German Forces - French beaches

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French beaches

Description

The coasts of France had been made allegedly impregnable by the germans: The ''Atlantikwall'' with pillboxes, barbed wire circuits, obstacles and minefields. But the walls' possibilities of resistance were limited, too long was the coasts the germans were forced to protect from an allied invasion. Another fact was the limited amount of battle-capable divisions the germans has based in the west. One whole division consisted of dyspeptics only, then there was the "Ohren-Division" (ear-division) consisting of hearing impaired and soldiers with other auricular ailments. With them a true mixture of jestingly called ''loot-germans'': armenians, azerbaijanian, turkestans and Volga-tartars, altogether 75000 men.

Recent comments

Nickdfresh (Tue 14 Aug 2012 07:04:00 PM EDT)

Hi Flamethrowerguy, the 352nd Heer Division showed itself to be anything but "minor," fighting to almost its complete annihilation and exacting a high toll on the Americans with its experienced, mostly German cadre...

leccy (Tue 14 Aug 2012 02:55:43 PM EDT)

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Reading up on the British plan which seems to have been closely followed by the US the landing was to be made at low tide.

The idea was for engineer teams to land and start clearing the beach obstacles and defences creating gaps, as the...

Reading up on the British plan which seems to have been closely followed by the US the landing was to be made at low tide.

The idea was for engineer teams to land and start clearing the beach obstacles and defences creating gaps, as the tide came in the follow up craft were then to be able to use the cleared lanes onto the beaches.

In practice few gaps were fully made, many being narrower than planned. The engineers losing kit in the surf and tanks becoming swamped by the rising tide.

Enough were made though to keep supplies and reinforcments going during the first crucial 12 hours.

Frank (Tue 14 Aug 2012 10:11:05 AM EDT)

Just look at this beach. Problem with Hi tide things the landing craft can hit and overturn. Promlem with Low tide a long run with no cover.

flamethrowerguy (Tue 30 Dec 2008 06:50:15 PM EST)

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Sure. Source: "Der Zweite Weltkrieg, Band 1", K. Zentner, 1970. He mentions the so-called "ear-division" as part of the german 19th Army (probably 356th ID). Basically, all those "high-numbered" german infantry divisions at the normannic coast were of...

Sure. Source: "Der Zweite Weltkrieg, Band 1", K. Zentner, 1970. He mentions the so-called "ear-division" as part of the german 19th Army (probably 356th ID). Basically, all those "high-numbered" german infantry divisions at the normannic coast were of "minor battle-value" (243rd, 346th, 352nd, 709th, 711th, 716th).

grumpy437 (Tue 30 Dec 2008 06:24:31 PM EST)

There were many Osttruppen in Normady, but could you name the other divisions you speak of and give sources?

navyson (Thu 28 Aug 2008 11:56:44 AM EDT)

Sometimes it didn't take many at all to defend. Read post in forum section about Hein Severloh. Interesting story.

Dixie Devil (Thu 28 Aug 2008 10:46:05 AM EDT)

I don't care who was defending them, it still took some brave souls to invade across these beaches.

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