Normandy '44
Page 71
Op. SPRING: Canadian II Corps aim to push on to Verrières Ridge supported by Guards Armoured and 7th Armoured Division.
WEDNESDAY, 26
Americans pushing southwards.
IX Tactical Air Command introduces Armored Column Cover for first time.
THURSDAY, 27
Marigny in US hands. Clear that German front opposite US First Army is crumbling.
British and Canadians facing 645 tanks, 92 infantry battalions. Americans facing 200 tanks, 85 infantry battalions.
Avranches falls to US First Army.
Montgomery issues directive for Op. BLUECOAT around Caumont. XXX and VIII Corps moved west for this.
FRIDAY, 28
British Second Army moving troops in preparation for BLUECOAT.
Americans continue to push south from St-Lô.
SATURDAY, 29
The Roncey Pocket – over 100 panzers and 250 German vehicles lost to air attacks.
SUNDAY, 30
Americans seize key bridge at Pontaubault.
British Second Army launches Op. BLUECOAT.
August
TUESDAY, 1
Op. ANVIL – planned Allied invasion of southern France, renamed DRAGOON – scheduled for 15 August.
Von Kluge at 7. Armee Tac HQ: ‘Gentlemen, this breakthrough means for us and the German people the beginning of a decisive and bitter end. I see no remaining possibility of halting this ongoing attack.’
21st Panzer-Division counter-attack against British fails.
Hitler tells von Kluge to prepare a counter-attack. Von Kluge’s hopes of falling back behind Seine are dashed.
II. SS-Panzerkorps committed to defend against BLUECOAT.
US First Army has captured 20,000 German troops in six days.
Gen. George S. Patton takes operational command of US Third Army.
WEDNESDAY, 2
Americans clear most of Villedieu.
Dempsey sacks Lt-Gen. Gerard Bucknall as commander of XXX Corps. Replaced by Lt-Gen. Brian Horrocks.
Hitler orders von Kluge to prepare for major counter-attack west towards Avranches.
THURSDAY, 3
US 4th Armored Division approaching Rennes. Gen. Bayerlein says this ‘had a shattering effect, like a bomb-burst upon us’.
Maj.-Gen. Erskine sacked as 7th Armoured Division commander. Replaced by Maj.-Gen. Gerald Verney.
FRIDAY, 4
Villers-Bocage, now flattened, captured by British 50th Division.
Rennes captured by US Third Army.
SATURDAY, 5
British Second Army pressing on towards River Orne.
SUNDAY, 6
British capture Mont Pinçon.
British cryptanalysts learn of German plans for Op. LÜTTICH.
MONDAY, 7
Germans launch Op. LÜTTICH counter-attack towards Mortain.
Op. TOTALIZE launched.
Panzer ace Michael Wittmann killed.
TUESDAY, 8
Op. TOTALIZE continues.
Le Mans captured by US Third Army.
WEDNESDAY, 9
Germans back at Op. LÜTTICH start point.
THURSDAY, 10
Op. TOTALIZE halted.
FRIDAY, 11
US troops retake Mortain.
SATURDAY, 12
US Third Army takes Alençon.
SUNDAY, 13
Germans becoming trapped in Falaise Pocket.
MONDAY, 14
Op. TRACTABLE launched by Canadian First Army.
TUESDAY, 15
Allied landings in southern France – Op. DRAGOON.
WEDNESDAY, 16
Falaise captured.
THURSDAY, 17
FM Walter Model takes over command of German armies in West and orders retreat.
FRIDAY, 18
Germans desperately trying to retreat through ‘Corridor of Death’.
SATURDAY, 19
US, Polish and Canadian troops meet across neck of Falaise Pocket.
Normandy battle ends
FRIDAY, 25
Paris liberated.
Timeline: D-Day
00:07 German sentries spot low-flying aircraft north of Carentan in Cotentin Peninsula.
00:10 First US pathfinders jump on Cotentin to mark parachute zones for C-47 pilots who will arrive in the next few minutes.
00:16 First of 3 British gliders lands less than 50 metres from the bridge of Bénouville – the Pegasus Bridge. Men of D Company, Ox & Bucks, led by Maj. John Howard, hurry out and attack bridge.
Merville’s German battery attacked by 5 Avro Lancaster bombers of RAF’s 7th Squadron.
00:17 Second of 3 British gliders lands near Pegasus Bridge.
00:18 Last of 3 Horsa gliders lands near Pegasus Bridge.
00:20 6 Albemarle aircraft drop 60 pathfinders from 22nd Independent Parachute Company on DZs N, V and K east of Orne.
00:35 2 Horsa gliders land near the Ranville bridge (Horsa Bridge). The 3rd glider planned for the operation is missing.
00:50 5th Brigade, 6th British Airborne Division, commanded by Brig. Nigel Poett, dropped near Ranville.
01:10 36 French paratroopers, gathered in 4 teams, jump over Brittany, in forest of Duault and near Plumelec.
All German troops under orders of LXXXIV. Korps, from River Orne to St-Malo, on alert.
01:21 Pathfinders of 82nd Airborne Division jump over Normandy above Cotentin to attempt to mark 3 landing zones for rest of division (DZs N, O and T).
01:30 Gen. Dollman, German 7. Armee commander, orders general alert. Sirens of Pointe du Hoc Battery activated to signal appearance of Allied bombers.
01:50 In Paris, near Bois de Boulogne, Marinegruppe West chief of operations Adm. Karl Hoffman summons the various staffs following accumulation of alarming reports and sends message to Germany: ‘Report to the headquarters of the Führer that it is the invasion.’
01:55 Take-off in England of bombers of US Eighth Air Force. 1,198 aircraft deployed in total.
02:00 FM von Rundstedt made aware of alerts following discovery of paratroopers, notably reported by 352. Infanterie-Division.
02:05 1. Panzerjäger Kompanie of Infanterie-Regiment 716 leaves Biéville to patrol along Orne Canal in direction of Bénouville and Ranville bridges.
02:29 Force U ships arrive off Utah Beach and drop anchor 24 km from shore.
02:40 Von Rundstedt reports by radio to German 7. Armee that he does not believe this a large-scale landing.
02:51 Force O ships arrive off Omaha Beach and drop anchor 23 km from shore.
03:00 US soldiers from Force O off Omaha begin to embark in landing craft.
US soldiers from Force U off Utah Beach begin to embark in landing craft.
RAF bombards targets in Caen.
03:20 Gen. Gale, commander of 6th Airborne Division, is parachuted with his staff above ‘N’ drop zone near Ranville.
03:30 Troops and vehicles of 21. Panzer-Division ready to be deployed.
03:35 55 Horsa gliders containing forces destined for British 6th Airborne Division land as part of Operation TONGA in Ranville area.
03:54 52 American Waco gliders containing forces destined for US 101st Airborne Division land as part of Operation DETROIT north of Hiesville.
04:00 Liberation of Ste-Mère-Église by US soldiers of 3rd Battalion, 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne Division. The American flag is hoisted at the town hall.
52 American Waco gliders land as part of Operation DETROIT north-west of Ste-Mère-Église.
Von Rundstedt asks Supreme Command at Berlin for permission to deploy 2 divisions to coast.
Violent aerial attack by Allies on German strongpoints WNs 44, 47 and 48.
04:10 Panzergruppe West alerted to Level 2 (intervention time of 1½ hours max.).
04:13 Staff of 352. Infanterie-Division give order of movement to Oberst Karl Meyer of Grenadier-Regiment 915, to be deployed in the direction of Montmartin–Déville, by bridge to west of Neuilly.
04:25 Staff of
352. Infanterie-Division give order of attack to Regiment 914 against paratroopers south of Carentan.
04:30 Lt-Col Terence Otway launches survivors of 9th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Airborne Division in the assault on the Merville Battery.
04:45 Pocket submarines X20 and X23, in charge of marking the route of the Allied armada, arrive nearly 1 km from Normandy shore.
Lt-Col Otway shoots a yellow rocket towards the sky, spotted off shore by the cruiser Arethusa – a sign that he is now in control of the Merville Battery. 70 British officers, NCOs and soldiers killed during the assault.
05:10 First shots of naval artillery on German coastal positions by HMS Orion cruiser off Gold Beach, then by cruisers Ajax, Argonaut, Emerald, by Dutch gunboat Flores and 13 destroyers.
Attack on Mont-Canisy German battery by 18 Marauder bombers of USAAF.
Free French warships Georges Leygues and Montcalm bombard German naval battery at Longues-sur-Mer, which opened fire on warship USS Arkansas.
05:20 Gen. Edgar Feuchtinger, commander of 21. Panzer-Division, arrives at his CP in St-Pierre-sur-Dives.
05:25 3 German gunboats fleeing from Ouistreham on Caen Canal intercepted by Maj. Howard’s men at Pegasus Bridge: one destroyed, another stranded nearby, while third takes refuge further north in area of Le Maresquier.
05:30 Soldiers of first wave of Force S (Sword Beach) embark in landing craft.
First Allied dive-bombing of day, near Falaise.
05:31 Eastern Task Force warships led by Rear-Adm. Philip Vian open fire on British and Canadian beaches of Gold, Juno and Sword.
05:35 29 US amphibious tanks from 741st Tank Battalion launched 6 km off Omaha Beach. 27 sink en route to beach.
05:37 German guns of Longues-sur-Mer Battery open fire on destroyer USS Emmons and cruiser USS Arkansas.
05:45 Bombardment by naval artillery of Houlgate, Mont Canisy and Villerville batteries.
05:50 Battleship USS Texas fires for the first time on the US sector of Omaha.
05:52 USS Arkansas opens fire again.
05:55 329 British Liberator bombers attack German coastal installations.
A ship in charge of guiding landing craft to Utah Beach, PC1261, enters an area polluted by mines and strikes one. Other ships sink a few minutes later for same reason.
05:58 Sunrise. Weather is grey, the swell very important, low clouds let out short rains. Wind force 3 to 4.
06:00 270 American Marauder bombers drop 4,404 bombs of 110kg each on targets along Normandy coast.
Engineers from 3rd Parachute Squadron RE and paratroopers of 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion blow up bridge of Robehomme on River Dives.
06:06 Severe aerial bombardments reported on strongpoints located at Arromanches, Ste-Honorine and Colleville.
06:27 Omaha Beach: end of barrage bombardment on coast.
06:29 Omaha Beach, Dog Green and Dog White sectors: landing of 32 amphibious tanks (Companies C and B of 743rd Tank Battalion).
06:30 Omaha Beach: air attack by 18 x Marauder bombers on Pointe du Hoc, then USS Texas fires on German battery.
Gen. Feuchtinger, 21. Panzer-Division commander, gives order to attack bridgehead of British 6th Airborne Division beyond River Orne.
06:31 Utah Beach, Uncle Red area: landing of 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment, US 4th Infantry Division.
06:35 Omaha Beach: landing of first assault wave of 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division.
Utah Beach: landing of second assault wave of elements of 8th Regiment, US 4th Infantry Division.
06:36 Omaha Beach: landing of second assault wave of 116th Regiment, US 29th Infantry Division.
06:40 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower wakes up after short nap and is reassured by optimistic call from Adm. Ramsay.
06:42 US Rear-Adm. Kirk, commander of West Naval Training, reports ‘everything is going according to plan’.
06:45 Utah Beach: landing of 32 amphibious tanks of 70th Armored Battalion. 28 reach the shore.
Omaha Beach: landing of second wave of assault.
B-25 medium bombers of 8 and 342 Squadrons, RAF (including French group ‘Lorraine’) complete creation of smokescreen to protect Allied armada.
General Speidel places 21. Panzer under orders of German 7. Armee.
07:00 Omaha Beach: landing of second wave of assault continues.
07:10 Omaha Beach: 88mm gun at WN61 put out of action after direct hit from either naval artillery or Sergeant Turner Sheppard’s Sherman tank.
07:11 Omaha Beach: Col Rudder’s 225 Rangers, delayed by erroneous navigations and a strong sea current, land 41 minutes late at Pointe du Hoc.
07:15 Pointe du Hoc: Rangers from Task Force C on their way to Dog Green (Omaha Beach) because they have not received the signal to request reinforcements from Pointe du Hoc.
Omaha Beach: German Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports that WN60 is severely bombed and that 20 landing craft, spotted by WN37, are approaching.
Gold Beach: landing craft equipped with 127mm rocket launchers open fire on coastal defences.
07:20 Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 reports amphibious tanks identified in area of Vierville-sur-Mer.
End of naval bombardment on Gold, Juno and Sword.
Sword Beach: landing of tanks of 22nd Dragoons transported aboard 10 LCTs.
07:25 Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches: de-mining and obstacle-clearing special tanks land.
Gold Beach: landing of British 50th Infantry Division, led by Maj.-Gen. Graham.
Sword Beach: landing of AVRE tanks of 5th Assault Regiment RE, 79th Armoured Division.
07:30 Paratroopers of 3rd Battalion, 502nd PIR, 101st Airborne Division, seize beach exit No. 3 to west of Utah Beach, near Audouville-la-Hubert.
Omaha Beach: surviving Rangers from Company C reach plateau east of exit D-1, Vierville-sur-Mer.
07:32 Sword Beach: landing of Kieffer (Free France) Commando in front of Colleville-sur-Orne.
07:40 Omaha Beach: LCI 91 hit by a mine and by German artillery, causing death of 73 soldiers.
07:45 Pointe du Hoc: Rangers set up temporary HQ in crater in front of L409A anti-aircraft bunker (37mm gun), east of German battery.
Omaha Beach: German soldiers at WN70 announce breakthrough of 6 US tanks, 3 of them at strongpoint WN66.
Omaha Beach: C (Task Force C) consisting of Companies A and B of 2nd Rangers Battalion about to land on edge of Dog Green and Dog White areas. All 5th Rangers Battalion heading for Dog Green.
Juno Beach: landing of 3rd Canadian Infantry Division led by Gen. Keller.
08:00 Utah Beach: 4 battalions have landed.
One of the 2 x 210mm Skoda K52 guns of Crisbecq Battery put out of action by Allied warships.
Omaha Beach: US soldiers reach top of dune WN60.
Omaha Beach: landing of men of 5th Battalion of Rangers, who were originally to land at Pointe du Hoc.
Sword Beach: landing of an anti-tank section which gradually reduces to silence the different German defensive positions.
08:05 Juno Beach: 3rd Canadian Infantry Division reports explosion of about 16 shells per minute on Mike Green beach area.
08:09 Omaha Beach: all amphibious tanks destined to land on Fox Green have sunk between their starting point and the beach.
08:20 Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports that 88mm at WN61 is out of use and that landing craft spotted in front of WNs 37 and 37a.
Gold Beach: landing of 7th Battalion, Green Howards, 69th Infantry Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division.
Sword Beach: landing of whole of 4 Commando, 1st Special Service Brigade.
08:24 Omaha Beach: landed troops report they are under the fire of Maisy’s batteries.
08:25 Omaha Beach: WN62 infiltrated by US soldiers while WN61 is attacked from front and back. German radio communication to Port-en-Bessin is interrupted.
Gold Beach: landing of Royal Marines 47 Commando.
08:30 Omaha Beach: counter-attack of Grenadier-Regiment 915 to regain control of WN60.
> Omaha Beach: Gen. Cota establishes his CP on the beach.
C Company of 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion blow up bridge at Varaville on River Dives with help of sappers of 3rd Parachute Squadron RE.
08:45 Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 916 reports WN70 is in US hands. 3 tanks pass through WN66 and upper casemate of WN62 is destroyed.
Sword Beach: landing of Royal Marines 41 Commando.
08:55 Omaha Beach: Artillerie-Regiment 352 struggles to maintain radio contact with WN60.
08:57 Omaha Beach: Grenadier-Regiment 726 reports 30 enemy tanks landed between WNs 35 and 36.
09:00 Second 210mm gun of Crisbecq Battery put out of action by Allied ships.
Pointe du Hoc: Rangers repulse a counter-attack led by 1. Kompanie, Infanterie-Regiment 916.
Omaha Beach: WN60 strongpoint (Fox Red area) protecting F1 exit silenced by men of US 1st Infantry Division.
Sword Beach: survivors of the Kieffer Commando storm the casino bunker in Ouistreham.
09:05 Canadian soldiers land on Mike Red (Juno Beach) and report that situation is excellent.
09:15 352. Infanterie-Division reports loss of strongpoints WNs 65, 68 and 70.
Men of Lieutenant Shave of 3rd Parachute Squadron RE blow up railway bridge of Bures on River Dives.
09:17 Landings announced by Allies: ‘Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing Allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France.’
09:20 Maj.-Gen. Clarence Huebner orders ships off Omaha Beach to fire new naval artillery barrage on German defences, despite risk of killing US soldiers. It lasts 28 minutes.
German battery of Longues-sur-Mer ceases firing.
09:25 Sword Beach: in Ouistreham, the amphibious support tank requested by Kieffer arrives in front of the casino bunker and opens fire, allowing the French Commandos of 1er Bataillon de Fusiliers Marins Commandos to storm the position.
Omaha Beach: Artillerie-Regiment 352 reports WNs 35 and 36 are destroyed, while guns of WN40 destroy 4 tanks and 3 landing craft.
Gold Beach: 12 Focke-Wulf 190 fighters attack beach.
Juno Beach: locality of Bernières liberated by men of North Shore Regiment and Queen’s Own Rifle Regiment.
Sword Beach: Hermanville liberated by South Lancashire Regiment while the 1st Suffolks land.