Microsoft Close Combat manual Off The Beach, Soldiers taking cover Behind seawall on Omaha Beach

72Close Combat

“The beach became strewn with dead, wounded, and shelter- seeking soldiers. They reached the low stone wall, but the safety offered there was temporary. Our mortar crews had waited for this moment and began to lay deadly fire on preset coordinates along the sea wall. Mortar rounds with impact fuses exploded on target. The shell splinters, wall fragments, and stones inflicted severe casualties. The waves of attackers broke against our defenses.”

Grenadier Franz Gockel, describing the carnage

eventually overwhelmed by the increasing numbers of U.S. soldiers. By late afternoon, the Americans have captured the bluffs and secured the exits from the beach that will later be called “Bloody Omaha,” in recognition of the 2,000 casualties that the U.S. has suffered there.

After taking Omaha Beach, the objective of the 29th is to proceed toward the river Aure, in the direction of their eventual goal, Saint-Lô. Scattered American units find themselves intermingled as they make their way inland. Just a few thousand yards from the beach, they encounter stiff German resistance in the villages of Vierville, Saint-Laurent, and Colleville. Although the fighting initially slows their advance, the Americans press on toward a line between Trévières in the east and Isigny in the west.

The following day, June 7, beach engineers are able to clear enough of the wreckage from D-Day to unload some supplies. A day later,

at Omaha Beach
U.S. soldiers taking cover
behind seawall on Omaha Beach
Off The Beach
Between midday on June 6 and the evening of
June 7, elements of the 115th and 116th Infantry
Regiments fight their way inland to the high
ground beyond Omaha Beach. They clear the	hedgerows that are typical of the Norman country-
towns of Vierville, Saint Laurent, and Colleville on
the coast road, then probe towards the Bayeux-	side all provide excellent positions for German
Isigny highway and beyond—to the river Aure. The	strongpoints.
Americans outman and outgun the Germans.	Close Combat Operation: U.S. Side
Although German resistance is fierce, the lack of
centralized control hinders their efforts to organize	The action starts with the 29th Division already
resistance against the Americans.
	moving into the terrain beyond Omaha Beach.
Close Combat Operation: German Side	Although the Americans have more men and
	supporting armor, the U.S. teams are about to bite
A “last man defense” will lead to a disaster for the	into their first taste of the confining terrain of the
German commander’s teams. However, the stone	Norman countryside—and the German defenses
walls, stone buildings, narrow roads, and	lurking within.