D-Day
40 minutes after midnight of June 6 the American assault on the Atlantic Wall starts with the dropping of the 82. U.S. Air Borne Division under General Gavin at St Mere Eglise.The 101. U.S. Air Borne Division jumps off soon afterwards. 17 000 men shall protect Utah Beach, one of the two U.S. landing sectors, against German reserves like the 91. Paratrooper Division and cut off the 709. Infantry Division, positioned at the beach, from their reinforcements. At the approach of the Dakotas clouds prevent the optimum drop of the units and many paratroopers land in the marsh or in the water of the meadows flooded by the Germans. The losses are considerable. One target is taken immediately however, because of a hesitating German anti-aircraft gun (flak) commander. The men of the 505. Parachute Regiment come down in St Mere Eglise in the midst of a flak supply unit that takes to one`s heels after a short fight. One of the paratroopers whose chute has got caught at the church steeple of the small market town has a seat in a box.
The English also operate with air borne operations in their landing sectors. These oppose artillery bases like bridges. One of the operations is aimed at a drawbridge over the Orne channel which gets the code name "Pegasus Bridge". Major John Howard of the British 6. Air Borne Division lands with three Horsa gliders within the first minutes of June 6. Within ten minutes the German bridge guard on duty is overwhelmed. Another spectacular action is directed at the battery in Merville. The English reconnaissance believes they are mounted with guns of calibres of 15 cm and the planning staff decides to eliminate this serious threat to their landing beaches in the area Ouistreham -- Lion sur Mere. Lieutenant-Colonel Otway gets the order to wipe out the installation with a company of Canadians by 05.15. In case of a failure of the action the heavy ship artillery shall destroy the bunkers after 05.15. A bomb raid is planned to support the attack of the 750 men but goes wrong. The bombs, among them special versions of 2 tons, hit the small village of Gonneville instead of the battery and wipe it out. The approach of the gliders is also disrupted and finally, at the beginning of the attack, only 150 men are at Otway`s disposal. The rest has been dropped at the wrong place, some of them even 50 km remote from their target. The fight that follows lasts for 30 minutes and the losses are heavy on the both sides. Otway loses 66 of his men, the Germans 100 of their soldiers. Only 22 from them survive the battle. It is tragic that all these men fall in vain. The bunkers are not mounted with calibre 15 cm but with calibre 7,5 cm. And these are unsuitable to fire towards sea targets.
The 1. U.S. Army lands on the western beaches Utah and Omaha, the British and Canadians to the eastern Sword, June and Gold. Utah Beach faces exactly the German base W 5 under the command of Knight's Cross holder Second Lieutenant Jahnke. Heavy bombers pave his base at the dawn. Just like everywhere along and behind the new front to be opened on this day. W 5 is a heap of rubble but when the ships appear at 04.15 hours off the coast, the base is attacked by ship artillery again. All guns fail, ammunition bunkers are blown up. The first battalions are then put ashore and amphibian tanks force their way to the beach. The last German resistance in form of Goliaths, little remote-controlled mini-tanks, only is of short duration. Toward noon the fight must be stopped.
German resistance starts only with a delay and then only without artillery and tank support. The 6.ParatrooperRregiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Friedrich von der Heydte attacks from direction Carentan in direction of St Mere Eglise. The Infantry Regiment 1057 from the west, the Infantry Regiment 1058 from the northwest and the Storm Battalion Messerschmidt from the north. But without heavy weapons the attack does not succeed. This will be provided for the next day by General von Schlieben who has returned from the war game in Rennes.
There are two batteries in the same area. Azeville with four 12.2 cm cannons and these of St. Marcouf/Crisbeque. The latter one represents a danger not to be underestimated for the invasion forces. Four 21 cm long-barrel guns, two of them in bunkers, six 7.5 cm flak and a 15 cm gun are at the disposal of 400 men under the leadership of Lieutenant Ohmsen. This battery is not completed yet for a long time. There is lack of everything: modern fire conducting equipment, steel shades for the bunker openings, ammunition. And still this battery should hold out against a superior opponent for six long days. Despite heavy bomb raids, attacks of U.S. paratroopers and ship gun attacks. The battery sinks three destroyers and concentrates the fire of the battleships Nevada and Arkansas as well as of the Texas which are transferred from Omaha Beach. A direct hit of the Nevada in one of the bunkers destroys one of the 21cm guns. A similar hit happens at the battery Azeville where a wind-gap hit turns off a gun. In the evening of June 11 Ohmsen and his 78 surviving marines get the order from Admiral Hennecke in Cherbourg., to break off. They make it to Cherbourg and Ohmsen receives the Knight's Cross for unusual bravery. However, it could not prevent the successful landing on Utah Beach. After the war Ohmsen becomes Lieutenant-Commander in the new federal navy.
