European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Within minutes private sales was the Only one left29th div soldiers were on wrong end of a Turkey shoot file All the company commanders of 1st in 116th inf regt were killed june 6. What happened at Omaha Beach Robert sales by Cindy k1llion Washington Bureau b Edford a. A a by Nightfall is year old pvt. Robert sales was a staff sergeant. A everyone else was killed a he said. A there were 30 men in my a Landing Craft and i was the Only one who lived Lertg enough to get onto the that a the Way Omaha Beach evolved for the 116th inf regt 29th inf div on june 6, 1944 a 800 of the 2,000 men assigned to the regiment were dead or wounded by the end of a the longest most men were National guardsmen from Virginia and Maryland. Survivors agree that the hardest part was seeing friends and family dead and wounded. Quot we All grew up together. A lot of us were related a sales said. A a we never had a Chance a said Bob Slaughter Roanoke va., of co d. A to this Day i believe the planners of a Day never dreamed we would run into that kind of a Slaughter then a sergeant described the invasion As an a awesome the Armada of More than 4,000 ships plus air corps bombers and fighters overhead the battleship Texas firing 2,000-Pound artillery rounds a gave us the idea that this would be a walk in and wed be Home by but As his Landing Craft Drew closer to Shore and Dawn broke Slaughter saw the chaos. It was Clear that his regiment whose colors h id been under past commanders like col. George Washington and Gen. Stonewall Jackson was in the wrong end of a Turkey shoot. Getting to the Beach was the first Battle he said. A a the English Channel w As really rough a he recalled. A my Craft began to take water from 7-fool Waves coming Over the Bow. Soon All hands were bailing water with their helmets a when we weren to puking As the boat got near the Shore bullets started slamming into its armoured sides. Slaughter said. A we were about 150 Yards out. The British Coxs am shouted to step Back. 1 be said he was going to lower the ramp and for us All to get Slaughter said a senior noncommissioned. Of ice told the coxswain to take the boat in. Closer so the men drown under All their heavy equipment. The British Sailor refused. Slaughter said the no upholstered his .45-caliber pistol put it to the Seaman a head and said a fall the was in a the boat went to Shore. Sales of Lynchburg va., then assigned to co j b. Credits clumsiness for his survival. He should have been fourth out. Of his Landing Craft. Quot the company commander was first out and first hit. He was screaming tin hit a and then w ent Down in the surf. The next two went out and were hit right away. Quot then it was my turn 1 ran through the opening but caught my Heel on the ramp and fell out sideways a everyone else still in the boat was under direct enemy fire. They All sales said a mortar explosion a knocked me continual on in Uge s by Mark Kinkade staff writer it has been called a bloody Omaha a and for Good reason More than 2,500 american casualties fell on the 2.5-mile Crescent of French Beach on june 6,1944. V corps plan called for two regimental combat teams the 116th. And 16th, to make the initial assault. Then the 1st and 29th divisions would come ashore. Ideally the assault would establish a beachhead 16 Miles wide and 6 Miles deep by Nightfall. The americans were to take and hold the beachhead against a division of German conscripts thought to be mostly teen age boys and old men. This breach in Adolf hitlers Atlantic defences would give Allied troops a staging area with four ravines or draws in from the Beach. But Only Days before the germans added the Battle toughened 352nd inf div to the defense of the coastline. The americans also faced the toughest geographic obstacles of the Landing. Rough seas hampered the invasion. The four draws were heavily guarded and reinforced with Concrete Walls. Steep 100-foot Cliffs waited at the Edge of the Beach and the tide would shift just As the invasion began creating a Beach at least 400 Yards wider than expected. To defend the Beach the germans built eight Concrete bunkers with 75 my or larger guns 35 pillboxes four artillery batteries 18 anti tank guns six mortar pits 35 rocket launching Sites and 85 Inachin gun nests. The . Battleships Texas and Arkansas As Well As a score of smaller vessels began hammering the defences before the invasion. Then the assault ships moved into position. The Omaha Nightmare began As soon As the first troops left their assault ships. High Waves swamped Landing crafts sending nearly 300 men to drown in the surf. Most of the support artillery was also lost to the tides As transports were swamped and overturned. Preliminary air and ship bombardment failed to soften German gun emplacements. The first wave of about 3,000 v corps troops from the 1st and 29th divisions were supposed to have Armor support when they landed but of 64 tanks dropped into the water offshore Only 34 made it to the the tide out american Landing Craft foundered on sandbars off the Beach. The germans sat in their bunkers and triangulated their fire at the Landing Craft ripping soldiers to ribbons As the doors of the Landing Craft opened. T he assault was in disarray. The Omaha Beach a Omaha Beach and the Normandy american cemetery Are about 40 mites from Caen. To get there from Caen take route n13 e46 to Bayeux. Either take d6 to the Beach and follow d514 along the top of the Cliffs West to the cemetery or follow n13 e46 to intersection with d517 to and follow signs. Soldiers who Hadnot drowned or been Cut Down by enemy fire were scrambling for cover in the rough surf. Some were pinned behind German barricades and ran for the Beach Only to be gunned Down As they reached the Sandy Edge. Engineers with most of their equipment lost in the surf Clear the obstacles or reach the Walls guarding the draws from the Beach. The Navy in the meantime was driving in closer to the Beach to Hammer the germans with artillery. A amps Susan Harns fire. At about 11 a.m., 16th inf regt commander col. George a. Taylor made his famous statement a two kinds of people arc staying on this Beach the dead and those who arc going to die. Now lets get the hell out of Here a eventually a few soldiers rallied to reach i Orville sur mar. By noon 200 americans held the Small town. By Nightfall the americans held a Small beachhead 6 Miles Long and 2 Miles wide. The attics had kicked open the door to fortress Europe. June 6, 1994 a stars and stripes commemorative edition 7
