Omaha Beach landing tables

Discussion in 'US Units' started by DJohnson, Jun 19, 2021.

  1. DJohnson

    DJohnson New Member

    Good morning. Part of the research I have been doing on my grandfather has now come down to finding out more information about the Omaha Beach landing tables. I have tried to understand the terminology, but to no avail. Perhaps someone here can help.

    On this website, https://www.dday-overlord.com/.../omaha-beach/landing-table , I understand the first wave times, i.e., H Hour was about 6:30, and so forth. The Omaha Beach Second Wave listing on the right of the page, shows Q+00, etc. and Third Wave shows 3T+00, etc. What day and times were those waves? Were those on June 6?

    My grandfather says in two different written memoirs that he landed on Omaha on D-Day in the second wave (and he said it wasn't much better than the first wave), about 7:30 a.m., and spent the day and night pinned down on the beach. In a third memoir, written later in life, he says something landing on the eve of D-Day (could have meant evening??) and was on the beach all night. He was an artillery officer (forward observer) and landed with the 1st Inf Div. He was part the 186th Field Art Battalion, V Corp Artillery.
     
  2. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    Try the search function. Enter 'Omaha Beach'. Thread by Trux. There should be a great deal of information including easy to understand Landing Tables.

    Good Luck.

    Mike
     
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  3. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Not sure about the 'Q' but '2T' and'3T' are the second and third tides and shouldn't be confused with the waves of the 'first tide' assault.

    This quickly-googled extract suggests Second Tide was at H+9. Given H was after low water on a rising tide, Second Tide must have been around a low. More landlubber logic suggests Third Tide ought to have been around H+21-and-a-bit, let's say 0330 on D+1; presumably just enough light to land and the whole day to crack on.

    I await correction...
     
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  4. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    I agree with Idler that it probably indicates third tide, early D+1. I cannot find any mention of 186 Field Artillery, probably because as a Forward Observation Officer he is listed with the Infantry unit he was working with. If we knew that unit we would know the planned time of landing. All landings on D+1 were delayed.

    Mike
     
  5. DJohnson

    DJohnson New Member

    He (my grandfather) always said he landed with the 1st Inf Division at about 7:30 a.m. on D-Day.
     
  6. DJohnson

    DJohnson New Member

    So that means Second Tide could have been around early afternoon, perhaps 2:00 PM?
     

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