Belloc, Eric Objectif Omaha Beach

6 Juin 1944 - 6H30

Omaha Beach is certainly one of the most famous beaches of the five landing sectors. On this 7 km long beach lined with cliffs, American troops suffered their heaviest losses on 6 June 1944. Opposing the Americans, the Wehrmacht's 716th Infantry Division defended the beach with machine gun nests, kilometres of barbed wire entanglements, thousands of mines, flamethrowers, trenches and anti-tank barriers blocking the exits from the beach. At around 2 a.m. on 6 June, the first ships came into view of the Normandy coast and dropped anchor in front of a thick artificial fog screen. At 5 a.m., the first landing craft set off for the beach in heavy seas. At 6:30 a.m., the first units of the 1st and 29th US Infantry Divisions stormed the beach under a hail of fire. The American commander considered aborting the operations as the situation reports were disastrous. However, intensive bombardment and the dispatch of new reinforcements succeeded in turning the tide. By the evening of 6 June, nearly 3,800 of the 34,250 soldiers who had landed were killed, wounded or missing. This memorial, created on the basis of collections from museums and private individuals, traces the path of the 1st and 29th US Infantry Divisions, from their formation and training to the tragic hours of the landing and their journey during the Battle of Normandy to Germany. The sacrifice of these men remains one of the great deeds of the landings and forever links their fate to that of this beach, which has since been nicknamed Bloody Omaha.