...elsewhere on Omaha Beach!
Historian James Holland wrote “Normandy ’44 – D-Day and the Battle for France” in 2019 (Bantam Books). It gives a masterful account of the Normandy campaign – but oddly, there is not a single mention of GCI 15082 landing on Omaha Beach in the entire 650+ pages! Thinking of “Saving Private Ryan”, the Editor calls this “Steven Spielberg syndrome”!
However, apart from omitting the RAF’s activity, Mr Holland has compiled an excellent timeline for D-Day on Omaha Beach, and we have added GCI 15082’s key events – in RAF blue! See below:
00:07 | German sentries spot low-flying aircraft north of Carentan in Cotentin Peninsula. |
01:50 | In Paris, near Bois de Boulogne, Marinegruppe West chief of operations Adm. Karl Hoffman summons the various staffs following accumulation of alarming reports and sends message to Germany: “Report to the headquarters of the Führer that it is the invasion.” |
02:00 | FM von Rundstedt made aware of alerts following discovery of paratroopers, notably reported by 352 Infanterie-Division. |
02:40 | Von Rundstedt reports by radio to German 7 Armee that he does not believe this is a large-scale landing |
02:51 | Force O ships arrive off Omaha Beach and drop anchor 23km from shore |
03:00 | US soldiers from Force O off Omaha Beach begin to embark on landing craft |
05:35 | 29 US amphibious tanks from 741st Tank Battalion launched 6km off Omaha Beach. 27 sink en route to beach. |
05:50 | Battleship USS Texas fires for the first time on the US sector of Omaha |
05:58 | Sunrise. Weather is grey, the swell very important, low clouds let out short rains. Wind force 3 to 4. |
06:27 | Omaha Beach: end of barrage bombardment on coast. |
06:29 | Omaha Beach, Dog Green and Dog White sectors: landing of 32 amphibious tanks (Companies C and B of 743rd Tank Battalion). |
06:30 | Omaha Beach: air attack by 18 x Marauder bombers on Pointe du Hoc, then USS Texas fires on German battery. |
06:35 | Omaha Beach: landing of first assault wave of 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division. |
06:36 | Omaha Beach: landing of second assault wave of 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division. |
06:40 | Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower wakes up after short nap and is reassured by optimistic call from Adm. Ramsay. |
06:45 | Omaha Beach: landing of second wave of assault. |
07:00 | Omaha Beach: landing of second wave of assault continues. |
07:10 | Omaha Beach: 88mm gun at WN61 put out of action after direct hit from either naval artillery or Sergeant Turner Sheppard’s Sherman tank. |
07:11 | Omaha Beach: Col Rudder’s 225 Rangers, delayed by erroneous navigations and a strong sea current, land 41 minutes late at Pointe du Hoc. |
07:15 | Pointe du Hoc: Rangers from Task Force C on their way to Dog Green (Omaha Beach) because they have not yet received the signal to request reinforcements from Pointe du Hoc. |
07:15 | Omaha Beach: German Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports that WN60 is severely bombed and that 20 landing craft, spotted by WN37, are approaching. |
07:20 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 reports amphibious tanks identified in area of Vierville-sur-Mer. |
07:30 | Omaha Beach: surviving Rangers from Company C reach plateau east of exit D-1, Vierville-sur-Mer. |
07:40 | Omaha Beach: LCI 91 hit by a mine and by German artillery, causing death of 73 soldiers. |
07:45 | Omaha Beach: German soldiers at WN70 announce breakthrough of 6 US tanks, 3 of them at strongpoint WN66. |
07:45 | Omaha Beach: C (Task Force C) consisting of Companies A and B of 2nd Rangers Battalion about to land on edge of Dog Green and Dog White areas. All 5th Rangers Battalion heading for Dog Green. |
08:00 | Omaha Beach: US soldiers reach top of dune WN60. |
08:00 | Omaha Beach: landing of men of 5th Battalion of Rangers, who were originally to land at Pointe du Hoc. |
08:09 | Omaha Beach: all amphibious tanks destined to land on Fox Green have sunk between their starting point and the beach. |
08:20 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports that 88mm at WN61 is out of use and that landing craft (are) spotted in front of WNs 37 and 37a. |
08:24 | Omaha Beach: landed troops report they are under the fire of Maisy’s batteries. |
08:25 | Omaha Beach: WN62 infiltrated by US soldiers while WN61 is attacked from front and back. German radio communication to Port-en-Bessin is interrupted. |
08:30 | Omaha Beach: counter-attack of Grenadier-Regiment 915 to regain control of WN60. |
08:30 | Gen. Cota establishes his CP (Command Post) on the beach. |
08:45 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 reports WN70 is in US hands. 3 tanks pass through WN66 and upper case mate of WN62 is destroyed. |
08:55 | Omaha Beach: Artillerie-Regiment 352 struggles to maintain radio contact with WN60. |
08:57 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports 30 enemy tanks landed between WNs 35 and 36 |
09:00 | Our LSTs suddenly set off from the middle of the invasion fleet – straight in – ours leading, the other four following. The recce party was third. A patrol craft tossing about in the rough seas came close: “What wave are you?” I didn’t hear the reply, but the patrol seemed satisfied: “In you go!” As we neared the beach, we could see clearly that it was not yet captured. The men ashore were taking cover from enemy fire; there was a vehicle burning. Aboard our vessel a US observer assessed the situation and concluded that the last thing needed ashore at this stage was a collection of technicians armed with radar aerials. Rather relieved, we turned seaward. Flt/Lt E H Hitchcock (Ned) |
09:00 | Omaha Beach: WN60 strongpoint (Fox Red area) protecting F1 exit silenced by men of US 1st Infantry Division |
09:17 | Landings announced by Allies: “Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing Allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France.” |
09:20 | Maj.-Gen. Clarence Huebner orders ships off Omaha Beach to fire new naval artillery barrage on German defences, despite risk of killing US soldiers. It lasts 28 minutes. |
09:25 | Omaha Beach: Artillerie-Regiment 352 reports WNs 35 and 36 are destroyed, while guns of WN 40 destroy 4 tanks and 3 landing craft. |
09:48 | End of second artillery barrage on Omaha Beach. |
10:00 | Omaha Beach: two US destroyers approaching within half mile of shore to support isolated groups trying to get out of beach. |
10:00 | Omaha Beach: about 200 soldiers of 1st Battalion, 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division climb cliff and reach Vierville-sur-Mer. |
10:00 | Omaha Beach: W64 silenced by US troops. |
10:00 | Hitler wakes up at Berghof after having been up late the night before, listening to Wagner’s music. |
10:15 | Omaha Beach: at WN62 by Collieville Draw, 2×76.5mm guns are destroyed at the same time by naval artillery |
10:30 | Omaha Beach: 2 x 75mm guns of Pointe de la Percée put out of action by destroyer USS McCook. |
10:30 | Omaha Beach: WN 65 at junction between Easy Green and Easy Red beach sectors and protecting E1 exit is stormed by US soldiers. |
11:00 | German radar station at Pointe de la Percée attacked off Omaha by destroyer USS Thompson, which fires 127mm shells. |
11:27 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 reports that attackers hold the heights of St-Laurent-sur-Mer beach. Commander of Infanterie-Division 352 again orders counter-attack. |
11:30 | The first attempt at landing was made; the convoy moved towards the beach, the vehicles, all with their engines running, ready to disembark when the ramps were lowered, but as the convoy approached the beach it was observed that this beach was still under machine gun fire and heavy shell fire, and it was obviously impracticable to land the convoy then, and without warning it withdrew until 17.00 hours. (21 BDS Operations Record Book) |
11:45 | Omaha Beach: 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, US 1st Infantry Division lands. |
12:00 | Omaha Beach: due to lack of ammunition, the Houtteville Battery (4,500 metres from beach near Colleville-sur-Mer) refuses an order to fire salvoes against landing craft on approach. The battery only fires with one 105mm gun after the other. |
12:00 | London: Churchill delivers speech in House of Commons, informing MPs of the liberation of Rome and the beginning of the Normandy landings. |
12:14 | Omaha Beach: Americans reach church of Colleville-sur-Mer. |
12:23 | Omaha Beach: men of 18th Regiment, US 1st Infantry Division climb bluffs and head towards Colleville-sur-Mer. |
13:00 | Omaha Beach: WN 72 strongpoint (Vierville-sur-Mer), Dog Green area) under US control. |
13:41 | Omaha Beach: German resistance in front of Dog Green, Easy Green, Easy Red and White Red sectors has stopped. |
14:13 | Omaha Beach: destruction by destroyer USS Harding of the bell tower of church of Vierville-sur-Mer supposed to house German artillery observers. |
14:58 | Omaha Beach: Artillerie-Regiment 352 reports that village of Colleville-sur-Mer has fallen nonce again into enemy hands. |
15:00 | Omaha Beach: 2 US destroyers approach shore to support the landed troops. |
15:00 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 counter-attacks US troops between WNs 62a, 62b and 64. |
15:26 | Omaha Beach: failure of German counter-attack led by Grenadier-Regiment 916 in Colleville-sur-Mer. |
17:00 | We tried again and this time with three other craft carrying small tanks and armoured cars, we made it. No-one else did. The offloading went smoothly and according to plan. Down the ramp with the engine racing in low gear, a slight thump on the sea bottom and the steady, seemingly interminable grind through three feet of water for some forty or fifty yards to dry land. We drove standing up, remembering, as we had been taught, not to touch any controls except for the steering wheel! The beach obstacles, mostly concrete posts with mines fastened on the top, were all exposed by the low tide and were easily avoided, the sea bottom was fairly level, we just prayed hard about the mortar shells and snipers. And eventually the entire Type 15 GCI setup arrived safely on the beach, aerial transmitter, two diesels, crane, R-T (Receiver and Transmitter Units), one Jeep and four Crossleys. (Squadron Leader Norman Best) |
17:00 | Omaha Beach: bell tower of church of St-Laurent-sur-Mer, which houses German snipers, is destroyed by American naval artillery. |
17:00 | Omaha Beach: Omaha’s westernmost strongpoint, WN73, stormed by men from 5th Rangers Battalion and 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division |
17:10 | Grenadier-Regiment 916 informs HQ of Infanterie-Division 352 that St-Laurent-sur-Mer has called into the hands of the enemy. |
18:10 | Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 915 reports that it has bypassed the Americans from the rear at Colleville-sur-Mer castle and that its wounded can no longer be evacuated. |
18:30 | Omaha Beach: 26th Infantry Regiment, US 1st Infantry Division, begins landing. |
18:54 | Destroyer USS Harding once again bombards the steeple of church of Vierville-sur-Mer. Shooting ends at 18:57. |
19:00 | Omaha Beach: in locality of Colleville-sur-Mer, violent fighting between US troops and German defenders. |
19:40 | Omaha Beach: German artillery barrage on beach in Colleville-sur-Mer, where landing operations are continuing. Some losses within US troops (sic) |
21:30 | Rommel arrives back at La Roche-Guyon from Germany |
21:30 | All the wounded had been attended to and had been carried to the shingle away from the advancing tide. The shelling had ceased except for spasmodic bursts. The vehicles remaining were slowly moved through a gap in the wire and put in a small lane leading to a cluster of houses ¾ mile inland. (Flt/Lt R N Rycroft: (Diary)) |