18th Regimental Combat Team (RCT)

Consisted of:

Extra added units:

26th Regimental Combat Team (RCT)

Consisted of:

The 16th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Division was the only American unit with battlefield experience who went ashore during the first wave at D-Day. They brought their experience back from North Africa (1942) and Sicily (1943), but at Omaha it was useless. No experience in the world could prepare them for what the Germans had in store for them. These troops would land in the Omaha sectors; Easy Red, Fox Green and Fox Red.
The first wave, consisted of 'E', 'F', 'I' and 'L' Company, landed on the beach around 06.30 hours. Unfortunately the units were scattered over a great distance, some, like 'L'Company almost as far as Port-en-Bessin.

Five minutes before the first wave would hit the beach, the DD tanks should arrive. But, unfortunately, most were lost at sea or still struggling to reach solid ground. Without this support the first wave of infantry were easy targets for the enemy. Only two DD's of the 741st Tank Battalion managed to reach their sector. One of these managed to silence one of the 88mm cannons from Wn 61. The second wave of landingcraft arrived at 07.00 hours and got stuck on the beach also. But with these reinforcements there were some efforts made to breakout of the stalemate.

Just one minute after the Shermans with wadingtrunks rolled from their LCT, the first LCVP's would hit the beach. The first wave consisted of ‘E’, ‘F’, ‘I’ and ‘L’ Company, and landed just after 06.30 hours. Unfortunately most of the troops were wide spread, some units of ‘L’ Company drifted almost as far as Port-en-Bessin. The first wave was pinned down between obstacles and below the dunes, and below the cliffs of ‘Fox Red’.

The drama at this part of Omaha Beach was made famous by the pictures war photographer Rober Capa, who went with 'E' Company to shore.

The second wave arrived at 07.00 hours and was also pinned down on the beach. But with these reinforcements a first attempt for a breakthrough was made.

Fox Red, the eastern flank of Omaha Beach, Then and Now

116th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) (Col. Charles D.W. Canham)

Bestaande uit:

1121st Engineer Combat Group:

1171st Engineer Combat Group:

115th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) (Col. Eugene N. Slappey)
Plus toegevoegde ondersteuning.

175th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) (Col. Paul R. Goode)
Plus toegevoegde ondersteuning.

The first wave of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division in the sector 'Dog' and 'Easy', were 'C', 'A', 'G', 'F' and 'E' Company. Just as with the 16th, the landing here was a struggle. Many LCVP landingcraft floated into other sectors, units of 'E' Company ('Easy Green) drifted al the way to 'Fox' Green into the sector of the 16th!

In the sector 'Charlie' landed the 5th Ranger Battalion around 06.20 hours. 65 Rangers in two LCA's took heavy enemy fire and half the men of LCA 1038 were killed in a hale of bullets. The other LCA's was also hit and lost due to shells and mortar fire. The survivors managed to climb the steep hills of 27 meters.

Around 07.00 hours the attack was commenced with support of B Company 116th RCT on the so called 'strong house' atop of the cliff, which was a threat to 'Dog' sector. In this sector the DD tanks were put directly on the beach because of the rough sea. The second wave was also of coarse and spread out over the beach.

Around 07.30 hours general Norman Cota landed in the sector 'Dog' White. The waves of men, vehicles and equipment created a chaos on the beach and the order was given to hold the steady stream of men and goods. The tide was coming in and the beach was brought back to a small strip of sand. General Cota realised that the situation was out of controle. Cota managed to inspire the men of the 116th Regiment, who were scared to death and in shock, to pick up their weapons and start to fight back. With the help of the 5th Rangers Battalion, who needed no 'kick in the butt' (according to there own words) a breakthrough was created around 09.00 hours, under the battle cry of Cota; 'Rangers lead the way!'

The 1st Division was also on the move, and managed a breakthrough by the men of 'E' Company of the 16th RCT around 09.00 hours, near the point were today the American Cemetery is to be found. Around 10.30 hours Wn 65, the point known as Les Moulins, where the 50mm still can be found in the casemat. Some 20 Germans were taken prisoner at Wn 65.

One essential asset may not be overlooked, that was the enormous help by the Navy at some point. When the infantry was pinned down on the beach, some of the Navy destroyers steered close to the beach to give supporting fire on the German strongholds. The battleship USS TEXAS turned her massive guns from Point du Hoc to Omaha and placed some accurate and devastating fire on the German positions.

General Cota and his group of men approached Vierville in a large encirclement, but they had to move back to the beach to clear Exit D1. In Vierville the Germans had built an enormous concrete wall as a roadblock. The TEXAS placed some heavy fire on it, but without success, although it kept the Germans around it, in their bunkers. When finally five shell-shocked Germans did surrender, Cota ordered these men to point out the minefields that led to the beach. It would take the 121st Engineer Battalion the next 14 hours to blow up the concrete roadblock.

At sunset some 34.250 men and 2870 vehicles had been brought ashore at Omaha Beach. Against 'only' 2000 German defenders it had been a bloody struggle for survival for the American troops. The American lost over 4000 men on this strip of beach, some 550 dead, 1900 missing and 1600 wounded. The 29th Division lost 2440 men and the 1st Division 1744. 116th Regiment's 'H' Company was almost completely wiped out. 16th Regiment lost 935 men, with 105 men in 'E' Company alone (out of the 180 men). A total of 79 tanks were destroyed or were sunk at sea. Since D-Day this sector is known as 'Bloody Omaha'.