Re: D-Day was Shermans

Well a couple of people have said something similar, but I'm not sure I
agree.	Omaha was a success, but you can have a debacle that turns out
ok.
I think it's a testament to the men who fought	there that it was a
success.  If you look at the plan and then what actually happened it was
a
debacle.  Everything turned out ok, but almost nothing happened
according
to plan.  In fact about the only thing that DID happen according to plan
is
that the first wave hit when they were supposed to.

Make no mistake, the admiration I feel for the men I fought at Omaha
Beach
is so great I can't adequately express it.  That being said they
succeeded
despite the plan, not because of it.

Just a short list of things that didn't go right at Omaha:

With a couple notable exceptions almost no unit hit where they were
supposed to.
The aerial bombardment was a complete failure.
The naval bombardment was ineffective.
The rocket bombardment missed entirely.
With the exception of the 743rd none of the tank units hit the beach in
operating order.
The infantry had no communications with the forces offshore.

What saved the invasion was the heroism of the men on the beach, and the
destroyers coming in to point blank range to give immediate and accurate
supporting fire.

A successful debacle in my opinion.

Now Market Garden was just an unmitigated disaster.

Bill

									
						
		    John Atkinson					
						
		    <johnmatkinson@yahoo.com>	    To:    
gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU 				     
		    Sent by:			    cc: 		
						
		    owner-gzg-l@lists.CSUA.Be	    Subject:	 Re:
D-Day was Shermans				    
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		    01/10/02 03:15 PM					
						
		    Please respond to gzg-l				 

--- bbrush@unlnotes.unl.edu wrote:

> My point is that there wouldn't be a mass invasion
> against a "hot" beach.

True. BUT:

> A debacle like Omaha wouldn't be excuted again

It's not a debacle if you win.	Granted the 1st and
the 29th got chewed up--but they won.  Side note:  Of
the four units I've been in, 2 were first wave at
Omaha, while the other had been in the second wave in
it's previous incarnation as 1/170 IN.	It's been a
bit of a study of mine.  Highest casualties were
sustained by the 116th INF (VaARNG).  Of the units I
was in, highest casualties was 30% by the 299 EN BN
which was acting as shore parties (not enough UDTs to
go around, so they were standing in).