Chapter 2
In the case of the 741st Tank Battalion, which was landing in support of the 16th Infantry of the 1st Infantry Division near the Colleville draw, the over-eager army tank captains overruled the advice of the navy skippers and launched their two DD tank companies at sea. Of the twenty-nine tanks that launched, twenty-seven sank and only two reached shore; three more were landed on the beach by the LCT After the battalion's company of deep-wading tanks landed safely, this sector of the beach had only
sixteen of its intended fifty-six tanks. The neighboring 743rd Tank Battalion, supporting the 116th Infantry of the 29th Division, landed near the Vierville draw in much better condition. The commander of the LCT flotilla convinced the two DD tank company commanders to land on shore from the LCTs, and as a result, twenty-eight DD tanks were landed safely. Nearly all of the deep-wading M4 tanks landed safely, except for those lost to enemy action, so this sector had forty-two of its intended fifty-six tanks.
In spite of the heavy losses suffered during landings, the tanks began to provide immediate assistance to the beleaguered infantry that had quickly followed them ashore. The Germans had reinforced Omaha Beach with numerous steel-reinforced concrete pillboxes that were nearly impervious to naval gunfire since their embrasures pointed along the shore, not facing the sea. Two of these were armed with the powerful 88mm PaK 41/43 antitank gun, giving the beach garrison the concrete equivalent of a King Tiger tank at either end of the beach. There were numerous other bunkers with 50mm and 75mm guns-essentially concrete panzers that could be knocked out only by a direct hit into their small embrasures. The American tanks spent most of the day trying to eliminate these bunkers and other defenses. The commander of the 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry, later said that the tanks had "saved the day. They shot the hell out of the Germans and got the hell shot out of them." Of the fifty-eight tanks successfully landed at the start of D-Day, fortytwo were still in action at the end of the day, mostly in the Vierville draw area with the 743rd Tank Battalion.
In contrast to Omaha, the landings at Utah Beach proved much less costly. The 70th Tank Battalion
launched twenty-eight DD tanks at varying ranges to the beach, and only one sank. The deep-wading tanks were also successful, and the tanks proved instrumental in leading the 4th Infantry Division over the causeways to link up with the paratroopers who had landed farther inland the night before. For these three tank battalions, it was only the start of a very long campaign. The 70th Tank Battalion was the longest-serving American tank battalion, having previously fought in the North African and Sicily campaigns.
A photo of Omaha Beach on D-Day afternoon showing a considerable amount of debris in the water as well as the congestion in the beach approaches.
An M4 dozer tank and an M4A1 with M8 ammo trailer named Aide de Camp of Company A, 741st Tank Battalion, on board the LCT set off for Omaha Beach from Britain. This battalion landed on the eastern side of Omaha on D-Day in support of the 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division.
The most imposing antitank defenses on the Normandy beaches were the powerful 88mm PaK 43/41 antitank guns, the towed version of the gun on the Tiger tank. On Omaha, there were two of these weapons on the eastern and western ends, able to cover the entire landing zone thanks to their long range. This one was in a Regelbau 677 (construction standard; Rgl. Nr.) bunker in the WN61 strongpoint on the eastern side of the Colleville draw on Beach Fox Green. Its crew was killed by a direct hit from a Sherman DD tank of the 741st Tank Battalion early in the morning. Late in the day, this gun was pulled out of the bunker so that the structure could be used as a protected medical post.
The Rgl. Nr. 677 88mm gun bunker in strongpoint WN61 in the Colleville draw is seen here late on D-Day after being converted to a medical aid station. Its gun embrasure was covered over by a canvas tarp. This was the most powerful weapon in Strongpoint Colleville, but it ultimately played the least significant role in the fighting because of its early destruction by tank fire.
The WN62 strongpoint on "Engineer Hill" contained two gun bunkers armed with these World War I-vintage 76.5mm FK M17 field guns. These engaged in running gun duels with American tanks and naval destroyers for much of the morning, with the bunkers taking dozens of hits. This is the view alongside one of the bunkers after the field gun had been pulled outside to make use of the bunker as an aid station.
The other side of the Colleville draw contained strongpoint WN62, which was bristling with weapons. This is a camouflaged gun pit containing a pedestal-mounted 50mm antitank gun.
One of the more curious German defenses on Omaha Beach was the Goliath remote-control demolition tank. These little vehicles carried an explosive charge and were intended to serve as robotic mines that could be steered into tanks or landing craft. However, they arrived only days before the Allied landing, and their wire guidance proved to be fragile.
Although of poor quality, this is a rare image of one of the few DD tanks of the 741st Tank Battalion that reached the beach in the Colleville sector. Of the battalion's thirty-two DD tanks, all but five sank, and of these, three were quickly knocked out by German guns in the WN61 and WN62 resistance nests.
This is Adeline II, an M4A1 tank of Company A, 741st Tank Battalion, damaged on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Adeline's rear bogie assembly was hit by a 50mm antitank gun during a duel with a German bunker to the west of the WN62 resistance nest. The damaged bogie prevented it from moving over the sea wall. It is seen here on 7 June being towed through the village of Collevillesur-Mer by one of the battalion's M31 tank-recovery vehicles.
A deep-wading M4 of Company A, 741st Tank Battalion, is seen here on Omaha after it bogged down in the soft sand beyond the German beach obstructions.
The most common antitank guns on the Normandy beaches were old German 50mm tank and antitank guns that had been converted into pedestal-mounted weapons. This is one of the concrete gun pits east of the Colleville draw with large amounts of expended ammunition littering the site.
Another view of Adeline II being recovered on D+1. This is one of the few clear photos to have survived of the tanks of the 741st Tank Battalion on Omaha.
Strongpoint St. Laurent in the middle of Omaha Beach was still under construction on D-Day, with many of its bunkers incomplete. This is an overhead view of the Les Moulin draw on D-Day, the dividing line between Dog Red and Easy Green Beaches. The numerous tanks seen in this view are mostly from the 743rd Tank Battalion, which landed on the western side of Omaha in support of the 116th Infantry, 29th Division.
The most famous bunker in resistance nest WN65 in the E-1 St. Laurent draw was this RgI. Nr. 667 armed with a 50mm pedestal gun. It caused considerable havoc on D-Day before being knocked out by concerted fire from M15A1 antiaircraft half-tracks of the 467th AntiAircraft Artillery Battalion.
The embrasure of the 50mm pedestal gun bunker in WN65. These bunkers were positioned with the embrasures facing along the beach, with their heaviest concrete protection toward the sea to protect them from naval gunfire.
This is a view from inside the WN65 50mm bunker, with considerable damage evident on its armored shield.
Resistance nest WN68 in the D-3 Moulins draw was equipped with two of these VK.3001 tank turrets, designed for an abortive heavy tank that preceded the more famous Tiger. The surplus turrets were dispatched to Normandy for beach defense.
Another view of the VK.3001 turret in WN68. The second turret in this strongpoint had not been fully emplaced on D-Day and was discovered afterwards.
The German 352nd Infantry Division deployed some of its 75mm PaK 40 antitank guns in shorefront gun pits like this example on Omaha.
This aerial view of Dog Green shows the landing area between the St. Laurent and Vierville strongpoints. The tanks on the beach are from the 743rd Tank Battalion, which was much more successful in landing safely compared to its neighbor to the east, the 741st. Its tanks deployed mainly to the east of the Vierville draw because of the heavy antitank-gun fire coming from the bunkers in resistance nest WN72.
LCT(A)-2273 is seen carrying deep-wading M4 tanks of Company A, 743rd Tank Battalion, to the Vierville draw area of Omaha Beach on the morning of D-Day. This craft was damaged by German shore fire, splitting in half and sinking later in the day.
Flotilla 4 heads for Uncle Red Beach in the Utah Beach sector around 0900 hours on D-Day. LCT-495 in the center of this photo was carrying the M7 105mm howitzer motor carriage of Battery B, 65th Field Artillery Battalion.
The deadliest sector of Omaha was Strongpoint Vierville on the western side of the beach, where the 116th Infantry, 29th Division, landed. This section was dominated by a Rgl. Nr. 677 bunker of resistance nest WN72 armed with an 88mm PaK 43/41 that knocked out numerous tanks of the 743rd Tank Battalion during the morning, along with a number of landing craft. This is the view from inside the bunker looking eastward, and as can be seen, the gun could reach virtually all of the beach.
This is a view of the 88mm bunker in WN72, taken after the fighting from its western side. The front of the bunker was disguised to look like the old casino located near this port before the war; the gun faced eastward for enfilade fire along the whole beach.
A view inside the WN72 88mm bunker, taken several years ago by the author. The 88mm PaK 43/41 gun is still inside the bunker, but it has been pushed deep inside and the embrasure covered over. This image provides a clear idea of the amount of fire directed at the bunkers. Very heavy damage can be seen to the left.
The eastern side of the WN72 88mm gun bunker as seen a few days after D-Day. Tank and destroyer fire inflicted an enormous amount of damage. This bunker still exists and forms the base of the current U.S. National Guard monument.
The 88mm bunker in WN72 was supported by another gun bunker slightly to the west that was armed with a 50mm pedestal gun as well as a small Renault FT tank turret. The 50mm gun was positioned to fire out of embrasures pointing either east or west. The small tank turret was on the other side of the bunker and was blown away by tank fire early in the battle.
The two concrete bunkers in WN72 were supported by a 75mm PaK 40 antitank gun deployed in a cave on the cliffs farther inside the Vierville draw, which also had a commanding view of the beach.
This LCT was hit by German artillery fire and burned near the beach along with its cargo from an antiaircraft battalion, including an M16 in the foreground, a jeep to the right, and an M15A1 toward the front.
The German 352nd Infantry Division attempted to stage an armored counterattack against the beachhead using its company of Marder I I I Ausf. M 75mm tank destroyers. They were spotted by navy observation aircraft, and the attack was smashed by naval gunfire.
The beaches between Omaha and Utah around the Vire estuary were especially heavily defended. This is a typical Panzerstellung defense work in Grand Vey, fitted with an APX-R turret from a captured French tank.
The Dog White section of Omaha Beach is littered with shattered vehicles and craft at low tide on the evening of 6 June 1944. The M4 tank, C-13 Ceaseless, is from Company C, 743rd Tank Battalion, and was disabled on the beach after losing a track. The other two companies of tanks from this battalion were M4A1 duplex-drive amphibious tanks.
This is a typical 50mm pedestal gun mount in a Ringstand, a type of antitank defense that was ubiquitous along the lower Normandy coast, in this case near Grand Vey.
One of the more widely used turrets for coastal defense in Normandy was the old Renault FT turret like this example on a "Tobruk" Panzerstellung in the harbor of Grandcamps-les-Bains immediately to the west of Omaha.
German beach defenses at Utah Beach were much more successfully suppressed by the preliminary air attack and naval gunfire. This is a Rgl. Nr. 667 50mm antitank gun bunker at Utah.
This French 47mm Model 1937 antitank gun was positioned in an open pit in the W5 resistance nest in the dunes near La Madeleine on Utah. Exposed weapons like this were extremely vulnerable to the preparatory bombardment.
The tank landings at Utah went much more smoothly than at Omaha, with the 70th Tank Battalion supporting the 4th Infantry Division's attack. Cannonball from Company C, 70th Tank Battalion, stumbled into a shell crater and became trapped. This tank was one of those originally fitted with the T40 Whiz-Bang rocket launcher for use in attacking the German beach obstructions. The mounting for the launcher assembly can be seen on the turret side, and the sight can be seen in front of the commander's hatch.
Although there were a number of 88mm gun bunkers near Utah Beach, none had the clear field of fire of their two counterparts at Omaha. This is an interior view of one of the 88mm PaK 43/41 bunkers to the northwest of Utah.
This disabled Donald Duck tank from Company A, 70th Tank Battalion, was disabled on one of the causeways leading off Utah and was pushed over the side to allow other vehicles to pass.
The Goliath remote-control mines were deployed with several German staticdefense divisions on the Normandy coast in the weeks prior to D-Day. They were not widely used in combat, often because of the disruption of the wirecontrol link. These were found by American troops near Utah.
The Goliaths were deployed in small hidden caves along the beach. Attempts by the WN5 strongpoint at Utah Beach to use their Goliaths failed when the Allied preparatory bombardment severed the wire-control lines leading to the command bunker.
Another view of a group of Goliath mines near Utah. These were supposed to be used to attack landing craft and tanks along the beach.
Paratroopers from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division cluster around a Renault UE light armored tractor captured near Ravenoville. These small armored vehicles were widely used by the German army in Normandy, and the paratroopers used several over the next few days for miscellaneous chores, mostly hauling supplies.
The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions had no armored vehicles and were tightly weight-restricted in their equipment. Antitank defense was provided by special lightweight British 6-pounder Mk. III antitank guns towed by jeeps, as seen here in a village in Normandy after the airborne landings on D-Day.
The Normandy beaches soon grew clogged with traffic as wave after wave of units arrived over the next several days to reinforce the beachhead. Evident in this view of Utah Beach is a 57mm antitank gun in the lower right, an M29 Weasel tracked utility vehicle, and an M4 tank with wading trunks on the horizon.
Another view of Utah Beach as DUKW amphibious trucks bring supplies ashore. Bulldozers on the shore are used to grade paths past the dunes and to assist in the landing.
The scene on Utah later in the day as more and more equipment arrives. The column of M4 tanks with wading trunks is probably from the 746th Tank Battalion, which began landing on Utah shortly before noon on D-Day after the beach had mostly been captured.
A view from the water as the 746th Tank Battalion moves ashore. Unlike the assault waves, all the tank companies in this battalion had deep-wading trunks and no DD tanks.
An M3A1 half-track of the 17th Armored Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, moves off the beach on D+2.
Infantry comes ashore from an LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) on Utah Beach. On shore are some M2 half-tracks towing 57mm antitank guns.
Hurricane, an M4 with wading trunks from Company H, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, comes ashore at Utah Beach on D+2 from an LST. The wading trunks were added to many tanks since the LSTs could often not make it all the way to the beach. The wading trunks allowed the tank to be dropped in water deeper than its hull roofs since the wading trunks and sealant prevented water from flooding the tank.
Another M4 medium tank of the 2nd Armored Division comes ashore from an LST at Utah on 8 June 1944.
Tanks of Company I, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, move to the docks in Weymouth, England, prior to transit to Normandy on 10 June 1944. They are already fitted with deep-wading trunks. There is a column of German POWs in the lower right corner, captured in Normandy in the previous three days of fighting. Since the beachhead was not very large, German prisoners for the first few days of the fighting were sent back to England on landing craft returning to pick up other units.
An M3A1 half-track of a towed tank destroyer battalion brings ashore its 3-inch antitank gun at Utah Beach a few days after D-Day. The tank destroyer battalions in Normandy were a mixture of self-propelled battalions with M10 or M18 gun motor carriages and the towed battalions with the 3-inch antitank gun.
An M7 105mm howitzer motor carriage with full deep-wading fittings comes ashore in Normandy, with an LCT visible in the background.
An M32B1 named Shoot Six Bits, one of the first M32 tank-recovery vehicles on French soil, exits from the Utah Beach area in Normandy in June 1944.
An M2 half-track car towing a trailer comes ashore from an LCT on Utah Beach on 15 June.
M4 tanks with wading trunks of the 3rd Armored Division are prepared in England before departing for Normandy. The division arrived in France in the last week of June 1944.
A pair of M4 tanks of the 3rd Armored Division load aboard an LST for transit to Normandy in late June 1944. They are fitted with the standard deep-wading trunks.
