65th anniversary of D-Day is coming up

[Ken The Kanuck]

Reading this month's Legion magazine with the articles on the approaching anniversary of D-Day coming up I thought it might be a good time to share.

Not being a military historian and knowing that many here are far more knowledgable than I, I am reluctant to make any claims. But I believe that D-Day and the following activities to free Europe are probably the biggest combined operations ever under taken by any allies. And the most successful.

Anyhow here is the link to the article in the magazine, it is from a Canadian slant naturally. But I'm sure that many folks here can provide information from the American view point and hopefully some can also provide a British perspective.

http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/ind...-and-the-cost/

Also take a look at some of the related articles. This was the greatest generation in my opinion.

KTK

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Louis of PA]

This is Lt. Col. Rudder's command post at the foot of Pont DuHoc on D-Day, before he established it in a shell crater up on top.

The helmet was an officer's who landed elsewhere on D-Day; he survived with minor scrapes, and saved his helmet for a souvenir..


And Ken, the contribution of Canadian forces at Normandy was profound; they were given some of the roughest assignments and took enormous casualties, including the execution of over 100 troops by an SS group.

Here's a bit of history I've gleaned on line and had posted on the old CSP forum. It's a history to be proud of, for all of us.
Regards,
Louis of PA

From http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com...inteduhoc.aspx

“The Rangers headed for the cliffs, but now they found themselves only on the Eastern side of the point when the plan called for landings on both sides. The beach at the base of the cliff was only 30 yards wide and heavily cratered from the bombardment. In order to climb the heights, the Rangers' LCA's were equipped with rocket-fired grappling hooks and the DUKW's were fitted with fireman ladders.

“But, because of the shelling from the USS Texas and others, earth had piled up at the base of the cliff and the DUKW's couldn't approach close enough to the cliff to effectively use their ladders. On the other hand, the piling at the base gave the men some cover from enemy fire and also made the height to climb less.

“After several failed attempts (due to the weight of soaked ropes) and due to the assistance of naval artillery (especially the British destroyer the Talybont), the Rangers finally struggled to the top after incurring only 15 casualties. As men reached the top, they went off in small groups to accomplish their missions.”

From http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com...inteduhoc.aspx
“Up to this point, the German defenders had not yet recovered from their initial confusion. They were slowly regrouping and assembling, and later that day the 916th and 726th counterattacked the Ranger positions. Throughout the day, the USS Satterlee, Barton, and Thompson gave fire support to the Rangers when possible.

“By nightfall, the Rangers were forced back into a 200 yard wide defensive position inside the battery. The Rangers had lost 1/3 of their men and ammunition was running low.

“By June 7th, the next day, of his original 225 men, Rudder had fewer than 100 and almost no food. Despite attempts of the 5th Ranger Battalion that had landed at Omaha Beach four miles to the east, the Rangers remained under siege. By the 8th of June, the 5th Ranger Battalion finally relieved Rudder's position. They were almost 2 days behind schedule.

“In the end, Rudder's Rangers had suffered 70 percent casualties and held off five German counterattacks. Rudder, wounded three times, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his service at Point du Hoc and went on to command the 109th Infantry Regiment later in the war.”

[Louis of PA]

The American Cemetary above Omaha Beach

The burial ground is just a few steps to the left of the path that follows the edge of the cliff. The sectors of Omaha beach were given the codenames of Charlie, Dog, Easy, and Fox (west to east). What a killing zone! Who knows how many M1s and Carbines and GIs lie beneath these waters.

This link describes in sickening detail what happened to the first wave:

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/196011/omaha

“At exactly 6:36 A.M. ramps are dropped along the boat line and the men jump off in water anywhere from waist deep to higher than a man's head. This is the signal awaited by the Germans atop the bluff. Already pounded by mortars, the floundering line is instantly swept by crossing machine-gun fires from both ends of the beach.

“At Boat No. 2, Lieutenant Tidrick takes a bullet through the throat as he jumps from the ramp into the water. He staggers onto the sand and flops down ten feet from Private First Class Leo J. Nash. Nash sees the blood spurting and hears the strangled words gasped by Tidrick: "Advance with the wire cutters!"

“ It's futile; Nash has no cutters. To give the order, Tidrick has raised himself up on his hands and made himself a target for an instant. Nash, burrowing into the sand, sees machine gun bullets rip Tidrick from crown to pelvis. From the cliff above, the German gunners are shooting into the survivors as from a roof top. By the end of one half hour, approximately two thirds of the company is forever gone.”

[Louis of PA]

“Captain Taylor N. Fellers and Lieutenant Benjamin R. Kearfoot never make it. They had loaded with a section of thirty men in Boat No. 6 (Landing Craft, Assault, No. 1015). But exactly what happened to this boat and its human cargo was never to be known. No one saw the craft go down.”

“Zappacosta jumps first from the boat, reels ten yards through the elbow-high tide, and yells back: "I'm hit." He staggers on a few more steps. The aid man, Thomas Kenser, sees him bleeding from hip and shoulder. Kenser yells: "Try to make it in; I'm coming." But the captain falls face forward into the wave, and the weight of his equipment and soaked pack pin him to the bottom.

“Kenser jumps toward him and is shot dead while in the air. Lieutenant Tom Dallas of Charley Company, who has come along to make a reconnaissance, is the third man. He makes it to the edge of the sand. There a machine-gun burst blows his head apart before he can flatten.

“Only one other Baker Company boat tries to come straight in to the beach. Somehow the boat founders. Somehow all of its people are killed -- one British coxswain and about thirty American infantrymen. Where they fall, there is no one to take note of and report.”


This view looks towards the west, and is from where the German defenders were able to shoot down directly into our landing craft. Across the path is the burial ground, with white crosses spreading for acres.

[Ken The Kanuck]

I'm off to the service for an old family friend, he was wounded on Juno Beach on D-Day among other adventures. When he told me the story when we were hunting he said it like it was normal.

KTK

[stonewall56]

Thank you Ken for the very informative article from the Canadian perspective. We need to remember that WWII was an allied effort of U.S., British, Canadian, French, Russian and many other smaller nations.

[jjroth]

BUT by nightfall had made the designated penetration for D-Day.
British forces made theirs by noon D+1, US by D+2.

[Louis of PA]

BUT by nightfall had made the designated penetration for D-Day.
British forces made theirs by noon D+1, US by D+2.

JJ, I recently finished reading two excellent books about the entire Normandy campaign through to the Wehrmacht's complete rout in August.

The Canadians were thrust into a leading role, often spearheading the frontal attacks against superior German Panzers and 88s. Their casualties were enormous. Their bravery was unsurpassed.

D-Day losses were only the appetizer of what was to come for all the allies throughout the meatgrinder that was the Normandy campaign.

Regards,
Louis of PA

[Louis of PA]

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy

from BigHollywoodBreitbart.com

A lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility.

George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often. Obama puts out press releases about his supposed piety. The left sold a great bill of goods to the American people claiming that Bush, et al. were arrogant while insisting that Obama was a “man of the people.”

The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching. Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service.

Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism.

Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day. Obama is very important you know. This is an unprecedented request. I hope the French come to their senses and deny it.

Compare that with 2004. Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all.

A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty (a French port-a-potty no doubt, yuck, believe me.) She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else.

Contrast that with Team Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring.

As the Bamsters unemployment rate pushes 10% (double the Bush average) and his 3.5 trillion dollar budget breaks the USA (the press of course focuses on his 17 billion in “savings.” Way to go 4th Estate.), Obama has more to worry about then denying people the right to attend a memorial service on June 6th.

It’s as if Obama has to let it be known that he is more important than honoring the events and the 9,387 mostly young Americans who died invading Normandy 65 years ago. Will Obama apologize for American actions during WW II at the event?

I think the following quote from Obama himself sums it all up: “a light will shine down from somewhere…. You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, ‘I have to vote for Barack.’”

Watch for yourself: The guy can’t even bring himself to say “shine down from heaven.” Do you really expect him to line up to use the can with the commoners at a Normandy celebration? Americans may start to miss the guy with the humility.

Universal Healthcare, unchecked unions, government run banks, government run autos, cap and trade, turning the 20 million undocumented Democrats into voters: That isn’t America and it surely isn’t what those young boys died at Normandy for.

We elected a fairy tale. We can start the road back to reality in 2010 with the mid-term elections.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Then there was Klinton's trip to Normandy. When the U.S. troops paraded past him, all the M16's had the bolts removed and the officer's pistols didn't have slides. I assume the same "security" will apply for the messiah since he is equally loved.