[Dpalme01]

Originally posted by sapper@Nov 9 2004, 03:38 PM
May I (Without prejudice) offer this, as a main reason why they suffered so badly on Omaha? Despite the losses of the DD tanks they needed, there were two vital elements missing from the American landings.
The first, but in my opinion, not the most important, was the refusal of the Americans to make use of “Hobarts Funnies” to assist the landings.

But, what I think was of the greatest importance was the lack of “highly specialised Sapper teams” tasked with the vitally important job of removing anything that stood in the way….. No matter who, or what… and also to provide a mine free passage off the beach to the lateral road that ran parallel with the beach.

The reason why so many young Americans were killed, it seems to me, was this lack of small, but highly trained assault teams. That element was missing. For in the end they forced a way off the beach, but not before a massacre had taken place….With those teams it would have been the initial task, no matter what, to open up the Enemy defences.

It has often been said that Sword Beach was easy…That is just not so. I can provide all the proof that is needed for that statement.
Sapper.. A member of the Royal Engineers Company that provided the three assault teams that opened up the path from the beach to the road beyond, on “Sword” Queen Red, and Queen White, sectors without letting anyone get in the way.

I am not trying in any way to belittle my American friends, for I fought alongside them. And I might add, Factual History in the cold hard light of day, is so often, completely different from the Hollywood versions, for they tend to cloud what actually occured.
Sapper

Quoted post

I agree completely with the funnies part. The Americans were almost as bad as the french- stuck in a rut and refusing to use any thing new. They were lucky to have accepted the landing craft>

I have to admit that I was always under the impression that the Americans got the harder beaches.

Thanks for the clarification
Dp