BlackFive

Why did the destroyers have to close on the beach to take out guns?  The anti-ship batteries (such as at Longes, photos to come, and at Pointe du Hoc) faced outward and could be engaged by ships in broadsides running parallel to the coast.  The shore defense batteries, however, had thick walls facing the sea, and their openings were designed to point down the coast.  You can see how thick some of those sea-walls were from the photo above.

 

 

The idea was to protect the shore batteries from naval guns, while allowing them full range to fire up and down the beaches.  Big gun bunkers, such as the 88s, were often placed facing each other so that they could concentrate fire and potentially even scratch each other's back at need (something actually done inland to stop a tank attack). 

 

 

To get at these bunkers, ships had to close in close to the beach, so that they could fire at an angle to hit the guns, as even direct hits by large guns from seaward often failed to take them out. 

 

 

The destroyers were often the only ships that could approach the beaches without going aground, so they pressed in and did what they could. 

 

 

If you wander the bunkers along the Atlantic Wall where the Normandy landings took place, you can see where naval gunfire, tanks, and even some halftracks did a job on them.  Precise fire was needed as the bunkers often shook off everything from big naval guns to direct hits by bombs. 

 

 

If you paid attention to the caption above, you noticed the divot.  That divot was from a naval shell that appears to have barely grazed the sea wall, put the divot into the iron of the roof, and got past the armor/splinter shields of the beach gun, and hit the wall behind. 

 

 

That wall was for the shell room, and the round pentrated inside. 

 

 

The historian I was fortunate enough to spend some time with and I both agree that this was probably the shot that put this bunker out of the fight. 

While tanks could, would, and did engage these and other similar bunkers more inland, the bunkers could often see and range the tanks.  Guns such as these, along with the superior panzers, were the reason the Germans took to calling British tanks "Tommy Cookers." 

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to everyone who has contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe. 

This man never set foot on the ground on D-Day or for some time thereafter.  Yet, he is someone any Ranger will not only thank, but buy a round for because he was a crucial part of securing Pointe du Hoc.

 

 

Jonn has a good write-up at TAH, and there is little I can add.  This morning, I had gone out to the Pointe early to shoot more photographs, and ended up having the honor of spending time with some D-Day survivors as they visited. 

 

With them, I heard about the mistake that caused the Rangers to be landed at the wrong spot initially, and the 40 minutes it took them to get to the right location.  Critical time that allowed the Germans to recover from the bombardment.  I heard about how fast they made it up, despite fierce resistance.

 

 

If you have studied D-Day, then odds are you have heard about the captain of DD-626, the Satterlee, who said that if beaching his destroyer was what was needed to help the Rangers he would.  He ordered his ship into dangerous waters, filled with rock and sand, and provided point-blank fire support to the Rangers. That man above is the person who carried out those orders:  John T. Siewert, helmsman of the Satterlee. The captain ordered, and he took her in.  He ended up doing so many times over the next few days to so that precise fire could be laid where needed. 

 

 

He's promised me some information that I will share with you when it arrives.  It was done by a crewmate and is, from what he and his son told me, an amazing chronological account and description of everything they did.  He also said that at the end of D-Day, though they were never hit, that the deck was covered with flack from where shells exploded near them.

Having seen the cliffs in person, and walked the terrain, my admiration for those Rangers has grown yet larger. One of the survivors of Utah Beach told me today that in looking at Pointe du Hoc and Omaha, that he now felt that his unit had it pretty easy by comparison. 

There were no easy beaches that day. The courage and determination of the Rangers against fierce and continuing opposition is impressive.  Not just to me, but to others who were there that day. 

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to everyone who has contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe. 

Sean McCartney and I have been trying to meet up during D-Day for about a week now, but have been frustrated by flaky wifi on his end, flaky wifi on my end, and other vagaries of fate.  Yesterday, at the cemetery, we literally almost walked right past each other.  Thankfully, he recoginized me and we had a few minutes together if not the pint(s) we had planned.  To cap it off, we got to spend a little time with a French para -- who also had been until recently a commander in the Legion Etrangere.  It was good to meet up, and great getting to meet him and his family, even if briefly.

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to everyone who has contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe. 

To friends and readers in the Big Red One.  Remembering those who fell this day in 1944. 

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to everyone who has contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe. 

I'm camping at Colleville-sur-Mer, which should be a familiar name to those of you who are familiar with D-Day.  Not only do I have a quick walk to the beach, but that walk happens to take me straight into the area of some of the hardest fighting that day.  The eastern-most thrust on Omaha walked into a meat grinder, and one part of that grinder was a German position known to them as WN60. 

Monday morning, I was racing to Utah Beach to get there before the sun got too high.  As I went down the narrow road towards the beach, a familiar statue came into view and I stopped to admire the final version. 

Major Richard "Dick" Winters had agreed for his likeness to be used on the statue, provided it was dedicated to all those who stepped up into leadership roles and made D-Day a success. In so doing, perhaps a new generation of leaders would be inspired. 

Two things are very appropriate for the statue.  First, it is located not far from where then Lt. Winters led men to take out a set of German guns in what is now literally the text-book manner.  Second, the word "Leadership" is at the rear of the statue.  Major Winters knew and demonstrated that leadership was not in turning one's back (and showing one's rear) to your men.  Rather, it was in explaining the situation and goals, giving competent people tasks and letting them do their jobs in the best possible way, and in then leading everyone else forward. Leadership by action and example.  It is an example for all who would be good and effective leaders. 

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to everyone who has contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe. 

My next embed will be in Centeral America.  I've had a very generous person buy my ticket down using his frequent flyer miles, and I wanted to see if anyone here might be willing to use their American Airline miles to help me get back?  If so, drop me a line.

All help on funding the embeds via GoFundMe is very much appreciated.

Thanks!

LW

 

Thanks to my new friends at Relais de la Plage (more on them soon, they are recommended), I was introduced to the Director of the new Overlord Museum between Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery.  Despite the fact that construction is being frantically finished so that they can have a very special opening on Wednesday, Jean Christophe Lefranc was kind enough to provide a tour so that you can get a sneak peak ahead of everyone. 

Over on Facebook, I challenged readers to identify a photo:

 

 

There is a story to this one, and one I think you will enjoy. I saw this walking up Sword beach, sticking up above the sand.  Being curious, I walked up the rise to check it out. 

 

I am able to tear about the French countryside, alternately annoying and terrifying the French drivers, thanks to Enterprise Rent-a-Car Caen (train station).  Catherine, who was the manager on duty when I arrived, worked extensively with me to make it possible for me to rent a nice car.  It seems that prices elsewhere that were supposed to include everything including insurance might not have included deposits and other such non-costs. 

Catherine worked hard to make things work, and her efforts were and are very much appreciated!  I can highly recommend her and the Enterprise office near the train station to anyone needing a car for touring Normandy and beyond.  When she found out why I was here, she redoubled her efforts and sent me on my way with a plethora of good maps and good advice.  Seems her father was around for WWII and she has a special place in her heart for the American military as a result. 

 

 

For those interested, the press pass in the car reads as follows:

"Official Media Vehicle, Blackfive Military Magazine

Les médias officiels véhicule, Magazine de l’armée de Blackfive

Pilote est américain, probablement perdu, sûrement confus et relativement inoffensive. Toute aide et examen est très apprécié.

AVERTISSEMENT : Si vous lui donnez la nourriture ou boisson, il faudra probablement beaucoup de photos, dire des choses gentilles sur vous et votre établissement en impression et parle de votre oreille au large."

Again, huge thanks to Catherine, and because of her and her efforts I am crediting Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office as a sponsor for this trip. 

LW

This trip and other embeds sponsored by MilitaryLuggage.Com and B.N. Shape Clothing.  Normandy coverage also made possible by Enterprise Rent A Car Caen Railway Office.   My thanks to them and to all who have contributed to make this and other trips possible. 

A variety of advertising sponsorships are available, and you can contribute to this trip and other embeds at GoFundMe or at LaughingWolf.net.