| “Original caption: “Ebbing tide on a French beach reveals a long stretch of skeleton obstructions erected by the Nazis. At high tide the water veils these structures, making them a menace to ships’ bottoms.” A jumble of disabled vehicles on Omaha Beach in front of the E-2 Colleville Draw a few days after the landings. This view of Omaha Beach shows casualties on the beach, waiting for Graves Registration, a bogged-down M4 Sherman tank, several wrecked trucks and German anti-landing obstructions. A Landing Ship, Tank (LST) is beached in the left distance and invasion shipping is off shore. The M4 medium tank with the deep-wading trunks is “Axis-Buster” of Company A, 741st Tank Battalion that became bogged down. The 741st battalion was assigned to the Dog Green, Dog White, Dog Red and Easy Green sectors of Omaha. Company A had 12 “deep wading” M4 Sherman tanks fitted with exhausts over the engine, as seen in this view, and 4 M4 Sherman “tankdozers” fitted with a bulldozer blab front to attack earthen defensive positions. Companies B and C had “Duplex Drive” (DD) M4 Sherman tanks, that could enter the water and float using a waterproof canvas skirt to displace water and make the tank buoyant. Most of the DD tanks were destroyed before they made the beach. The tankdozer platoon of 4 vehicles and all but 3 tanks from Company A reached shore in the 2nd wave. The tanks blazed away with their 75-millimeter (3-inch) guns as they neared the beach, although the odds of hitting anything with aimed fire from a pitching landing craft were remote. Nevertheless, 1 Sherman on a drifting Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) disabled by German fire had the good fortune to destroy with a single 75-millimeter round the artillery piece that had done the damage. 3 Shermans went down with a Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) sunk by Nazi German fire. Staff Sergeant Thomas R. Fair (June 28, 1921 – July 11, 1944) commanded 1 of the Company A tanks in the Tank Battalion that made it to the beach aboard an LCT, along with another Sherman and a tankdozer. Sergeant Fair reported his experience shortly after landing from USS LCT-10: “We were supposed to land at 0630 hours about two hundred yards right of Easy-3, but due to weather conditions and other landing craft we beached at Easy-1 near to 743rd Tank Battalion. The ramp was dropped in pretty deep water and we left the craft. I was in the Number One tank, Sergeant James B. Larsen (July 27, 1918 – May 9, 2011) in the Number Two tank, and the dozer was Number Three. The water was up over our turret ring. We finally pulled up on the beach but still stayed in the water enough for protection.” “Our bow gunner and gunner started spraying the trees and hillside with thirty caliber [(7.62 millimeter)], while, not helped by the snipers and shrapnel, we looked for antitank guns and pillboxes. It wasn’t long until we spotted one, which no doubt was a machine gun emplacement. I put my gunner on it, and he fired. His first shots went low, but after the correction was made the next shots entered straight through the opening and put it out of action.” “We had to keep moving up with the tide, for it was coming up pretty fast. All of a sudden hell broke loose in front of us; they had made a hit on the boat obstacles on which were Teller mines. We moved to a new position to the left and began firing in the direction we thought it came from. I noticed the tide was closing in on us and we had no exit to escape from in case we had to move, for there was a hill in front of us, a good tank obstacle, and casualties were piling up all around us. I started down the beach to look for our platoon leader, who was Second Lieutenant Gaetano R. Barcellona (November 8, 1915 – February 8, 1993). The going was slow, for we had to weave in and out among bodies and sometimes stop till the medics cleared them from our path. On our way down, we accounted for two machine gun nests that the infantry located for us. We finally located the First Platoon, so we got in firing position, as we were firing at gun positions located below Easy-3. Sergeant Larsen’s tank was hit by fifty-seven millimeter [sic; not actually used by the Nazi German defenders; probably fifty millimeter (two inch) Kampfwagenkanone 38 L/42 or French or Czech forty-seven millimeter artillery] armor-piercing between the gun shield and extra armor plate, wounding his gunner. It also smashed the breach mechanism and recoil. Sergeant Larsen got a few powder burns on the face. He gave orders to abandon tank.” “About that time, First Lieutenant Roger J. McDonough (January 20, 1917 – April 29, 1945) came moving up the beach. I was sitting crossways in his path, so I pulled up on the bank and got stuck in the pebbles. I heard someone call me and I looked over the side. I saw Private First Class [Leslie L.] Robinson [(October 23, 1913 – May 9, 1991)] of Company A was wounded. I couldn’t hear what he was trying to tell me, so I dismounted. He wanted a cigarette and told me to give him morphine. I took him on up where Sergeant Larsen’s crew was and gave him morphine and covered him up. Coming back I tried to unhook our trailer [holding extra ammunition] so we could back up. It was in our way all of the time.” “If I had known what an obstacle it was in the first place, I would have left it on the LCT. I finally got it unhooked and we tried to get off the bank again, resulting in breaking about ten connectors and threw the track. We were out of HE and all the heavy firing was about over with so we dismounted and got behind our tank. All told we fired, Sergeant Larsen and our tank, 450 high explosive rounds and an uncounted number of .30 caliber.” Corporal Steve J. Hoffer [(October 8, 1916 – April 27, 1969)] was a crewman in a Sherman commanded by Staff Sergeant [Walter J.] Skiba [October 6, 1919 – June 6, 1944)] that landed nearby. Hoffer had to take command of his tank when the sergeant was killed: “2nd Section of 2nd Platoon arrived on an LCT at Easy-1 at 0635 hours. Staff Sergeant Skiba’s tank was 1st to debark followed by Sergeant John W. Call [(September 2, 1919 – September 28, 2002)] at about 50 yards. Staff Sergeant Skiba’s tank drove around the obstacles to the left and Sergeant Call to the right, and took up a defiladed position behind the bank approximately 100 yards apart. Encountered only machine gun fire up to that point. From our defiladed position Staff Sergeant Skiba’s tank fired on several machine gun nests from which fire was visible, then picked up a log emplacement located at extreme top of hill on our right and fired several rounds of 75 millimeter. A Captain from the 16th Infantry came to the tank and directed fire on a concealed 88 millimeter gun. Later this Captain and a Lieutenant Colonel went up to the same position and captured 21 prisoners. In the meantime the Captain directed fire on 2 other targets, which were knocked out, and the infantry was then able to advance. The enemy during this time was laying down heavy mortar fire around us, and several holes were noticed in around our [temporary exhaust] stacks. 1 shell landed quite close to the tank and Staff Sergeant Skiba was killed almost instantly (approximate time 1045 hours). The crew assisted in taking Staff Sergeant Skiba out of the tank and calling the medics to his aid. Captain William M. King [(September 17, 1911 – June 29, 1990)] came with information 1st to move to Exit-3. Seeing Staff Sergeant Skiba had been killed, he gave Corporal Hoffer command of the tank. In backing out of defiladed position the tank threw a track. The crew then worked on track under mortar fire. Crew had to quit work several times to hunt cover. Sergeant Robert D. Coaker’s [(July 16, 1920 – May 26, 1970)] M4A1 Sherman tank, “Adeline II,” Sergeant Lloyd C. Ball’s [(February 24, 1917 – April 7, 2007)] tank with Lieutenant Francis A. “Frank” Klotz’s [(April 21, 1915 – February 20, 1990)] tankdozer landed on Normandy beach at 0635 Hours between Easy-1 and Easy-3 firing on pill boxes at Easy-1. About 10 shots were fired on the 1st pillbox and its gun was put out of action. About 50 yards from where we debarked, Sergeant Coaker’s tank was hit with an 88 millimeter, knocking off 1 bogie wheel, but the tank could still operate but very slowly. Then Sergeant Coaker’s tank moved to a position behind a 3-foot (1 meter) bank of loose stones, and silenced 2 machine gun nests, that were dug on the hill to his front. Then everything quieted down for about 15 minutes, and he gave Sergeant Nicol and his crew from “Alabama 55” some dry clothing for his tank crew had to leave their tank and swim to shore. Then a message was sent from Captain King to move down to Easy-3, so he hobbled down the beach to Easy-3, and covered the Inf. with fire until they moved over the hill. Then he stayed in this position for about 3 hours, for he couldn’t get his crippled tank over the beach wall. Then the artillery fire got so hot until they were hitting everything around me. Trucks and bull dozers were set on fire. My crew plus Sergeant Robert A. Nicol [(October 6, 1920 – December 5, 1957)] and Corporal Robert A. Kleinhans (October 2, 1908 – June 6, 1959) who had been in my tank for protection. All left tank and took cover behind a grounded LCT that had been knocked out by an 88 millimeter gun. Then the tide was coming in very fast, so my crew with other tank crews left the beach and dug in on the hill side about 200 yards from the beach. The 88 millimeter and mortar fire was coming awfully close so we remained in our fox holes all night. The next morning with 88 millimeter still coming over pretty fast Sergeant Coaker and crew finally reached the Battalion Command Post all in 1 piece but damned near starved to death.” Amongst the 5 trucks in the center are 2 Crossley 409 receiver or 405 transmitter trucks of Royal Air Force (RAF) 21st Base Defense Sector (BDS), 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force. The 2 burnt-out wrecks are Thorneycroft IGL3 3-tonners, and to the left in the image is an Austin 3-tonner housing a 20,000 Volt-Amp diesel generator. United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF) Aircraftman Archibald C. “Archie” Radcliffe (1923 – ????) of the 21st BDS recalled, “The Commander of the LCT called us together and told us that we to go to a beach under the name of “Omaha,” and that we would be landing in the American sector, at H+2 hours. Had a couple of scares that there were some E-boats about and possibly a submarine. The sea was still running high and some of the lads were still feeling sea sick, and would be glad to get ashore. As it turned out, there would be a change of mind later. We had been at sea for 9 hours or so. As it was getting towards dawn we could hear lots of aircraft again, having previously heard a large number during the night. An hour later, we could hear a lot of either bombing or heavy gunfire. As we came in sight of Omaha beach, the noise was tremendous. We could see the American lads in LCIs and LCTs going ashore. The scene was terrible. We could see there must have been a lot of trouble on the beach. There was heavy shelling and mortar fire, plus very heavy machine gun firing.” “I think the time was getting on for about 1100 – 1130 Hours. We had been hanging about for several hours now, when we were told that we had to go now, or we would miss the tide and have to be dropped too far out. I happened to be the first one in line that was to go ashore. As we got nearer to the beach, we could see the mayhem. There were bodies everywhere in the sea, in burning LCTs and LCIs. We were dropped about a hundred yards from the shore There was utter carnage all around. I didn’t know where the other lads were; I didn’t know if they’d even got off the LCT. The noise was terrible, very smoky and smelly. The Corporal said he could see a large Yankee Reece [reconnaissance] vehicle up near the bluffs to his left and suggested we make for it. I can’t remember having said anything all the time from leaving the LCT. We managed to get to the recce vehicle but he said I was swearing and shouting all the time, and that none of the Germans had no mothers and fathers… We dug in, in between the recce vehicle and my Crossley. Things had quietened down for a while, but there was still plenty of activity about. It seemed to be bad a bit further along the beach, about six hundred yards or so. We could see more LCTs trying to get ashore. They were getting a hell of a beating. We could see that they were in battle dress, so we knew that it was the RAF Special Signals Unit that we were to join at the same map reference that we were given. It was Ground Interception Unit 15082. We had been with them for a couple of days before we sailed, so we knew all of them. There was nothing we could do to help them. We could see them trying to get off the beach with their vehicles, but were getting heavily mortared and machined gunned. We knew they were getting casualties and losing vehicles; that’s how it went on for most of the day. Grateful that our lads had survived without any really serious injuries or wounds. Most of us had a few cuts and bruises. I had something stuck in my knee, a cut on my arm plus a bloody nose and very sore eyes. Most had very similar cuts.” “Ground Interception Unit (GCI) 15082 were not so fortunate. They lost eight killed and several wounded, some seriously. I think most of 313 lads were resigned that we wouldn’t survive the day. We were mostly in a state of shock during the first few hours. The rest of that day was spent trying to sort things out. Our unit had lost six out of eight vehicles. GCI 15082 had only one signals van and one “recce” vehicle. News had reached us that two of our lads had been taken prisoner by the Americans because like us, they were wearing gas impregnated Royal Air Force blue plus all the muck and dust that the uniforms had picked up during the fighting on the beach. They were thought to be Germans infiltrating. One was “Tubby” Dyer and the other was Titch? – I forget his surname. Apparently they were sent back to England. After that episode the eight of us with other members of 15082 were sent to the Yankee Headquarters where we were kitted out with American uniforms – in example shirts, vests, jackets, pigskin boots and blankets. We were also supplied with full cases of their compacts, cigarettes, chocolate, et ceterea. They were very generous towards us, especially when they knew what our job was, that the unit was calling in airstrikes to cover their infantry.” “We were constantly under attack (this relates to D-Day itself) for most of the day, but the Americans were much worse than we were. For the majority of them, there was nowhere to go. We were under the bluffs, with some sort of protection, apart from the threat of Jerry lobbing down his Potato Mashers (Grenades) at us. The Americans were getting slaughtered by the hundreds, possibly thousands. I suppose it is one thing that’ll remain with me for the rest of my life. The shouts for the medics that seemed to go on forever, the wounded screaming, bodies everywhere, limbs scattered all around us, total and utter carnage. Jerry was having a field day. The first half of the day he had complete control of Omaha Beach, from his position on top of the bluffs, and from his bunkers. They must’ve been firing from open sites; he could hardly miss. We heard later if they couldn’t get Jerry off his perch by that evening, they wouldn’t be sending in any more troops. What a thought. But with tremendous courage and a lot of sacrifice, here we are. We have such a lot to thank the Americans for. I salute them all.” The 1st tanks of the 741st crawled off Omaha Beach at about 1700 hours via exit Easy-1, having spent almost 12 hours on that steel-raked sand. At 2000 hours, 4 battalion tanks were still supporting the infantry against machine gun nests in the vicinity of Saint Laurent-sur-Mer. The battalion’s 1st daily tank status report, submitted to V Corps at 2515 hours on June 6, indicated that it had 3 battle-ready medium tanks, 2 tanks damaged but reparable, and 48 tanks reckoned destroyed. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1784.jpg |
| Image Size | 2.53 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5620 x 4529 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 12, 1944 |
| Location | Easy Red |
| City | Omaha Beach |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | 80-G-45714 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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