Wn66 — St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est (Omaha Beach)
WN · K.V.U.Gruppe Percée (Omaha Beach) · AOK 7 Normandy · France
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
This is the middle section of Omaha Beach but the German army only learnt learnt this fact later on, that it was one of the targets for the biggest beach landing in history. The soldiers defending the beach went about their daily work duties building up the beach defences, laying mines, barbed wire. Digging trenches and camouflaging bunkers. Every week a new part of the defence sprang up along the coast and more guns bunkers were added. Young fit soldiers were sent off to the Russian front and older and not so fit troops took their places. It was the job of the Gren.Reg.726 and about 18/20 soldiers from that unit to hold this section of beach, armed with heavy and light machine guns, an old French probably ex Maginot line machine gun and thousands of rounds of ammunition for them. A 5cm KwK L/60, the latest version of the gun set out right in front of the sea in a very exposed position, we don't know how well this gun did in the battle as the pictures show it in very good condition (totally undamaged), almost pristine??
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Wn66 along this beach. The circle may be the 5cm KwK Nr1694 ringstand, it is about the right place and size.
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Nothing seems to be left of the defence, I don't often say this but here I think I can.
24 September 2005
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
10.Kom./Gren.Reg.726 2 x Ringstand Gr.W mortars.
1 x Nr1694 Ringstand.
1 x lc116 Tobruk + MG34.
1 x 5cm KwK L/60.
Several machine guns.
Flame throwers.
Villa "Les Sables d'Or" a defended house.
Small railway for moving shingle/stone to make concrete.
Plan
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
AschaMenburg a town in Bavaria, its the code name for an artillery target. If and when an assault on the beach here the artillery inland would be asked to fire on Target 'AschaMenburg'. The artillery observer probably sitting or standing on the roof of the Villa "Les Sables d'Or" where an observation post was set up.
Plan
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
This picture looks like it pre-dates D-Day, there is no trenches, anti-tank wall, etc. There is the extension on the seaward side (red circle) where a machine gun was to be set up.
1940+
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Villa "Les Sables d'Or" a defended house. This was used as a blockhouse/observation and anything else they could use it for. It was one of the only houses still close to the water front and had a bunker built into its cellar. This house was probably removed by the Americans to make room for unloading stores and the rubble probably used to fill in the anti-tank ditch or craters.
The lower left hand side was a machine gun position and hit the Americans very hard as they landed to the left of this house.
00-00-00
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
D-Day possibly 14:00 shows Wn66 very well, with the 5cm ringstand to the left and the large house roof showing up. A long Zig Zag trench behind the sea road. With American troops on the beach and several Sherman tanks trying to push in off the beach. The Sherman's that made it to the beach and still able to fight, turned the battle here. Gradually the anti-tank guns were shot out and the tanks then had an easier time. The tanks could not cross the shingle until a Bulldozer or dozer tanks cleared the way. Then the anti-tank walls blown, the anti-tank ditch filled. Then they could start to leave the beach.
D-Day
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
The 5cm KwK L/62 in an Nr1694 emplacement.
This looks an earlier picture than the the next one, it shows quite a bit of woodwork camouflage still in place.
Post - D-Day
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
The 5cm KwK L/62 in an Nr1694 emplacement.
Considering there was one hell of a battle here for the beach, there seems very little damage done. A lot of the camouflage has been removed. Probably re used by the Americans.
Post - D-Day
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
MG position (red circle). Villa "Les Sables d'Or" a defended house with an artillery observatory on the roof.
Pre D-Day
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Villa Les Sables d'Or taken on D-day Major Sidney Bingham, commander 2nd battalion 116th Infantry Regiment. He gathered about 50 men of F and HQ .co. who found themselves leaderless on the beach after the first assault wave. Major Bingham led these men in capturing the house and attempted to take WN 67.
Int
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
A ship that looks like a destroyer has run aground opposite the Villa "Les Sables d'Or" the defended house. This would be after the great storm. The ant-tank ditch also shows up in this picture, reinforced with wooden tree trunks.
After the storm
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Pre - Dawn Assembly Plan 6 June 1944. Marked in red the 2nd Air Division bomber stream heading to Normandy and Omaha beach.
2nd Combat Bomb Wing of the 2nd Air Division USAAF
389BG = C
564th: B Sqn YO.
565th: B Sqn EE.
566th: B Sqn RR.
567th: B Sqn HP. RAF Hethel.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II´
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
14th Combat Bomb Wing of the 2nd Air Division USAAF
44BG = A
66th: B Sqn WQ.
67th: B Sqn NB.
68th: B Sqn GJ.
506th: B Sqn QK. RAF Shipdham.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II’
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
In briefing stress was laid on the importance of avoiding premature bomb releases because of the tremendous allied assemblage off-shore.
20th Combat Bomb Wing of the 2nd Air Division USAAF
93BG = B
328th: B Sqn GO.
329th: B Sqn RE.
330th: B Sqn AG.
409th: B Sqn BS. RAF Hardwick.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II’
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
96th Combat Bomb Wing of the 2nd Air Division USAAF
458th BG = K.
752nd: B Sqn 7V.
753rd: B Sqn J4.
754th: B Sqn Z5.
755th: B Sqn J3. RAF Horsham St. Faith.
466th BG = L.
784th B Sqn T9.
785th B Sqn 2U.
786th B Sqn U8.
787th B Sqn BS. RAF Atterbridge.
467BG = P.
788th B Sqn X7
789th B Sqn 6A.
790th B Sqn Q2.
791st B Sqn 4Z. RAF Rakheath.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II’
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
The bombing was a bit of a disaster, the bobardiers were told NOT to hit thier friends in the sea below. The H2X radar fitted pathfinder planes, some, the radars did not work or the planes were inoperable. The clouds at their height was up to 10/10ths. The bombardiers found it hard to see the coast and used a timed approach. So as the bomber stream crossed the coast the bombardiers held off for three to ten seconds, letting their bombs shower across the French countryside killing many a Norman Cow. Also they bombed N to S across the coast where as on Utah Beach they bombed down the coast and were much more accurate and successful.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II’
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
This H2X radar scope image may be from one of the aircraft that missed striking the Normandy landing beach defences because of orders not to undershoot. The position of the aircraft is near Sword beach, the easternmost of the landing beaches.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II´
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Their target St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins. All the planes in the 2nd Air Division were B-24 Consolidated Liberator aircraft.
Pre D-Day bombing run AIR 40-1132 - Part II´
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
HQ 1st US INF DIV
April 44
Assault Map, Official, G-2 Evans, Huebner Maj. Gen.
Bigot Assault map
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
From WO 219/208 page 32 SECRET: -
At various places in the report I have referred to the big storm which handicapped beach operations for a period of several days.
Ships dragged anchor wallowed about in the high waves and were driven in on the beach in spite of the "breakwater".
WO 219/5208 Villa Les Sables d'Or
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
Later some days after D-Day and the block ships are sunk just out to sea with traffic building up and trying to get off the beach.
Villa Les Sables d'Or
Wn 66 St-Laurent-sur-Mer - les Moulins est
24 September 2005