Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach was the Allied codename for one of the principal landing points during the Normandy landings on June 6 1944. The beach is about 3.5 miles long, from St. Hondrine to Vierville sur Mer.
To the west of the beach, the American 29th Infantry Division were to land, to the east, the 1st Infantry Division. The principal objective of the Omaha Beach landing was to secure the line between Port-En-Bessin and the river Vire, before pushing south towards Saint-Lô.
The Germans had adequately prepared their defences along the obstacle-strewn beach, and the gentle downward slope gave them an excellent field of fire. Certain sections of the beach, particularly above the high-water mark, were mined. The German 352nd Division defending Omaha Beach was one of the best trained in the area. The swimming Sherman tanks intended to give armoured support were mostly lost before reaching shore.
The landings at Omaha Beach resulted in heavy Allied casualties. The official record of the 1st Infantry Division stated that "Within 10 minutes of the ramps being lowered, [the leading] company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded... It had become a struggle for survival and rescue". The division suffered over 4000 casualties.
The invasion beaches are still known by their D-Day codenames today.
