No bombardment on Omaha?

[vinnye]

I would not have wanted to be anywhere near that beach that morning. I agree that the shell fire was a major source of casualties - especially if a landing craft was hit.
But in my opinion the machine gun fire stopped the troops getting off the beach. From Stona's quotation -

Some drowned then and there... but some moved safely through the bullet fire to the sand and then, finding they could not hold there, went back in to the water and used it as cover, only their heads sticking out.

 

[stona]

The emphasis on MG fire shows the importance of supporting armour of different types which was almost totally missing.

Yes, if they had got 30 tanks onto that beach,as was intended,they would have provided cover and the ability to engage some of those German positions.

The shellfire described in the RN report may well have been mortar fire.It was described by a RN coxswain,not an infantry soldier.
The Germans had a large number of their 50mm mortars sited to cover the beaches. These could hardly have engaged the invasion fleet lying miles off shore with their maximum range of about 500 metres,but would certainly have had the beaches and their immediate approaches within range. The larger 80mm mortar,also available,had a maximum range of more than 2000m.

Once again,the well directed mortar and artillery fire caused all sorts of problems for the American landing. It was the plunging nature of the German mortar fire which rendered the cover of the shingle bank so illusory,but the first waves were cut to pieces by the well positioned and well manned machine guns. It was the machine guns that prevented most of the units landing in the first waves from getting beyond the water line

Steve

 

[Juha]

...IMO the U.S. Army should have devoted an entire airborne division (82nd or 101st) to the capture of Maisey Battery. If successful that would have made a decisive difference on Omaha Beach.

Really?
Maisy Battery seems to have been armed with 4 15,5 cm s.F.H.414 (f) and one 7,62 F.K. Those Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider aka 15,5 cm s.F.H.414 (f) could barely reach only the western end of Omaha. Next to Maissy was also Brasilia Battery with 4 x 10 cm le. F.H. 14/19 (t) which have even shorter range. The most effective arty support for the defenders of Omaha came from three batteries of 10.5cm le.F.H., each battery with 4 pieces, each piece with an 1. Muni-Ausstattung (first ammunition allotment) of 225 rounds, one battery of 15cm s.F.H. with 4 pieces, each piece with 150 rounds.

More info on Maisy see: Axis History Forum • View topic - The incredible discovered one of a German site forgotten , especially at the end.

Juha