Ebook: Bloody Omaha: The Battle for Omaha Beach : D-Day, 6 June 1944 (Flames of War)

For those who missed Saving Private Ryan, Omaha Beach was one of two landing areas assaulted by the US Army on D-Day. The landings there were the most costly in lives and equipment of all the D-Day landings - hence the name Bloody Omaha. The German defenders along this section of the Normandy coastline were from 352. Infanteriedivision, the 352nd Infantry Division. This formation was fully prepared for combat and ready to return to the Eastern Front. Unusually for an infantry division, they had as many machine-guns as a Panzergrenadier division. Fully trained and well equipped, they were the best division defending the French coast. The American invasion force landing on Omaha beach were the veteran 1st Big Red One Infantry Division and the green 29th Blue and Grey Infantry Division. The assault battalions of these divisions were reorganised for their assault-landing mission. The three rifle platoons and the weapons platoon of each company were split up to form six smaller boat sections. Each boat section was a self-sufficient assault group with a flame-thrower, a mortar, two bazookas, and a pile of riflemen with demolition and obstacle-clearing gear. Incidentally this was one of the few instances the US Army used flame-throwers in the European Theatre. Bloody Omaha includes Intelligence Briefings for both a German Festungskompanie (Fortress Company) from 352. Infanteriedivision and an Assault Company from either 1st or 29th Infantry Division, along with several interesting variations. The book also includes the Battle for Easy Green, a scenario using these forces in the fight for the Easy Green Beach and the Les Moulins draw in the middle of the Omaha sector. For something a bit different we stuck the Pointe du Hoc scenario in too! This battle saw three ranger companies scaling cliffs to assault a coastal gun battery in classic commando style.