introduction
The allied assault
On 6th June 1944 joined forces of the United States of America, England, Canada and various other countries launched the largest seaborne invasion ever to be carried out in modern history. Their aim was to overthrow the vicious regime of the Third Reich and make an end to the Nazi reign in Germany.
Landing on the shores of Normandy Allied forces were to seize that area, liberate France and cross the Rhine to reach Berlin. The Allied operations were contributing to the efforts of another offensive. From the east Russian forces pushed west reconquering formerly lost territory, crossing the Eastern European countries and heading towards the German capital. However it would take the Allied armies almost a full year to finally achieve victory.
In 1944 on June 6 at dawn's early light, the armada of the invasion force had completed its journey across the rough tides of the Channel and reached Continental Europe. The troops landed at five designated sections of the Normandy beaches between the mouth of the Orne and the Vire River and west of the Vire. The two beach sections assaulted by US troops were codenamed Omaha and Utah, sited east and west of the Vire River respectively. As the westernmost landing zone the Utah beachhead would also constitute the right flank of the US Divisions. The hinterland of the Utah landing zone was a flat inundated marshland extending several miles inland into the Cotentin peninsula. From the beaches four roads lead inland. Seizure of these causeways was vital to the success of the operation.
The paras drop in
The first men to touch French soil, however, were not seaborne. Prior to the landing of the main invasion force parachute divisions were dropped behind the German beach defenses to seize key objectives. Shortly before midnight they took off on their flight across the Channel towards Continental Europe. Their journey would take them only a few hours and before dawn most of them would be engaged in small skirmishes as well as fierce battles with the German defenders.
US airborne attacks concentrated on the northern part of the Cotentin peninsula and involved the 82d "All American" and 101st "Screaming Eagles" Airborne Divisions. Their objectives were to secure the causeways leading inland from Utah Beach and to protect the beachhead from German counterattacks. Despite careful and extensive preparation not everything went according to plan. Bad weather and fire from German FlaK resulted in scattered drops for most of the paratroopers. One stick from the 101st even landed as much as 20 miles away from their initially intended drop zone.
German communication lines were disrupted by the allied bombing campaign and sabotage actions of the French Resistance. At the same time American troops were widely spread among the Cotentin with individual soldiers often seperated from their respective units. The result was a chaotic situation with both, attackers and defenders, being largely confused about the events beyond their immediate horizon. Nevertheless the attackers were able to proceed as scattered troops of paratroopers assembled and engaged their objectives.