The Men of World War II

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The Men of World War II Page 118

by Stephen E. Ambrose


  No. 10 Commando, British, 145–46, 559, 560

  Oberbefehlshaber West (OB West), 36, 69, 219, 534

  Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), 37–38, 63, 114, 469, 481

  Ocker, Colonel, 454

  Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU), 20

  Ogden-Smith, Bruce, 74

  Oil Plan, 95

  Olsen, Ross, 259, 263, 290

  Omaha Beach, 320–485

  air bombardment of, 242, 248, 323, 358, 384, 405, 411, 432, 433, 468, 484

  air reconnaissance for, 125–26

  Allied advance at, 339–45, 349–52, 353, 355–60, 383–90, 405, 418–433, 435, 449–50, 456, 467, 483, 577

  Allied military forces assigned to, 76–77, 119, 157

  Allied reinforcements for, 360, 416, 418, 435, 460, 461

  antitank ditch at, 320, 350

  armed and armored vehicles at, 360, 361–80, 419, 449, 463, 472–474, 477

  batteries at, 110, 111, 265, 274, 399, 415–16, 453–54

  beachhead consolidated at, 472–85

  beachmasters at, 378, 381, 473–74

  bluff at, 340, 352, 357, 359, 365, 370, 375, 385, 405, 422, 429, 433, 435, 436, 442–43, 456, 457, 461, 476, 581

  briefing for, 157–60, 177

  casualties at, 328, 329–30, 337, 343, 347, 348, 355, 383, 384, 390–94, 397, 418, 419, 426, 428, 429, 436–37, 447, 467–68, 474, 475–476, 479, 485, 498, 539, 541

  Charlie sector of, 324

  combat engineers at, 143

  concertina wire at, 335, 355–56, 430, 442

  defenses of, 110–11, 157–59, 165, 320, 322, 346, 385, 389–90, 406, 418, 443, 517

  demolition teams at, 324, 340, 367–369, 372–73, 375–78, 379, 476

  Dog Green sector of, 121, 256, 272, 273, 324, 390, 405, 426, 427, 453, 459

  Dog Red sector of, 121, 256, 324, 331, 400, 427, 439

  Dog White sector of, 121, 256, 272, 273, 324, 340, 405, 426, 427, 429

  Easy Green sector of, 121, 256, 324, 331, 335, 349, 450, 453

  Easy Red sector of, 125, 172, 324, 335, 346, 349, 363, 369, 394, 436, 437, 438–40, 442, 447–50, 467, 472

  enfilade fire at, 110, 111, 321, 336, 339, 340, 351, 386, 408

  equipment losses at, 361–62

  exits from, 321, 328, 331, 339, 349, 353, 358, 379, 385, 390, 399–405, 418, 421–25, 433, 436, 439–445, 448–50, 462–67, 474, 477

  film of, 395–97

  fixed fortifications of, 321, 356, 379, 404, 410–11, 449–50, 577

  Fox Green sector of, 324, 335, 346, 349, 354

  Fox Red sector of, 324, 353, 450, 475, 478, 515

  French civilians at, 422, 445, 456

  gap between Utah Beach and, 321

  German counterattack at, 117, 158, 342–43, 379–80, 403, 411, 413, 414–15, 419, 422–23, 446–47, 454–55, 458, 467–70, 480–82

  German forces assigned to, 157, 164, 176–77, 320–23, 463, 468

  gun emplacements at, 110, 321, 326, 328, 345, 358–59, 385–90, 399, 402–3, 404, 415–16, 417, 438, 439, 442–43

  hedgerows behind, 111, 433, 445, 447, 451–52, 454, 455, 457, 463, 470

  infantry landings at, 320–60, 366, 418–19, 438–40

  intelligence on, 322–23

  invasion front at, 577

  Juno Beach compared with, 539, 541, 544, 548

  landing craft for, 121, 124, 170, 256–57, 260, 265, 267–74, 321–337, 340–43, 348, 352–55, 360, 362–86, 390, 394–96, 400–406, 419, 429, 430, 435–39, 448–49, 472–79

  landing craft retracted at, 370–71, 379, 380, 419, 435, 436

  leadership at, 339–40, 342, 344–45, 349–52, 356, 385, 420, 421–26, 433, 457, 470–71

  Luftwaffe flights over, 371–72

  machine guns at, 324, 326, 363, 375, 379–80, 393, 400, 402–3, 408, 413, 429, 431, 442–43, 448, 452, 456, 462

  memorial at, 440n, 498

  military objectives for, 119, 236, 324, 468

  mining of, 110–11, 125–26, 340, 351, 355–56, 357, 362, 373, 375, 376, 377, 422, 423, 432–33, 439, 442, 444, 460, 476

  mortar attacks at, 322, 326, 335, 336, 338, 339–40, 344, 365, 366–367, 370, 380, 382, 400, 427, 429, 430, 442, 448, 472, 474, 479, 550

  naval bombardment of, 120–21, 124, 264–65, 274, 323, 325, 346, 358, 366, 383–90, 404, 405, 407, 413–14, 422, 423, 427, 438, 443, 459–63, 466, 468, 476, 478, 479

  naval reconnaissance for, 75, 126–27

  naval support for, 367–68, 378, 381–84

  obstacles at, 321, 368–69, 370, 371, 373, 433, 435, 436, 438, 439, 449, 475

  Ost battalions at, 110, 424–25, 453

  paratrooper support for, 225–38, 403, 480, 481, 504

  photographs of, 391, 394–95

  pillboxes at, 321, 351, 382, 403, 404, 425–26, 438, 439, 449, 454, 472, 479

  plan for, 120–25, 157–60, 177, 323–324, 341, 358, 398–99, 418, 429, 433, 435, 453, 477

  press coverage of, 322, 357, 392, 394–95, 478–79

  prisoners at, 345, 351, 357, 382, 387–88, 413, 415, 432–33, 443, 444, 446, 447, 458, 460, 476

  Ranger battalion at, 398–417

  runnels near, 350, 376, 383

  scale model for, 323, 410

  seawall at, 110n, 320, 335, 339, 344–45, 347, 348, 355, 368, 373, 374, 376, 380, 391, 394–95, 428, 430

  sectors of, 324

  shingle at, 110, 111, 334, 335, 338, 342, 344, 355, 366, 391

  snipers at, 391, 447, 455, 457, 458, 472, 476

  tanks for, 121, 124, 126, 256, 271–274, 346, 348–49, 354, 358, 362–365, 369, 374, 377, 384, 387, 396, 421, 423, 442, 475, 477, 479, 511

  tide at, 328, 338, 352, 421, 435, 438

  trench system at, 110, 165, 321, 322, 351, 362, 411–12, 420, 444, 454, 468, 472

  Utah Beach compared with, 321, 403, 456, 576

  veterans of, 158

  withdrawal from, 434–35, 450

  O’Neal, James, 263

  101st Airborne Division, U.S., 22, 47, 52–53, 91, 92, 119, 193–94, 198, 234–37, 282–85, 294–95, 304, 319, 416, 469, 490, 577

  105mm cannon, 301, 303, 324, 460

  115th Infantry Regiment, U.S., 157, 158, 161, 167, 438, 439, 448, 462, 463

  116th Infantry Regiment, U.S., 121, 124–25, 143, 157–58, 260, 274, 320–45, 384, 419–31, 436, 450, 497–98, 581–82

  Company A of, 121, 124–25, 154, 161, 324, 326–31, 337, 399, 401, 497

  Company C of, 121, 422, 430, 433, 456

  Company E of, 121, 124–25, 140, 324, 335–37, 352

  Company F of, 121, 328, 331–35, 337, 342, 425–26

  Company G of, 121, 328, 331, 337

  Company K of, 121, 453, 455

  1st Battalion of, 260, 269, 436, 461

  2nd Battalion of, 181–82, 461–62

  116th Panzer Division, German, 85, 114

  155mm cannon, 111, 399, 415–16, 517, 528, 529, 549

  192nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment, German, 565–66

  O’Neill, William, 382–83, 388, 391–92

  Operation Cobra, 244

  Operation Deadstick, 142

  Operation Fortitude, 80–83, 84, 85, 113, 163, 164, 241, 303, 480, 490, 567

  Operation Gambit, 512

  Operation Kreml, 81

  Operation Market Garden, 517

  Operation Overlord:

  air strategy in, 32, 72, 85–86, 90, 91–99, 178–79, 239n, 244–45, 319

  as amphibious operation, 39–40, 42–43, 113–14, 188

  assault plan for, 24–25, 39–57, 76, 89

  Churchill’s support for, 25, 40, 444–5, 54n, 128, 129, 162

  command structure of, 69–70, 107–8

  deception schemes in, 25, 42, 77–86, 113, 163, 164

  democracy vs. totalitarianism in, 25–26, 53, 57, 69, 262, 344, 579

  Eisenhower’s views on, 57, 76, 135–36, 152n, 583

  French casualties and, 97

  German preparations for, 27–38, 109–19, 163–64

  Hitler’s views
on, 80, 82, 84, 85, 86, 88–89, 164

  intelligence activities in, 56, 73–76, 80–83, 84, 85, 88, 100–102, 159, 164–65, 174, 177, 220, 516–17

  leadership in, 20, 23, 25, 69–70, 107–8, 579

  location for, 71–86

  maps for, 78, 79

  naval strategy for, 120–21, 163–64, 186–87

  planning for, 71–89, 107–8, 119–29, 167, 503

  political considerations in, 28, 40, 65, 77, 97, 497, 508

  reconnaissance missions for, 56, 74–76, 125–26, 127, 159, 509, 512–14

  Rhine-Ruhr region targeted by, 29, 52–53, 72, 77, 303

  Rommel’s views on, 85–86, 88, 89, 126–27, 164

  Roosevelt’s support for, 65, 66, 496–97

  security for, 83–84, 152, 156, 160, 189

  Stalin’s support for, 65, 118

  surprise in, 32–33, 39, 42, 91

  timing of, 71, 84, 86–88, 121–25, 158

  training for, 130–50

  see also Allied Expeditionary Force; D-Day

  Operation Seelöwe, 29

  Operation Tiger, 86, 139–40, 144, 163

  Operation Titanic, 174–75, 216

  Oppeln, Colonel, 564–66

  Orne Canal, 119, 197, 218, 227, 228, 230

  Orne River, 73, 119, 173, 567, 568

  Ostberg, Edwin, 310

  Otlowski, William, 366–67

  Otway, T. B. H., 228–30, 549, 579

  Ouistreham, 549, 553, 554

  Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (Skinner), 485

  Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment, British, 19–21, 50, 102, 141–42, 152, 197, 218, 219, 516, 564, 568–70, 581

  Oyler, Sherman, 193, 202

  P-38 Lightning, 251, 252

  P-47 Thunderbolt, 249–51

  P-51 Mustang, 249, 524

  Palmer, George G., 264, 265, 385, 393–94

  Palys, Francis, 225

  Panter-Downes, Mollie, 501

  Panzer Lehr Division, German, 114–115, 117, 302, 481, 567

  panzer units, German:

  counterattack by, 158

  deployment of, 77, 80, 84, 85, 113–115, 116–17, 120, 129, 165

  Hitler’s command of, 69, 114, 218, 302, 481, 518

  immobilization of, 42, 80

  at Pas-de-Calais, 77, 80, 84, 85, 480, 566

  quality of troops in, 35–36

  paratroopers, Allied:

  assault by, 196–238, 480, 481, 504

  beacons for, 191, 196, 197, 198, 206, 223

  communications cut by, 207–10, 217, 231, 233, 234, 238

  crickets used by, 191, 205–6, 212

  drop zones for, 200, 203–15, 212, 216

  drowning of, 207, 214

  dummy, 174–75, 216, 302, 489

  flak taken by, 197, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 216, 223

  German response to, 216–19, 224, 238, 295–96

  military objectives of, 227, 230, 233, 234, 237–38, 295, 303–4, 312–13, 318–19

  “Mohawks” worn by, 161

  naval bombardment and, 264

  passwords used by, 193, 213

  pathfinders for, 191–92, 196, 197, 206, 223, 229

  pay of, 315

  preparations by, 191–95

  as prisoners, 207–10, 215

  quality of troops in, 35–36, 47–48

  quick-release parachutes for, 223–24

  radio silence for, 197, 200, 223, 295

  separation of, 205–10, 223, 226–27, 238, 318

  shooting down of, 191, 204–5, 210, 226n, 307, 313–14

  “sticks” of, 201, 203, 205, 223

  training of, 47–48, 140, 141, 201, 202, 213, 231

  as volunteers, 47, 140–41

  paratroopers, German, 47, 68, 308

  Parker, Charles, 416

  Parley, Harry, 140, 181–82, 335–36, 424–25, 457, 581

  Parr, Wally, 20, 21, 569, 573

  Pas-de-Calais:

  Allied bombardment of, 241

  Allied invasion expected at, 37, 64, 72, 80, 82–83, 84, 85–86, 164, 216, 303, 480

  dummy invasion force for, 77–78

  fortifications of, 37, 63, 72, 84

  panzer divisions at, 77, 80, 84, 85, 480, 566

  Paterson, Joe, 556

  Patheiger, Fred, 146

  Patterson, Robert, 169

  Patton, George S., 82

  Peachey, Sapper, 231, 232

  Pearl Harbor attack, 257, 496, 587

  Pegasus Bridge, 19–21, 102, 197, 218, 228, 230, 234, 264, 504, 516, 554, 555, 560, 562, 564, 568–70, 572, 581

  Pemsel, Max, 302

  Perret, Geoffrey, 48, 140

  Perrett, Marvin, 285

  Pershing, John J., 496

  Peszek, Henry, 355–56

  Pétain, Henri Philippe, 505

  Peters, Debs, 340, 374–75

  Peterson, Kenneth, 444, 446

  Peterson, Theodore, 315, 316

  Petty, William “L-Rod,” 409, 415

  Phelps, Sergeant, 351

  Phillips, Ensign, 382–83

  Piauge, Robert, 145, 553–54

  “Piccadilly Circus,” 254, 256, 259

  Pickersgill, Harold, 557–58

  Pikasiewicz, Al, 280–81

  Pike, Exum, 369

  Pike, Malvin, 277–78, 283

  Pilck, Joe, 182, 355

  Pine Coffin, Geoffrey, 569

  Piprel, Jacqueline, 264, 456

  Piprel, Pierre, 264, 456

  planes, spotter, 144, 172, 268–69, 270, 290

  Plan Tortue, 103

  Plan Vert, 103

  Plato, 173

  Plumb, Tom, 136, 538

  Plunket, 395, 396

  Pocket Book of Verse, A, 155

  Poett, Nigel, 568–69

  Pogue, Forrest, 94–95, 443–44, 445, 447

  Pointe-de-la-Percée, 100, 406

  Pointe-du-Hoc, 100, 111, 119, 120–21, 142, 268, 324, 398–399, 405, 406–15, 416, 417, 426, 453, 455, 456, 461, 477, 480

  Poland, 28, 42, 256

  Polek, Lee, 330–31

  Porcella, Tom, 192, 201, 212–13

  Port-en-Bessin, 101–2, 264–65, 269, 527

  Porteous, R. “Pat,” 554–55

  Porter, Donald, 252

  Pouppeville, 207, 234, 282, 283, 284–285, 299–300

  Powell, Vincent, 281–82

  Pratt, Don, 219, 220

  Pravda, 508

  Presley, William, 460

  Priller, Josef, 371–72

  Prince Charles, 186, 398

  Putnam, Palmer C., 44

  Pyle, Ernie, 357

  Quebec Conference (1943), 93

  Queen Mary, 132

  Quincy, 259, 306

  Raaen, John, 421n, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 431–32, 433, 451–53, 455, 580–81

  radar, 164, 259, 265

  Rader, Robert, 140–41

  Radzom, Paul, 356, 363

  Ramey, Ralph “Rebel,” 385, 387–88

  Ramsay, Bertram, 69, 75, 183, 186–187, 188–89, 195, 254, 483, 582

  Rangers, U.S., 398–417

  casualties of, 401, 410, 412–13, 414, 416, 417

  cliff scaled by, 143, 401, 404, 407–410, 412

  as elite units, 52, 119, 124, 402

  fortified house taken by, 402–3, 404

  landings of, 400–401, 405–9

  leadership of, 401–2

  military objectives of, 404–5, 416–417, 453

  motto of, 430–31

  training of, 48, 142–43, 173, 400, 403–4, 405, 409, 417, 430

  Ranville, 570, 581

  Ratliff, Chuck, 200

  Ravinsky, Chief, 267

  Ray, John, 211

  Rebarchek, Lieutenant, 277

  Red Army, 27, 29, 40–41, 81, 86, 176, 508

  Red Badge of Courage, The (Crane), 397

  Red Cross, 147–48, 498, 499, 557–59

  Reed, Oliver, 401

  Reeder, Russell “Red,” 286, 287, 293

  Reetz, Robert, 393�
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  Regina Rifle Regiment, Canadian, 533, 539, 543

  Reisenleiter, Harry, 198, 220–21

  Remington, Guy, 205

  Renaud, Alexandre, 204

  Renfrow, Mrs. Lester, 500

  Rennes map exercise, 177, 186, 190, 218, 302

  Resistance, French:

  airdrops for, 104–5

  Allied communications with, 101–2, 103–4, 186, 302, 505

  German retaliation against, 248, 489, 504

  intelligence activities of, 56, 74, 99–102, 164

  sabotage operations of, 90, 92, 97, 99, 100, 103–6, 480, 505, 579

  Reville, John, 581

  Rhino ferries, 144, 258, 360, 366, 371, 537

  Rhodes, James, 499

  Rich, Oscar, 172, 472–74

  Richards, John, 194

  Richardson, Elliot, 283

  Richmond, Kimball, 354

  Richter, Wilhelm, 517–18, 532, 566

  Ricker, John, 262

  Ridgway, Matthew, 197, 295, 318

  Roach, George, 182, 329–30

  Roberts, James, 479–80

  Roberts, K. C., 306

  Robertson, Clarence “Pilgrim,” 337

  Robertson, John, 334

  Robinson, Captain, 560, 562–64

  Robinson, John, 242, 246

  Rockwell, Dean, 138, 181, 184, 256–257, 271–74, 362, 477–78

  Rogge, Robert, 540, 545–46

  Rohrs, Egon, 300

  Romanski, Kenneth, 353

  Rome, Allied capture of, 172, 503, 506–7, 560

  Romer, Helmut, 19–20, 21

  Rommel, Erwin:

  Atlantic Wall prepared by, 63–64, 85–86, 100, 109–19, 149, 150, 212, 274, 302, 452, 454, 470, 480

  background of, 58–59

  as commander of, Afrika Korps, 59–60

  confidence of, 175–76

  D-Day activities of, 183–84, 186, 190, 218, 303, 480

  Eisenhower compared with, 58–63, 67–70, 96, 106

  headquarters of, 67

  Hitler and, 60, 63, 64, 68, 69, 70, 82, 96, 117, 118, 179

  leadership of, 59, 61–62, 67–70

  marriage of, 58, 62, 68

  as military strategist, 113–19, 120, 129, 149, 150, 175–76, 210, 321, 418, 453, 576

  Nazis as viewed by, 70

  Overlord as viewed by, 85–86, 88, 89, 126–27, 164

  pessimism of, 60, 61, 68

  Rundstedt and, 64, 67, 69, 175

  staff of, 70

  as tactical commander for Western Front, 63–64, 67–69

  Rommel, Lucie Mollin, 58, 68, 175, 186, 190

  Rommel, Manfred, 62, 63

  “Rommel’s asparagus,” 112, 222, 476, 520, 536

  Roosevelt, Eleanor, 269

  Roosevelt, Franklin D., 269

  D-Day broadcast by, 491

  D-Day press conference of, 496–97

  influence of, 482

  Overlord supported by, 65, 66, 496–97

 

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