| What ever I write about, I would be upset if it was seen in any way as "Anti-American" That is never my intention.
When I recall the memory of the fallen, it is not just the British, but all our Allies...
I fought along side of the "Yanks" we got on very well together. That does not mean that I cannot comment on what I see as constructive critisism.
That brings me back to "Bloody Omaha" For no matter what or how the history of that operation is delved into, the fact appears to me that they went in without the proper preparation.
They had no Assault Engineers tasked to provide a way through the enemy defences, they had no special teams to open the beach to the road, and to remove anyone that stood in the way. In truth they landed with a "gung Ho" atitude, but came under heavy and concentrated fire and the whole damn thing fell completely apart.
Much later they forced the defences. but by then the slaughter had been catastrophic. If they had tackled the defences immediately they landed, then things may have been a lot different.
I have no wish to to fall out with any of my American friends, but I do feel that so many bright young American lives could have been saved. "Had they prepared properly"
Sword Beach with huge defences, and with several huge enemy strong points just inland capable of swamping the beach with a deluge of fire. All that was neutralised.
No Beach was as heavily defended as Sword, or anywhere near it. The legend that Sword was an easy landing was the direct result (in my opinion) of the sacrifice of the Assault Engineers that went in before anyone, except the DD tanks and prepared the way. They continued to try to remove the obstacles even after the tide came in, and many drowned while doing so.
I recall the bravery of those men with great honour, "Greater love hath no man"
PLease do not think this an attack on the "Yanks" far from it. It is what I see as an honest appraisal of what happened and why.
I am no military expert and I am sure that someone will try to prove me wrong.
We all make mistakes, those that make the least mistakes wins the war.
Sincerely Sapper |