A final article in my D-Day series for this year. This article was developed from a paper in one of my Masters Degree classes and I originally published it on this website in 2010. It is important to remember that D-Day did not end the war in Europe and that much difficult fighting continued. In fact the typical American infantry regiment lost 100% of its personnel to death, wounds or capture in the months following D-Day. The losses were made good by replacements but were crippling by December 1944 and January 1945 when emergency measures had to be taken to provide infantry replacements. As the veterans of Normandy pass away it is important to remember that many more than those that landed on June 6th 1944 would give their lives against the Nazis. They should not be forgotten. Peace, Padre Steve+
US 155mm Howitzer in Normandy. The American artillery was considered the best branch of the American combat arms by the German commanders
It took nearly a week for the American V and VII Corps on Omaha Beach and Utah Beach to link up with each other and secure their beachheads against fierce German resistance. Elements of the 29th Division and the 90th Division pushed inland from OMAHA to expand the beachhead toward UTAH. Opposed by the 352nd Division, elements of the 91st Airlanding Division and other non-divisional units the American divisions took heavy casualties. The fighting revealed the inexperience of the American infantry formations and the uneven quality of their leadership as they tackled the Germans in the labyrinth of the Bocage country. However by June13th the link up was solid enabling the Americans to conduct the follow up operations needed to expand the beachhead…
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The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 