"Big Red One Hits Easy Red" Topic

"In the prologue to The Dead and Those About to Die, his new account of the 1st Infantry Division's D-Day landing on the Easy Red and Fox Green sectors of Omaha Beach, veteran military historian John C. McManus describes the place where the soldiers arrived: "Death lurked everywhere—in the rough waters, on the ramps of the wobbly landing craft, amid every wet grain of sand, behind every log or steel obstacle, alongside every mine…." He shows a sure hand in explaining the big-picture strategies, conditions, logistics, and leadership in this epic struggle, but his characteristic strength lies in his steady focus on the details of the individual soldier's step-by-step, minute-by-minute experience of the sights, sounds, smells, and feeling of unrelenting mortal combat.

This excerpt describes the division's costly fight to break out of the killing ground on the beach up through a draw in the bluff, code-named Exit E-1.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN WILLIAMSON'S RADIO COMMUNICATION with the beach was good enough that he understood two things: his battalion was needed immediately and he was to land a few hundred yards west of Exit E-1 so as to outflank German strong point WN-65. After experiencing some reluctance from his naval colleagues to head for the beach—at least according to the 18th Infantry Regiment's records; the naval records are mute—Williamson made it clear that it was time to land. "We were told that no channels were marked [as free of mines and obstacles] and that it was not safe to go in," the battalion after action report stated. "The Battalion Commander then told the Navy Officer to take the boats in regardless of channels."…"
Full article here.
link

Hope you enjoy!.

Amicalement
Armand

Armand-
Thanks for the information. I will check in to this book. My father had a brother in the 1st Division who was killed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He landed in front of WN 60 and was killed soon after.

A votre service mon ami!.
Thank you for the info.

Amicalement
Armand