D-Day: Map of German Defenses at Omaha Beach
(June 6, 1944)
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Units:
Directly at the coast in Widerstandsnestern (Resistance nests)
- 716 Infanterie Division / scince 1942
CO General Wilhelm Richter
HQ in Caen (where the Caen Memorial is now located)
Strenght / Division ca. 7.770 Men about half of the men the Division should have had.
Regiments:
726 und 736
In the second Line:
- 352 Infanterie Division / Assembly area at St. Lô then moved to the coast
ca. 7.400 MenGeneralleutnant Dietrich Kraiss HQ at Le Molay-Littry
Grenadier Regiment 916 [Oberst Goth - HQ in Trevieres]
2 Batalions
Grenadier Regiment 915 [Oberstleutnant Karl Meyer ]
2 Batalions
Grenadier Regiment 914 [ Oberstleutnant Ernst Heyna]
2 Batalions
- Artillerie Regiment 352 Kommandant Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Ocker
I. Art. Btl /352 Kdr. Major Pluskat HQ Chateau d'Etreham
I. Batt. des I. Art. Btl /352
Kdr. Leutnant Frerking {buried at La Cambe}
Location north of Houtteville - 8 Km nörth of Bayeux
10,5 cm Leichte Feldhaubitze 18/40 / 6-8 rounds - Minute / Distance 1233 m.
Observation Post at WN 62
Lt. Grass, Wachtmeister Fak, Uffz. Beermann, Gefr. Warnecke, Gefr. Schultz
II. Batt. des I. Art. Btl / 352
Nord West Formigny close to Montigny
III. Batt. des I. Art. Btl /352
Kdr. Hauptmann Wilkening
behind the street from Colleville to St. Laurent
Observaton Post (B-Stelle) at St. Honorine des Pertes - WN 59
- II. Art. Btl /352 Kdr. ??? HQ St.-Clement Nord Ost von Isigny
12 Guns 10,5 cm
- III. Art. Btl /352 Kdr. ??? HQ La Noé bei Arromanches
12 Guns 10,5 cm
- IV. Art. Btl /352 Kdr. ??? HQ Asnieres-en-Bessin
Guns: sFH 18 with 15cm caliber
- 352. Panzerjäger Abteilung (Anti Tank Guns - self propelled) HQ in Mestry, southwest of Colombières
I Batt. Pz j Abtlg 352
14 Marder III ( 7,5 cm Pak)
II Batt. Pz j Abtlg 352
10 Sturm Geschütze mit 7,5 cm Pak
III Batt. Pz j Abtlg 352
3,7 cm Flak auf Opel LKW montiert
- 352. Pionier Abteilung (Engineers)
HQ in St. Martin de Blagy, south west of Trévières
3 Companies
- Füsilier Battalion 352 (Infantry reserve)
HQ around Caumont l'Evente
- Sturm Flak Regiment (ADA-Btl)
III Flak Korps
Kdr. General Wolfgang Pickert
Guns 8,8 cm Modell 18
Flak-Sturm Regiments 1-4 with 3 Batalionseach with 3 Batteries of 4 x 8,8 cm and 4 x 2 cm or 4 x 3,7cm
List of Resistance Nests (Widerstandsnester) from East to West
WN 60
East of WN 61 on a little hill east of Colleville overlooks "La Revolution" bay
Consisted of:
Trechsystem for small arms
1 Tobruk for a Renault MG-Turret
Plattform for 2cm Flak
Shelter for ca. 8 Men1x 7,5 cm Gun
4xGranatwerfer (grenade launchers)
Strength: 40 Men
History:
WN60 was taken from the east, as they had no view on the beach.
WN 61
East of the valley of Colleville (E-3 Draw)
To get there use the the little road leading to the sea at the center of Colleville
across the town hall. follow the signs: OMAHA BEACH or Plage D'Omaha
Consisted of:
1 x 8,8 cm protected by a Bunker (finished at 25.04.1944) had the job to guard the beach from the east to the west. The only other 8,8 cm as at WN 72. This is where the National Guard monument is at Vierville.
You'll find a Tobruk - mabe for a tank turret, othe sources talk about a 50mm AT-gun.
You'll also find some tobruks for Machine guns.
WN 61 had to seal the beach from the easterly side. An AT-ditch ran across to stop enemy movents. This ditch was later used as a first aid post.
Strength : >20 Men
WN 62
Largest Strongpoint of Omaha Beach
Western Stronpoint of the E-3 Draw
Use the same road from Colleville and continiou to the little parking lot. Then you can walk up to the strongpoint. You can also use the walkway from the cemetery down to the beach and turn right until yu see the casemates.
Strength: 35 Men
21 Infantry soldiers of 3. Kompanie 726 Regt. 716 ID
7 soldiers of Artillerieabteilung 352 ID
They had a concrete shelter and observation post that was connected to a bunker for the radio man.
The survivior Hein Severloh explained the locationto me in October 2001
7 Infantry soldiers of 916 Gren Reg / 352 ID
Armement:
1 Bunker for the soldiers with connecting trenches to a bunker with "Lichtsprechgerät" (device that sent phone signals via a light beam to a receiving unit) to communicate
with WN 63.
2 Casemates (Typ H669) für Tcheque 7,5 cm Guns, both were not finished on D-Day. the steel embrassures for the guns had not arrived yet.
Tobruks for 5cm Granatwerfer
Trenches (also not yet finished) for small arms
5cm AT-gun
Heavy maschine gun position of Franz Gockel
1 50mm AT-gun of 916 Gren Reg was on the upper part of WN62 facing down E-3 draw.
It knocked out on Sherman tank and was not visible from the sea side.
WN 63
On the left hand side when you drive down E-3 Draw from Colleville. You can only see a door in the bushes.
It was only a command post.
There are two main rooms and a rear exit that leads on the plateau fromwhere you can see WN 62.
WN 64
Weak point of the defences.
Driving down from St. Laurent to the beach it is on the right hand side on top of the plateau.
H 612 Bunker for a russian 7,62 cm gun - not finished
Trenches / barbed wire / mines
2cm FLAK
2 x Grenade launchers in Tobruks
WN 65
At the westside of the Rouquet Valley (E - 1 Draw)
Everybody knows the picture of GI's (2nd ID) moving up a bluff on Omaha.
Armement:
H 677 Bunker for 5o mm AT-gun - the gun is still there -
2 x 5cm grenade launchers in Tobruks
1 x additional 5o mm AT
1 x 75 mm up the road to St. Laurent.
Careful this road is a one way street you can only drive downhill from St. Laurent.
On top of the bluff you will find a memorial for the 1st provisional Air field at Omaha.
WN 66
Drive back from WN65 and park at one of the parking lots in front of the two Restaurants.
WN 66 is on the eastern side of D-3 Draw.
Armement:
1 x Bunker 5o mm AT - not finished
2 x Tobruk for heavy grenade launchers
1 x 5o mm AT on the bluff
Various trenches on top of the bluff
Between WN 66 and 68 was an AT-ditch. A concrete wall sealed off the road leading
up D-3 Draw
WN 67
Nebelwerfer emplacement / Nebelwerfer Abteilung 84
Drive up D-3 Draw to St. Laurent where the traffic circle is.
After you passed the museum you will see crossroads.
The emplacement was about in that area on top of the eastern plateau.
Armement:
Nebelwerfer/Multiple Rocket Lauchers
Caliber 32 , about 25 bis 35
The lauchers were made out of wood
One controlbunker
The locals and veterans say that no rocket was fired, because they not arrived yet.
WN 68
On the other side of WN 66 on the western plateau
Stretching fom the plateau down to the Restaurant L'Omaha
Behind the beach was a Tobruk with Panzer IV Turret
Above 2 Tobruks with Renault Turret
1 x 50mm AT gun
1 concrete structure on the bluff with 2 gun slits.
A network of trenches to connect the bunkers
WN 69
North of the street from St. Laurent to Vierville
This position does not exist any more!
In 2003 I had the chance to talk to a veteran of this strong point who lives in former east Germany now.
He said that they had 2 Artillery pieces of German origin
1 x 20mm ADA gun
There were no concrete structures
The German Wehrmacht also called it WN 67/A
WN 70
Secured the open strtch of field between St. Laurent and Vierville on the Plateau.
You need to walk about 10 min from the street
Armement:
2 x 75 mm Guns
Tobruk MG
2 x Tobruk Grenade lauchers 50 mm
1 x 2 cm FLAK
Barbed wire
Minefield
WN 71
On the eastern Plateau of D-1 Draw.
From there you have an excellent view over the Beach
D-1 Exit was the most fortified sector on Omaha Beach.
Sectors: Charlie and Dog Green
Armement:
Concrete structure with gun slits to the west side
Tobruks for heavy grenade lauchers
Concrete shelters
Trenches, barbed wire, minefield
WN 72
On the west side of D-1 Draw below Vierville
The best constructed strongpoint of the Germans at Omaha.
1 Casemate Typ H667 guarding the beach from west to east with a PAK 43 - 8,8 cm -
Today you find the National Guard memorial on top
To stop the americans from advancing up the road was also blocked by a AT-wall.
West of the 8,8 Bunker you'll find another Bunker for a 50 mm
both bunkers were connected by trenches
2 other Tobruks
Around the strong point were barbed wire and Mines.
WN 73
Small strongpoint overlooking the western bluff
1 x 75 mm Gun firing down on the beach, not visible from the sea side
Mines, trenches and barbed wire
WN 74
Radarstation at Pointe de Raz
Some shelters and dug outs, Mines and trenches
Sources: Omaha Beach