UTAH BEACH

THE BEACH

As the Airborne troops went on fighting, dawn broke. This was when the Sea-borne landings where to take place - The dawn of June 6th. The landing beaches for the invasion where codenamed 'Utah', 'Omaha', 'Sword', 'Juno' and 'Gold'. The men who where about to come ashore on Utah and Omaha beachs where being loaded into their LCVP's and moving into position. Under

from Naval ships just of-shore, they LCVP's and LCA's and all the other Landing Crafts began their journey toward the beach. Utah Beach area was the codename for the farthest beach to the right of the others. It was located on the eastern base of the Contentin Penisula. The old Overlord plan to not include this beach, but it was added to ensure the capture of Cherbourg. The Utah landing area was about 5km (three miles) long and was located on sandy, duned beaches. Compared to the German fortifications on Omaha, defenses at Utah where sparse. This was because of low-lying area behind the beach that where flooded because the Germans could not control the flooding that they did for defense purposes. There where four causeways running

behind the beach in the low-lying, flooded areas, these servealy restricted the movement of equipment and troops pushing inland after the battle on the beach. The German defenders during the invasion included the:

32th Infantry Division:

176th Limitted Employment Coastal Defense Division

21st Panzer Division

THE INVASION

And the US division assigned to go ashore was the 4th Infantry. The invasion was planned for Tare Green and Uncle Red, and had the Nu. 3 causeway in the middle of the landing area. H-Hour was to be at 6:30am, as it was for Omaha aswell. The plan was to cross the beach and then seize control of the coast roads. After those objectives where done they would move inland to link up with the airborne troops who had dropped five hours earlyier, over the Contentin. The landings went wrong from the very beginning; tadal currents upset the Landing Crafts and smoke from the Naval and Air bombardment obscured the area.

Assault Sectors Utah Beach was split into three sectors: Tare Green Uncle Red Victor (From West to East)

And the US division assigned to go ashore was the 4th Infantry. The invasion was planned for Tare Green and Uncle Red, and had the Nu. 3 causeway in the middle of the landing area. H-Hour was to be at 6:30am, as it was for Omaha aswell. The plan was to cross the beach and then seize control of the coast roads. After those objectives where done they would move inland to link up with the airborne troops who had dropped five hours earlyier, over the Contentin. The landings went wrong from the very beginning; tadal currents upset the Landing Crafts and smoke from the Naval and Air bombardment obscured the area. As a result there was much confusion. Three or four Landing Craft where sunk by mines before having a chance to even reach the beach. In the end, soldiers where dropped some 1800m from the planned landing area, and instead landed in the less defended, Victor Sector.