D-Day Beach Assault Troops

by Gordon L. Rottman, Peter Dennis (Illustrator)

Overview

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, the first of over 150,000 Allied soldiers stormed five beaches in Normandy against fierce German resistance. They were specially trained and task-organized in a range of different landing teams depending on their means of transport, their tasks, and the resistance they anticipated. The first assault infantry were accompanied by tankers, combat engineers, and other specialist personnel, to breach German obstacles, knock out defensive positions, and to defend and prepare the beaches for the follow-on waves. On some beaches the plans worked, on others they were disrupted by bad weather, faulty timing, or enemy fire, with consequences that varied from survivable confusion to absolute carnage. This is an in-depth study of the uniforms, equipment, weapons, passage, landings, and tactics of US, British and Canadian assault units during the period from before H-Hour on June 6 to dawn on June 7.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472819475
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	09/21/2017
Series:	Elite , #219
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments until retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.
Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.
Gordon L. Rottman entered the US Army in 1967, volunteered for Special Forces and completed training as a weapons specialist. He served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam in 1969–70 and subsequently in airborne infantry, long-range patrol and intelligence assignments before retiring after 26 years. He was a Special Operations Forces scenario writer at the Joint Readiness Training Center for 12 years and is now a freelance writer, living in Texas.
Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Overview of "Overlord" 4

Selection of the objectives

The beaches

Beach obstacles

Exiting the beaches

Preparation of Assault Troops 10

No.1 Combined Training Centre, Inveraray

Assault Training Center, Woolacombe

US Uniforms & Equipment 13

Uniforms

Insignia

Weapons

Combat equipment

Assault jackets

British & Canadian Uniforms & Equipment 22

Uniforms

Insignia

Weapons

Combat equipment

Battle jerkins

Assault Units 29

The US infantry regiment

US Army Rangers

US infantry boat teams

The British & Canadian infantry brigade

British Commandos

British & Canadian Infantry boat teams

D-Day 37

The run-in

Overview of the landings

Utah

Omaha

Geld

Juno

Sword

Cost & Aftermath 61

Select Bibliography 62

Index 64