Figure 1.--Once ashore, a vital aspect of D-Day was to link the five invasion beaches. The link between the American and British-Canadian beaches was a small fortified port held by the Germans--Port en Bessin. Here we see what remained of the port after the War. The press caption read, "Nicole, 6, Annie, 1, and Jacque Pignet sun themselves at Port en Bessin, on the eastern edge of the American sector of Omaha Beach. In the background are a blockhouse and still damaged hotel."

A vital aspect of the D-Day landings was linking up the various widely dispersed and still relatively small assault forces. Until this occurred, the separate forces were vulnerable to the expected German counter attacks. The most exposed were the airborn forces deopped on the flanks of the invasion beaches. They were lightly armed and especially vulnerable to German counterattack, especially by German armored units. It was important for the allies to make the linkups as soon as possible before the Germans engaged their heavy units and reinforced positions like Carentan and Port-en-Bessin. Fortunately the Germans did not react immediately because Hitler kept control of the armored divisions and his aides did not wake him up until late. Allied air power also helped impede German movement. Still the airborn units were exposed, surrounded by superior, well-armed German forces. The airborn did their job because much of the German effort on the first day was to take positions held by the airborn units and not the crucial landing beaches. The link up withe airborn forces on rhe eastern flank would mostly came from the British Sword Beach. The linkup with the American airborn on the western flank would come from the Utah lodgemnent. Also important was to link up the five different beaches. The British-Canadian link up (Sword, Juno, and Gold) was fairly simple. They were fairly close together and there were no major topographical or fortified barriers in between. The American Utah and Omaha Beach were a different matter. An important American objective was Cherbourg. The Allies badly needed a port. But before the drive on Cherbourg could begin, a more pressing problem had to be addressed. The American beachheads on Utah and Omaha were the two most isolated lodgements and in addition seprated by the Douve River valley. Thus Carentan after the Allies had secured their initial lodgement emerged as a key strategic position. While only a small town. Carentan but it was a crossroads that sat astride the N-13 highway as well as the Cherbourg-Paris railroad. And Cherbourg with its invaluable port was a key Allied objective that the Allies desperately needed. Carentan itself was also located between the American beaches--Utah and Omaha. Carentan was thus needed to link the lodgements at Utah and Omaha beaches which were separated by the Douve River estuary. The Germans like Napoleon flooded the fields up to the town's outskirts. Carentin was also needed as a staging position for the drive on Cherbourg and Octeville. Cherbourg with its critically needed port was a major objective. In the immediate aftermath of the landings, however, it was linking Omaha and Utah that was the most pressing sitution. The other key link up was the American and British-Canadian beaches meaning linking Omaha and Gold. Here the major obstacle was a small fortified port-- Port-en-Bessin. The task was given to 47 Royal Marine Commando, a unit of 420 men who had landed at Asnelles, 12 miles east of Port-en-Bessin. The Commandos had already suffered significant casualties during the landing was moved toward the well-defended German held port. suffered 28 killed or drowned, 21 wounded, and 27 missing before they started on their mission. Port-en-Bessin would not only enable the lonking of Omaha and Gold, but would also serve to being in vital fuel supplies through Operation Pluto. This was the joint effort by British engineers, oil companies, and the military to construct undersea oil pipelines under the English Channel.

The Airborn Inland

The most exposed D-Days units were the airborn forces dropped on the flanks of the invasion beaches. They were lightly armed and especially vulnerable to German counterattack, especially by German armored units. There was no artillery support. It was important for the Allies to make the linkups as soon as possible before the Germans engaged their heavy units and reinforced positions like Carentan and Port-en-Bessin. Fortunately the Germans did not react immediately in a coordinated counterr-attack. There were several reasons for thus. Imprtantly Hitler kept control of the armored divisions and his aides did not wake him up until the afternoon. Nut the pre-invasiin disposition of the Panzers maeant a an immediate counte stroke was not possible. Allied air power also helped impede German movement. Still the airborn units were exposed, surrounded by superior, well-armed German forces. Unlike the landing force, there was no naval artillery support. Nor ws there tactical air coverage. Allied air was active, but the paratroops had no way to call in air strikes. This was developed in England and be an imprtant part of the Normandy camapign, but it was not yet available to either the beach landing force or the Airborn units inland. The 9th Air fotce was activated for this purpose, one of the two numbered air forces of the Tactical Air Command. This was not a priority for bomoner-fixated U.S., armny Air Corps, but by 1944 the imprtance was increasingly understood, especially by Eisenhower and the major American Army commanders. The paratroops, although lightly armed did their job because much of the German effort on the first day was to take positions held by the airborn units inland and not the crucial landing beaches. Glider landings got a few light artillery pieces to the American airborn. The link up with airborn forces on the eastern flank would mostly came from the British Sword Beach and largely occurred on the first day. The linkup with the American airborn on the western flank would come from the Utah lodgemnent and was more protracted. The two American Airborn divisions were widely scattered. American units moving off Utah almost immefiately began linking up with Airborn units, but it would be 5 days before all of the two division links up occurred. Key to the battle was Sainte-Mère-Église, a major road juncture. There were other important villages, but Sainte-Mère-Église was vital. German flooding opoerations actully helped the paratroops. German units could not attack the Utah landings in force without controlling the village. The battle for the village began with 82nd Division partroopers fell on the village as the landings began after nidnight (1:40 am June 6). This was a blood bath, but the American paratroopers by early morning (5:00 am) had taken the village. The Germans launched repeated counterattacks. The lighty armed paratroopers held on until the link up from Utah occurred. Tanks from Utah reached the paratroopers (afternoon June 7).

Connecting the Bridgeheads

Also important was to link up the five different beaches. The British-Canadian link up (Sword, Juno, and Gold) was fairly simple. They were fairly close together and there were no major topographical or fortified barriers in between. The American Utah and Omaha Beach were a different matter. An important American objective was Cherbourg. The Allies badly needed a port. But before the drive on Cherbourg could begin, a more pressing problem had to be addressed. The American beachheads on Utah and Omaha were the two most isolated lodgements and in addition seprated by the Douve River valley. Thus Carentan after the Allies had secured their initial lodgement emerged as a key strategic position. While only a small town. Carentan but it was a crossroads that sat astride the N-13 highway as well as the Cherbourg-Paris railroad. And Cherbourg with its invaluable port was a key Allied objective that the Allies desperately needed. Carentan itself was also located between the American beaches--Utah and Omaha. Carentan was thus needed to link the lodgements at Utah and Omaha beaches which were separated by the Douve River estuary. The Germans like Napoleon flooded the fields up to the town's outskirts. Carentin was also needed as a staging position for the drive on Cherbourg and Octeville. Cherbourg with its critically needed port was a major objective. In the immediate aftermath of the landings, however, it was linking Omaha and Utah that was the most pressing sitution. The other key link up was the American and British-Canadian beaches meaning linking Omaha and Gold. Here the major obstacle was a small fortified port-- Port-en-Bessin. The task was given to 47 Royal Marine Commando, a unit of 420 men who had landed at Asnelles, 12 miles east of Port-en-Bessin. The Commandos had already suffered significant casualties during the landing was moved toward the well-defended German held port. suffered 28 killed or drowned, 21 wounded, and 27 missing before they started on their mission. Port-en-Bessin would not only enable the lonking of Omaha and Gold, but would also serve to being in vital fuel supplies through Operation Pluto. This was the joint effort by British engineers, oil companies, and the military to construct undersea oil pipelines under the English Channel.

Expected German Counterattack

The Allies and Soviets came to expect a German conter attack as inevitabke after they had seized an important position. And a lodgement in France was one of the most important positioins of the War. Hitler "Once defeated the enemy will never again try to invade. A victory would allow him to redeploy his forces to the East, to revolutionise the situation there…" He contunued, "... the whole outcome of the war depends on each man fighting in the West, and that means the fate of the Reich as well!" He of course was absolutely correct. As a result, one would have expected one of the great conter-attacks of the War. And the Germans had formidable forces in France. Until the Allies had landed in force with tanks and artillery, the beachhead was not secure. A massive counterattack, however, to relieve the beach deffenses or to repell the landing force did not come. There were plenty of attacks on the paratrooppers--but not on thr beach lodgement. The most spirited action came from the 21st Panzer Division which prevented the British from seizing Caen, but it did not seriously endanger the beach head. The Allies landed in such force, that one Panzer divisiion was not going to defeat the invasion. Why was there no major German counter attack? There were a host of issues. First and perhaps most important was Operation Fortitude. The Allies had convinced the Germans that the main blow would come at the Pas de Calas to the north. As a result, a massive force would be kept out if the battle, not only on D-Day, but increadably for weeks. Second, the absence of Rommel and Hitler's sleep habits resulted in a lck of top level leadership on D-Day. Third, was the German defense strategy. German thinking was divided. Rommel wanted the Panzers close to the beaches to defeat the Allies at the waterline. Von Rhuhedstet wanted the Panzers held hack to deliver a massive counter strike, not fully understandiung the potential of Allied air power. Hitler decided on a compromise. The Panzers were held in an armoured reserve -- Panzer Group West, commanded by General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg. For administrative purposes they were commanded by OB West (von Rundstedt). This was real striking force available to the Germans. Control over their deployment was in the hands of OKW--meaning Hitler. And Hitler's hesitation meant that the Allies would be shore in force before the Pnzr resrve was released in force. Fourth, the poor weather caught the Germans off ballance. They had convinced themselves that the Allies were no coming when they did. Fifth, the sheer size of the landing mean that it was difficult to concentrte firces. Sixth, the scattered airborn landings not only confused the Germans, but made iut diffucult to get to beaches. Seventh, massive airpower made it diffucult to bring uo and concentrated forces. Seventh, Allied naval fire power provided artillery coverage intil the Allies could get their artillery ashore. Eight, the Germany flooding operation resulted in inhibiting German operations as well as the Allies.

Created: 12:57 AM 11/16/2014
Last updated: 12:42 AM 6/9/2021