10 Myths about Omaha Beach - Normandy, June 1944
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- 10 Myths about Omaha Beach - Normandy, June 1944
With Paul Woodadge
Part of our DDay and Normandy Playlist
• DDay and the Battle of...
Also part of our Myths series
• WWII Myths - A series ...
In today's show I will go through 10 of the most commonly repeated myths about Omaha beach, including about DD tanks and Funnies, Hein Severloh and German machine guns, casualties and I will also talk a little about the origin of the myths and of course Saving Private Ryan.
I get a bit ranty and swearing in this one lol!
Myths Examined
1) Houses on Omaha Beach - it being a beach resort
2) Hitler's buzzsaw - 85 MG42s along Omaha Beach
3) "Elite" German Defenders
4) The Beast of Omaha
5) Casualties
6) The Sherman DD Tanks all sank
7) They should only have used veteran troops and/or the USMC
8) The "stupid" Americans refused the wonderful British Funnies
9) Omaha Beach was a disaster
10 So what was the worse beach?
Bonus - The Bleeding Stones
Some great resources used:
Defending Normandy - 1940-1944
www.youtube.co...
Stützpunkt Vierville - WN74, 73, 72 and 71 - (Omaha Beach) Normandy
www.youtube.co...
www.thearmoryl...
The Butcher of Omaha (Hein Severloh). A WWII Myths show
www.youtube.co...
www.dday.org/ - for DDay Casualties www.dday.org/l...
No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944
ua-cam.com/users/li...
The Disaster of the DDay Tanks
• The Disaster of the DD...
An interesting theory about using Funnies on Omaha Beach
www.quora.com/...
D-Day Nerd reacts to Omaha Beach Documentary (Surviving D-Day)
• D-Day Nerd reacts to O...
Fragments of D-Day Battle Found in Omaha Beach Sand
www.livescienc...
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10 myths about the Battle of Caen would certainly be a good one Woody! There are a number of post war historians including Anthony Beevor, Stephen Ambrose and Max Hastings who criticised the British performance at Caen unfairly, totally ignoring the density and quality of the German forces defending the city.
Not to mention the number who criticize Canadians for not taking Caen when it wasn’t even an objective. 🤬
@@LeftCoastStephen Yes the 7th and 9th Canadian Brigades did a good job defeating the counter attacks of the 12th SS, 21st Panzer and Panzer Lehr Divisions.
Exactly, there might have been a panzer division with something to say about getting there by the afternoon
@Unreliablecaptionbot Went from 3 Panzer divisions on D-day to a further 5 Panzer formations coming in from the eastern front including 3 Heavy tank battalions of Tiger I's and Tiger II's and a battalion of Jagdpanthers.
The British and Canadians at Caen took on two SS Panzer Corps with over 600 German tanks.
I would also be interested in that subject. It is a topic that seems to bring out nationalistic biases that cloud what is actually known about the fight. There certainly were aspects on the Allied side worthy of criticism in that series of engagements but there were some unfair assumptions/conclusions as well. I don’t think Beevor or Ambrose are any knowledgeable person’s benchmarks at this point in time.
One of the best WW2TV episodes recorded so far! Also a “Must Watch” for anyone with even a remote interest in WWII. Thanks Paul!!
Thanks Dave
Ranty Woody is the best version of Woody lol, absolutely one of your best shows I have watched. Thanks for this!
Glad you enjoyed it Patrick
We won't mention how Monty needed to bring in non US personnel to rescue them at the Falaise pocket, nor my why Father and his fellow British Army personnel were in Rome before the Americans "liberated" it.
Thanks! I do appreciate all the videos you do. Not a huge fan of the profanity but I am NOT asking you to change.
Thanks again.
Thanks very much. Im a working class Englishman who swears a lot
@@WW2TV By the way, you are the very first person I have ever super-thanked and I have watched probably over 5000 videos with probably half of them WWII related. I was born in 52 and grew up on Combat!, 12 O’Clock High, Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo and every fighter pilot book I could find.
I truly appreciate the refinement of my knowledge by you, and the Unauthorized History of the Pacific War podcast.
Married to a Brit born when Cumbria when it was Cumberland.
Thank you very much, but if you have watched 2500 WWII videos you might want to consider supporting the channels you watch with a regular contribution by Patreon or UA-cam channel membership. It's only through such funding, we can continue
“Greetings” Paul! Greg here from Richmond, Virginia just up the road from the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford.
I’ve had the opportunity to interview one of the Bedford Boys and loved ones of soldiers from Bedford who never made it home. As a journalist I had the pleasure and honor of covering the grand opening of the Memorial in 2001. Thank you for clearing up some of the long-standing myths. Outstanding show. Keep up the great work.
One of Woody’s greatest shows ever. He dismantles myths right and left by using facts and data. Lots of people avoid reality but reality always wins out. Give ‘em hell Woody and never stop. Carry on
Brilliant show! You should do more like this. I have been guilty of believing some of these myths and not truly appreciating the scale of the operation beyond D-Day until I got older.
When I visited Omaha Beach in 2023, I wasn’t surprised to see houses all around, but I hadn’t really thought of it as a vacation spot. It felt odd standing there while others played in the water or sunbathed. But that contrast is the point. It serves as a reminder that the soldiers fought so life could go on.
43:20
“Never let the facts get in the way of a good story” seems to be the motto of many.
That is the motto of UA-cam.
@@tristrambrelstaff4850It was Hollywood’s motto long before UA-cam existed.
I applaud your effort to dispel myths about WW2. The people who understand history get it, and the rest may never get it. Your task is like one that Sisyphus has in the ancient myth. Keep trying my friend!
Thanks Tom
A really necessary episode to put things back on track and into perspective. Thanks Paul.
Yet another superb presentation Woody. Dispelling them Omaha myths one day at a time! 👏🏻🪖
For anyone developing an interest in real history and WW2, this is the stuff. Treat yourself to a longer format and casual friendly talks with your future professors/mates/bros who are badass. You deserve it. 👍🏻
Yeah man I am so happy to have found WW2TV, its a real little gem here on UA-cam!
I think the "worst beach" was the one you had the misfortune to be on.
That's a very good point - thanks
@@WW2TV My dad, who was with the 82nd in Normandy at Timmes' Orchard, once told me that it took a lot more courage to do a beach landing than yto jump out of a plane where the enemy wasn't exactly sure where you were and how many friends yo had with you.
Dover?
Always appreciate some mythbusting. We can always learn more. Learning about things we had no idea about. Learn about things we've only heard about in passing. Or correcting what we in fact had wrong and didn't know it. Thanks Paul!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for such a great myth busting show!!👍
Our pleasure! Thanks for the donation
This is awfully good! The best kind of history: debunking nonsense. Great stuff!
When considering casualties for Omaha, or DDay as a whole, it’s worth remembering casualties for DDay training alone cost possibly over 1,000 killed + wounded (e.g. Slapton Sands or Lyme Bay).
Great stuff, Paul. When I lived in Stuttgart, my next door neighbor was a retired Bundespost worker who'd been a sergeant in the 352nd. He'd served on the Eastern Front and was at Omaha Beach on 6 June (and later captured during Market Garden). Among the many things he related to me about his experiences on D-Day was the fact that his division at that time was a mix of Russian front vets and recently called-up youngsters. Their training was not as good as it should have been because they spent all their time working on defenses instead of combat reaction drills, close quarters battle, weapons training, and the like. As you stated, they were an average infantry unit that was stale. He also got a good laugh when I mentioned that some so-called experts made the 85 MG-42s claim. "Rubbish," he stated. "I don't think we had a dozen," and went on to state exactly what you said. Most of their MGs were French or Czech. He didn't think there were more than forty MGs of all types at Omaha. He also stated that if they'd fired their MGs at the rate depicted in the movies, they would have #1 melted the barrels of the weapon and #2 been completely out of ammunition in two minutes. Switching gears, I think the location of the U.S. cemetery causes many visitors to believe that everyone buried there was killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. I've taken groups of family and friends to Normandy over the years and am always amazed by the number of people who believe that (and also think Easy Co of the 506h PIR single-handedly won the war.)
Thanks for confirming my theories Jack
@@WW2TV You're quite welcome.
Would love to see this done, also highlighting that Montgomery in his April presentation of his plan highlighted that he fully expected the British and Canadians to soak up the bulk of Panzer Divisions who were inevitably going to cross their paths first. Montgomery also said he expected this containment to allow the American divisions to break out.
Yesterday's Normandy D-Day myths presentation was epic - Woody at his passionate best!
"While during the planning there had been lofty talk, from Montgomery especially, of driving beyond Caen on D-Day, deep concern had also been expressed that the entire enterprise might fail."
Forces News The Days After D-Day: What Happened Next
"These failed attempts to outflank Caen were an early demonstration of flaws in British tactics, as well as the debilitating effect of the confined Normandy landscape and the impressive fighting qualities of German forces. 7th Armoured Division's previous experience of mobile warfare in North Africa did not readily translate to a congested European battlefield. With its infantry left too far behind, it had been stopped in its tracks in terrain unsuitable for the large scale deployment of tanks."
IWM Tactics and the Cost of Victory in Normandy
this would definitely be a good myth busting session.
@@nickdanger3802 Excerpted from "Appreciation on Possible Development of Operations to Secure a Lodgement Area", produced by 21st Army Group Planning, May 7, 1944 (one month before D-Day). This was forwarded to First US Army Group, among others, on 18 May under a covering letter which reads in part, "With regard to the outline of action at Part IV, this represents the Commander-In-Chief's [Montgomery's] intentions as far as they can be formulated at this stage."
IV. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
The type of country immediately South of the initial bridgehead does not favour a rapid advance. The Allied build-up relative to the estimated German build-up indicates that a period may supervene round about D+14, when there will be a grave risk of operations stabilising on a line which gives the Germans advantages in defence. The greatest energy and initiative will be required at this period to ensure the enemy is not allowed to stabilise his defence.
" Once through the difficult bocage country, greater possibilities for manoeuvre and for the use of armour begin to appear. *Our aim during this period should be to contain the maximum enemy forces facing the Eastern flank of the bridgehead, and to thrust rapidly toward Rennes.* "
"On reaching Rennes our main thrust should be towards Vannes; but diversionary thrusts with the maximum use of deception should be employed to persuade the enemy that our object is Nantes."
" *If, at this time, the enemy weakens his Eastern force to oppose us North of Redon, a strong attack should be launched toward the Seine.* "
@@nickdanger3802 Excerpted from "Appreciation on Possible Development of Operations to Secure a Lodgement Area", produced by 21st Army Group Planning, May 7, 1944 (one month before D-Day). This was forwarded to First US Army Group, among others, on 18 May under a covering letter which reads in part, "With regard to the outline of action at Part IV, this represents the Commander-In-Chief's [Montgomery's] intentions as far as they can be formulated at this stage."
IV. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
The type of country immediately South of the initial bridgehead does not favour a rapid advance. The Allied build-up relative to the estimated German build-up indicates that a period may supervene round about D+14, when there will be a grave risk of operations stabilising on a line which gives the Germans advantages in defence. The greatest energy and initiative will be required at this period to ensure the enemy is not allowed to stabilise his defence.
Once through the difficult bocage country, greater possibilities for manoeuvre and for the use of armour begin to appear. *Our aim during this period should be to contain the maximum enemy forces facing the Eastern flank of the bridgehead, and to thrust rapidly toward Rennes.*
On reaching Rennes our main thrust should be towards Vannes; but diversionary thrusts with the maximum use of deception should be employed to persuade the enemy that our object is Nantes.
*If, at this time, the enemy weakens his Eastern force to oppose us North of Redon, a strong attack should be launched toward the Seine.*
Thank you for this, Woody. And count me as a vote for your Caen show.
But tell us how you really feel, Woody! I am so glad you were able to take the time to do this one. Now when someone goes off about the failure at Omaha, we can just send them here. For me, some of the appeal of Omaha is in the way it started out badly, and then through ingenuity and perseverance, the Americans prevailed. I know that my interest in the naval aspects of WWII (I had Army men as a kid, not ships and planes) was really piqued by the efforts of the destroyers to come in close to help out with their 5 in. guns. It was a team, come-from-behind victory, and these will always play well. Cheers! Beers for everyone!
What a fantastic episode. Thank you for your candor and knowledge!
Absolutely loving it Paul, you are a man who is clearly a master of his craft, with the greatest and utmost respect to the other chaps you have mentioned, your wording and your swearing you have ne in fits ..
Bloody brilliant as ever.😂😂😂
Great stuff as always, Paul...thank you for keeping up with the mythbusting. It is important but thankless work to make sure that people are being told the real truth, and not mythology.
Loved the video. I’m looking forward to your video about the British failure to reach Caen on the first day. In memory of George John Ball 1/Middlesex. RIP 🏴
It won't be for a while, as I have a lot of research to do
With regards to acceptable losses, I'm reminded of something my late mother told me. She had been a British Army nurse, seeing service in Malaya during the Emergency and doing two tours of Germany, in the 1950s. That even for exercises they had statistics for anticipated deaths and injuries so that the appropriate medical and nursing services could be provided. All well and good, but not much comfort if you are the squaddie crushed under the Centurion's tracks on Lüneburg Heath.
Just watched your whole presentation from last night, a brilliant myth busting show Woody. As always you are at the top of your game, thanks Woody a great show
Excellent presentation. Thank you Paul.
This may be my favorite D-Day video ever made. Absolute gold (yes, an oblique reference to one of Britain’s many contributions)
Amazing as always Woody, debunks many a myth with facts
One and half hour well spend. Thanks for gathering all this knowledge.
I only just started but already learned 10 things! Thanks Paul. Popular history is often full of misconceptions and inaccuracies
You're welcome 😊
The only channels I believe WW2 or history underground! I learned more from you guys than any other channel! JUST FACTS
The we have ways podcast with James Holland and Al Murray is good too.
As Salaam Woody. This was amazing. This has been one of my favourites this year. You covered ever so many topics that I'd be writing a account of the 80 years war if I addressed them. Thanks so much for this important presentation.
What a fantastic watch this is! Just subscribed and have to say I'm REALLY looking forward to you dispelling the myths about us,(the Brits that is), being the poor relation in the offensive because we took a time to take Caen...it's been a bug bear of mine for many years... Does my head in!!
Keep up the fantastic work😊,
Andy
Welcome aboard Andy, you will find another 1700 or so videos to check out. I'm doing a US Airborne myths show next week. I will do the Caen one, but it will require some serious prep
Really informative episode Paul, thanks so much for this. Glad you cleared up The Funnies one for me
Great show! I've been on the October tour with Paul (if you have the chance to dothis tour, do it!). And after the Falaise day, this whas one of my favorites. His debunking of the myth was an eyeopener. I already drifted away from the bloody Omaha beach narrative some years ago but walking the ground and hearing from someone who knows his stuff is different. One of the biggest "aha"moments whas the sheir distance between the bunkers, tobruks or other defensive positions. We really had to walk a few minutes from one place to the other, so no continous line of defence. Then there was the problem of ammo (that runs out if you shoot) and the place you had to go, under fire, to get new stuff, also a long walk (10 minutes??) to tje ammo bunkers. I know the Germans stole the bikes in the Netherlands but I doubt they where send to Normandy, so walking it is. So, you are under fire, out of ammo and have to walk back and forth to get some ammo. You need to be motivated, well- trained, patrioctic, fanatic or stupid or a combination. Long story short, less defensive places that I thought I would see, long distances between them, long distances from ammo dumps, under fire and a lot of other variables. So, yes I liked this recap of a show a lot :)
Paul 'Ranter' Woodage, thank you for posting. This was one of your best episodes; both informative and entertaining.
My biggest peeve is Heinrich "Beast of Bodmin Moor" Severloh and his claim of 2000 kills that gets repeated ad nauseum.
I did learn a couple of new things and can now point towards this video the next time I encounter someone spouting horsesh!t or bollox regarding Omaha Beach / the D-Day landings.
Keep.up the excellent work.
👍😎
Yes please to the 10 myths of not taking Caen on D-Day. 😎
I remember your work with Indy and Sparty for their D Day series. Very informative, some much needed myth busting.
Although a few errors slipped through in that coverage with the use of a couple of fake German accounts
Just catching up, well put as ever. I’m defo in for the Caen myth busting session. 👍
This episode is one of my favorite! Great one Woody!
Thanks Tony, see you Friday
Excellent video Woody! Really well said
Logical and well presented facts to dispel these myths, well done Woody. Yes please do the British Myth buster.
This was epic. Fantastic presentation. Great myth busting and I learned a lot here.
Enjoyed the show Woody, loved the ‘ranting’, somebody had to do it! 😊 Would love to see a show about Caen.
That was terrific Paul! Thanks lots! I’ll look forward to your Caen show.
This was delightful! Thanks Woody!! You are a fount of knowledge and I love you sharing it.
I know some things
A brilliant summary. Very clearly and thoroughly explained.
Good stuff Woody. This is where I say that I talked to Joe Balkowski at a war games convention in 1980 in New York. He was working at Simulations Publications Inc. at the time.
Excellent show Paul!
Excellent talk! Thank you for this. I suppose I've always been guilty of the Omaha Beach over focus and never really thought about how that does a disservice to the men on the other beaches who also did their duty to save the world from tyranny.
You mentioned Dale Dye. He wrote a book called 'Citadel' (sometimes titled 'Run between the raindrops'. The absolute best story I've ever read set during the Vietnam War and the battle for Hue
Interesting Woody how one judges a 'disaster' of a battle and the criteria used? The same might be said of the Battle of the Somme. The 1st July 1916, regarded as a relative disaster, but by the end of the battle in November, a palpable success! So how does one judge it... Great show as always thank you! 👏🏻
Excellent episode watched it on catch up and to answer Jeff Braaton there were a few flame throwers taken to Arnhem and were part of the Royal Engineers orbat.......
Another great myth busting episode, keep up the great work. Also you are right about dishonouring the memories of those that died or were injured by it being called a disaster. It obviously wasn't!
Awesome! Loved that you took on each myth head on- bravo!
Another great and interesting video. Very thought provoking.
Thanks!
Rant away! Loved this. Well done Woody.
Well, done Paul, an excellent myth busting presentation.
Absolutely great show, busting some of the myths about Omaha Beach. I thought you were pretty restrained when discussing some of the 'Hollywood History" rubbish that gets spouted time and time again.
Your point at 1:17: 00 is spot on, that to call it a disaster insults the memory of those who fell that day!! If it was such a disaster, why did it succeed in creating a bridgehead? Of course there were things that went wrong, but that happened on all of the invasion beaches!!
As for the Seveloh story (fairy tale) what were all his mates doing while he shot 1000 - 2000 U.S troops? Maybe they were sat on their arses, drinking beer and "watching the show"
Please, please do the Caen myth busting show!!
Thanks. I am doing a US Airborne on DDay myths show next. I will do a Caen one, but it will take time to do the research
Absolutely brilliant show, keep it up
Thanks, will do!
Great episode! Lots of intresting stuff.
The 'bleeding pebbles' was one i haven't heard about.
Same here that was a new one for me
Thanks
Another great show, I would love to see a show about the myths of Caen
What people forget the barrels get very hot, the last thing you want to do is to warp the barrel or run out of ammunition, and wait for it, cleaning the bore which will be done when it is swapped out. The last thing you want is a heavily coked (sooted) up barrel and you're having to heavily use a wire bore brush as bullets are cracking over your head!
Yep, standard machine procedure. Short bursts, barrel changes etc
@@WW2TV Forget Hollywood, 20 rounds of ammo on full auto, you'll go through in 2 seconds. When put into context that is 2 magazines full of rifle ammo. Now here's the kicker that I will never forget, one of the producers of either saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers said they went through more ammo than on D-Day so that says it all really!
Excellent analysis as always
I enjoyed watching this. I'd like to see a lot more debunking of myths. Sadly we have lost practically all of the men who were there, and my first hand knowledge of those who were there (British), is their reluctance to discuss the events they had lived through.
Reading Honor Untarnished explained the 4 hours of hell on Omaha by a Lt Col., pinned down until a Destroyer pounded the bluff at point blank, then doubled back so close to the beach, he thought it would get grounded.
All the German fire shifted to the brave sailors. The engineers blew the seawall, and his sector broke out of Dog Green.
I believe the depiction of Omaha being different has been around as long as I can remember. I'm 72, and I recall reading articles about Omaha when I was in my early teens, which decried the casualties but never considered it a disaster since the beach was taken. The dramatic taking of Point du Hoc by the US Army Rangers (which has always been stated to have been on Omaha Beach) I think has been some of the impetus driving the Omaha impressions. Of course, many if not most of the productions discussing the Normandy invasion were made by Americans who, naturally, would be more interested in the role Americans played in the campaign and dramatize that. I'm sure it would be the same for any British books and movies. And who could blame them? Most of these productions are entertainment and would appeal to a certain audience. This doesn't not excuse productions that purport to be documentaries on UA-cam, etc. from promulgating inaccurate information.
Excellent show Paul.
😊 great job, Woody, analytical approach, I have often wondered as some were perpetuated by books I read and later ' verified' by you tube .
Maybe you can do something similar on the Caen battles.
Carlo D'este book , floated some and Steve ambrose flew some other balloons.
Absolutely brilliant show! Thanks
I so appreciate your channel.
Myths about Caen would be an excellent topic! I'm a yank but I don't share the reflexive dislike of Monty that many of my countrymen have. I think he was an outstanding leader, if a flawed human being. I tend to agree with James Holland and Al Murray, if the Allies were so terrible, how come they won?
Glad you got it out.
Thx for an amazing show! There is an recorded interview with Eisenhower which he says there was 8(X) machine guns on Omaha beach. Only heard the interview but dont know when it was recorded or where he got the info from. Thx for bringing life to my evening ❤
I think the Timeghost D-Day did a good job. They highlighted the stiff fight on Juno and also highlighted how tough it got for the forces coming off Utah and how the Omaha situation improved greatly once they got off the beach.
I hope some of that was my influence on the film shoot
Great episode, thanks a lot Woody 👍🏼
If you want a definitive knowledge of the Normandy Beaches, then Woody provides it. I used his knowledge and previous shows to be the 'unofficial' guide for our visit to Normandy. ALL our group compliment me on the info supplied, they erred, they should have complimented Woody.
Enjoy ya pint or two m8
Thanks mate
Thank you Woody. You debunked a couple of things there for me-at the very least set me off to cross check against other sources like any good historian. Love the overall message and to keep in mind the over mediatisation and popular memory of Omaha vs other beaches vs other timings in the back pocket!
Out of interest, what were the things you double-checked? Thanks for the comment
@ double cross check not yet complete but these are my go to:. 1// % casualty rates on other beaches. 2// Tanks in first wave. My understanding is 32 DDs with 29th and 1st. 28 of of the 29ths sank. All of the 1sts made it to shore. I’d love your view.
You just need to watch the Steve Zaloga show in the links for the full story of the DDs. Your figure for the DDs is for the 741st, not including the 743rd. Often the stats cited even on reputable sources are incorrect
Nicely explained.
Great show Woody!!!
Great show Paul! Thanks!
Thanks very much
He sounds like a teacher who is his 40th year in the job.
Nice one Woody one of your best. Just finished Peter Caddik-Adams tome yes it is a big book but great nevertheless. On casualties one thing he states which I hadn't known. That as many casualties in the year before D Day from training exercises as on D Day.
Yep, that's true
Omaha is like good old Keir Starme mythology 🤣
OMG YES PLEASE Woody, myths of Caen
Thanks very much Paul.
My grandfather was an MP and at his funeral, one of his war buddies told me a story about first seeing Germans near Cherbourg. They had to escort prisoners. They were all amped up, and then they saw the prisoners had all their possessions bagged up and one of them had a goat on a rope leash. They were thinking “These guys aren’t so tough.” Then they realized they weren’t speaking German and were from one of the Soviet -Stan nations.
The '85 machine guns':
The figure comes from planning estimates. There was an old site on USS Corry with some documentation that included an intelligence summary stating that figure.
The British AORG report used those planning figures for OMAHA's and UTAH's calculations as that's all they could get, not having had any access to the actual beaches. They used actual - as near as could be obtained - weapon and casualty totals for , G, J and S.
One day I may pluck up the courage to ask Michael A what his figure is for 'active' MG positions on OMAHA...
Edit: AORG Report No. 292 states:
"The figures for areas G, J and S are taken from COHQ Special Observer Party Report, for areas U and O from the Report by Allied Naval C-in-C Expeditionary Force on Operation 'NEPTUNE'. These are the only sources available."
Thanks Andrew. Yep which ones were active would be VERY interesting. I have NEVER seen a photo of any weapon behind Omaha beach showing piles of spent cases. I don't think anyone has any idea how many round were actually fired that day
@@WW2TV Hmm... not quite as straightforward as I remembered it. The report from the USS Corry site was 'after action' but says "The annotated shoreline sketches show beach defenses as determined by Photo-Interpretation and, where possible, after D-Day by shore reconnaissance" which suggests not all positions were surveyed. It goes on to list "the approximate total number of active beach defense weapons", including our "85 Positions less than 37 mm (MG)" on OMAHA. And the 'annotated shoreline sketches' weren't included!
So that could even include foxholes for rifleman? I definitely think it includes Mortar tobruks, if you add all them, and maybe the small ops, you get closer to 85
@@WW2TV I think there was a tendency to 'worst-case' every spur in a trench system as a potential MG position.
There is a naval target list in some of the ops orders with brief descriptions of the targets including numbers of MGs (some of which seem rather large). It will take some time to crunch as non-beach grid refs need to be stripped out.
I wish I wasn't so rusty on this...
A rough count against the V Corps Target List 25 May 44 (in the 1 US Div Field Order No. 35 on the First Division Museum site) gives:
88 (85) MG, 4 antitank guns, 5 medium guns, 5 casemates (18 'guns'), 4 (6) mortars, 7 'infantry weapons' and 4 AA MG. Figures in brackets are AORG/ANCXF/US Int.
That's from T[arget]40 (WN60?) to T74 (WN74).
I'm still happy that AORG were using pre-D-Day guesstimates in the absence of surveyed data, for what it's worth!
Loved this! Please please please do Caen- and soon!
Saw this pop up and spotted it would be our host the man himself Woody.
So a no brainer make a cuppa put my feet up and enjoy 😃👍
Thanks Woody, enjoyed this
A brilliant episode, I'm all for more of the same. Cheers Paul
Really enjoyed 👍🏻
Great show Woody. I hope you had a beer afterwards.
Thank you Woody
brilliant stream, saying it as is as always, enjoy your pint 👍
Gotta love a Woody rant.
I feel that, as the expert you are on this, you need to keep getting the message out there that not everything you read is correct and this is something that I have learned (and continue to do) from the early days of this channel.
Also, don't trust click bait titles to hook the viewers in!
Thanks Willie