beach- The Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach faced heavy casualties, concrete fortifications, and a seawall twice the height of the one at Omaha Beach. The first wave suffered 50% casualties. The use of armor was successful at Juno, in some instances actually landing ahead of the infantry as intended and helping to clear a path inland.
Despite the obstacles, the Canadians were off the beach within hours and beginning their advance inland. A single troop of four tanks managed to reach the final objective phase line, but hastily retreated, having outrun its infantry support. In particular, two fortified positions at the Douvres Radar Station remained in German hands (and would for several days until captured by British commandos), and no link had been established with Sword Beach.
By the end of D-Day, 30,000 Canadians had been successfully landed, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force.