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Omaha Beach was one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France on June 6, 1944. Learn about the terrain, defenses, plan, and outcome of the battle that involved U.S., U.K., Canadian, and Free French troops.
- June 6, 1944
- Allied victory
- Overview
- The landing beach
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Omaha Beach, second beach from the west among the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted on June 6, 1944 (D-Day of the invasion), by units of the U.S. 29th and 1st infantry divisions, many of whose soldiers were drowned during the approach from ships offshore or were killed by defending fire from German troops placed on heights surrounding the beach.
(Read Sir John Keegan’s Britannica entry on the Normandy Invasion.)
The largest of the D-Day assault areas, Omaha Beach stretched over 10 km (6 miles) between the fishing port of Port-en-Bessin on the east and the mouth of the Vire River on the west. The western third of the beach was backed by a seawall 3 metres (10 feet) high, and the whole beach was overlooked by cliffs 30 metres high. There were five exits from the sand and shingle beach; the best was a paved road in a ravine leading to the resort village of Vierville-sur-Mer, two were only dirt paths, and two were dirt roads leading to the villages of Colleville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.
The Germans under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had built formidable defenses to protect this enclosed battlefield. The waters and beach were heavily mined, and there were 13 strongpoints called Widerstandsnester (“resistance nests”). Numerous other fighting positions dotted the area, supported by an extensive trench system. The defending forces consisted of three battalions of the veteran 352nd Infantry Division. Their weapons were fixed to cover the beach with grazing enfilade fire as well as plunging fire from the cliffs. Omaha was a killing zone.
Omaha Beach was part of the invasion area assigned to the U.S. First Army, under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley. The assault sectors at Omaha were code-named (from west to east) Charlie, Dog (consisting of Green, White, and Red sections), Easy (Green and Red sections), and Fox (Green and Red sections). The beach was to be assaulted at 0630 hours by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, with the 116th Regiment of the 29th Division attached for D-Day only. Omaha was wide enough to land two regiments side by side with armour in front, and so the 116th Regiment was to land at Dog (Green, White, and Red) and Easy Green, while the 16th Regiment, 1st Division, was to land at Easy Red and Fox Green.
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The objectives of the 1st Division were ambitious. First it was to capture the villages of Vierville, Saint-Laurent, and Colleville; then it was to push through and cut the Bayeux-Isigny road; and then it was to attack south toward Trévières and west toward the Pointe du Hoc. Elements of the 16th Regiment were to link up at Port-en-Bessin with British units from Gold Beach to the east.
Learn about Omaha Beach, the second beach from the west among the five landing areas of the Normandy Invasion of World War II. Find out how the U.S. troops faced heavy German defenses, minefields, and cliffs on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Learn about the bloodiest and most chaotic of the D-Day beaches, where U.S. troops faced German resistance and obstacles on June 6, 1944. See maps, photos, and details of the plan, the assault, and the outcome of the Normandy invasion.
Oct 25, 2023 · Learn about the D-Day landing and the Battle of Normandy on Omaha Beach, where the US troops faced heavy resistance and casualties. Discover the sites and monuments that commemorate the 80th anniversary of the invasion in 2024.
- Jesse Greenspan
- Utah Beach. The westernmost of the D-Day beaches, Utah was added to the invasion plans at the 11th hour so that the Allies would be within striking distance of the port city of Cherbourg.
- Omaha Beach. Surrounded by steep cliffs and heavily defended, Omaha was the bloodiest of the D-Day beaches, with roughly 2,400 U.S. troops turning up dead, wounded or missing.
- Gold Beach. Owing to the direction of the tides, British troops began storming Gold, the middle of the five D-Day beaches, nearly an hour after fighting got underway at Utah and Omaha.
- Juno Beach. At Juno, Allied landing craft once again struggled with rough seas, along with offshore shoals and enemy mines. Upon finally disembarking, Canadian soldiers were then cut down in droves by Germans firing from seaside houses and bunkers.
Sep 2, 2024 · Learn about the history and significance of Omaha Beach, the most well-known and hardest-fought landing zone of the Normandy invasion. Discover the best sites to see, from the beach itself to the memorials, museums, and cemeteries in the area.
Jun 3, 2024 · Omaha Beach was one of two beaches attacked by the US armed forces on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Strong German defences on the bluff overlooking the beach made this area the most difficult of the Normandy landings, but by the end of the day, the beachhead was secure, albeit with more casualties than at any other D-Day beach.
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