History and pictures of the beach

Involved forces

There are two sectors of beaches on Utah: Uncle Red and Tare Green, located between the village of Dune-de-Varreville (North) and La Madeleine (South). These beaches are defended by the 709th german infantry division which has 7 points of support and 20 batteries. Two artillery batteries, located at Montebourg and Saint-Marcouf, can open fire on this beach, the guns of these two fortifications having a firing range of almost 30 kilometers.

American soldiers on the way towards Normandy.

It is the 7th Army of the Major General J. Lawton Collins, composed of the 8th, 22nd and 12nd infantry regiments of the 4th american infantry division led by the general Omar C. Bradley, commanding the 1st American Army, which will launch the attack of Utah Beach on D-Day in order to capture the landing beach sectors, then to establish a solid beachhead and to carry out the junction with the parachutists troops of the 82nd and 101st American airborne divisions.

American soldiers embark in the landing crafts at dawn.

The attack must be done early the morning, at 06:30 a.m., a schedule which corresponds to a very low tide, what prevent the beach defenses installed by the Germans to be a danger. Thus, the engineers can open breaches on the beach in order to allow the following reinforcements to land.

After having board the landing crafts, american soldiers await the order of the departure.

The attack

On Tuesday June 6, at 3 o'clock in the morning, the fleet U (Utah) arrives near the Cotentin beaches and damps at approximately 18 kilometers off the coast, a distance which limits the effectiveness of the German batteries.

The day comes at 05:58 a.m. exactly, 28 minutes after the beginning of the bombardment of the German positions by the allied ships. This huge bombardment is followed by the coasts bombardment of the Calvados and the Cotentin by allied bombers which target the Atlantic Wall.

An american assault wave preparing to land on the coast.

The American soldiers of the 4th infantry division who boarded the landing crafts can see these bombardments which plow the French ground and which fill up the sky with smoke. Even if much of them suffer from a terrible sea sickness, they are glad to see the bunkers becoming dust.

A landing craft goes towards Utah Beach.

Two squadrons of Duplex Drive tanks are dropped 3 kilometers off the shore and must join the beach sectors by their own means thanks to two propellers and a rubber juppe which enables them to sail towards their objective. They approach the beach in two assault waves (the first one is made up of 12 D.D. tanks and the second one of 16) and when the Germans reorganize after the terrible allied bombardment, they discover American tanks coming from the sea and moving to their positions.

The first assault wave finally reach Utah Beach.

The first american assault wave lands right after the arrival of the tanks in order to be supported in their action. Then, they capture the bunkers and blockhouses of Utah Beach.

During the first minutes of the landing of the 4th infantry division on Utah Beach, the german shootings are numerous but mainly not very precise and little by little, the light and heavy german machineguns stop shooting. Then, long distance guns belonging to the 709th german infantry division, situated a few kilometers inland, open fire.

Air sight of the American landing on Utah Beach.

These guns open fire from the positions located a few kilometers at the West of the landing beach and are camouflaged so that the allied planes which patrol in the Normand sky can not locate them.

Up

Very quickly, the beach is captured. The tide is low, german beach defenses are visible on a distance of 500 meters between the dunes and the sea. The fifth and last assault wave lands half an hour after H Hour. One hour after H Hour, at 07:30 a.m., some engineers open breaches through the beach obstacles so that the landing barges can approach without troubles.

Landing in Normandy of soldiers belonging to the 4th american infantry division.

A strong current

Brigadier general Theodore Roosevelt, nephew of the president of the United States, lands with the first assault wave. He realizes very quickly, after having discussed with the HQ staff of the 4th infantry division, that the marine current has moved the landed troops 2 kilometers south of the initially envisaged point of invasion. Indeed, they are not located north of La Madeleine but well south of this village, in front of the german W5 strongpoint.

Landing of the reinforcements on Utah Beach: men, material and vehicles.

The problem with this improvised landing area is that there is only one small road going out the beach from the dunes whereas in the initial beach there are four roads to evacuate the beach and to leave the place to reinforcements. The question is: will the reinforcements land on the beach envisaged by the plan or south of the village of La Madeleine? Roosevelt indicates that the reinforcements must follow the assault troops whatever the landing point.

A German strongpoint destroyed by the allied bombardments.

On the other hand, the W5 strongpoint resistance is less important than the one north of La Madeleine and all the attacks to the north are pushed back by the german forces, supported by the shootings of the Kriegsmarine batteries at Montebourg and Saint-Marcouf. Roosevelt decides to advance inside the grounds by taking this only road controlled by the Americans, in spite of the risks of obstructions. Indeed, 30.000 American soldiers and 3.500 vehicles must be landed on the D-Day at Utah Beach and the simple country lane, between the grounds flooded by the Germans, seems insufficient to support such a manpower.

An american vehicle lands at Utah Beach.

During this time, the American tanks wait on the beach until the engineers destroy the anti-tank walls, then they can continue their progression. Two hours after the H Hour, at 08:30 a.m., they cross the dune and move towards Normandy.

A team of american medics lands on the hardly protected beach.

If the shootings on the beaches become rare, the explosions of mortars and german artillery continue to kill. This bombardment will continue until the end of the evening.

A shell fired by a 88 mm gun explodes on Utah Beach during the landing.

Assessment

At the end of the day in Utah Beach, on June 6, 1944, 1.700 vehicles have landed and also nearly 23.250 american soldiers. The assessment of the losses reaches the figure of 197 killed and 60 disappeared.

The amphibious tanks proved reliable on this beach, while being supported by the infantry and by supporting it at the time of the progression in the Normandy countryside. The Germans were impressed to see tanks landing, which seriously started their moral and thus reduced their fighting value. 28 of the 32 tanks planned for the attack of the first wave succeeded in landing, cleaning the german strongpoints with a strong fire power.

American soldiers in fox holes, ready to face a german counter-attack.

At the end of the day, the landed troops carry out their junction with the parachuted troops of the 82nd and 101st american airborne divisions. The landing on the sector of Utah Beach is the most successful one of the five beaches.

Landed troops on the way towards the interior.

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