MarAzul
LongShip
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many young men braved a hail of fire on the Beaches of Normandy.
As a amature military historian of sorts, I am always appauled that history accords this
venture a success. Rightfully so, it also assigns to the men that braved the hail of fire, the victory they bought with blood guts and tenacity.
There are over nine thousand of them in the cemetary at Omaha.
But I have always ask why? Why were so many men sent into a hail of fire that they could
do little about, they actually had nothing they could do in return except draw fire.
In my opinion, I do not read in the written history a strong enough condemnation of
the tactical planning for this landing. The lack of adequate Naval Gunfire to prepare the
beach has been covered well and the Admiral charged with landing the assault force complained that it was inadequate.
Perhaps it was but the real blunder, in my opinion was the failure to deploy the asset that could deal with the source of the hail of fire delivered on the
assault force. The US Navy had perhaps 150 Fletcher Class Destroyers on this day, 70 years
ago. They were all new, each with 5 5 inche 38 rifles under control of a MK37 Fire Control System.
This Fire Control System was extremely accurate even out to maximum range of 18000 yards.
Off shore of Omaha beach is nasty and and narly keeping the big guns off shore 12 miles or so,
but a Fletch class destroyer with a draft of 17.5 feet can close with the shore to about 4000 yards.
AT 4000 yard, a Fire Controlman could see with the aid of his 24 power stereoscope range finder.
individuals and the weapons they fielded. Dead meat with 5 5 in. rifles at the ready of a finger squeeze.
This weapon was not deployed for this purpose, although six destroyers were assigned to the task force, they were assigned to guarding the transport ships.
About three hours after the bloody landing had begun, a Destroyer, one of the new Fletchers, the USS Frankford went in, closed with the beach, guns blazing. The infantry got off the beach and onto the high ground shortly after. But Damn! The beach was covered with the dead.
This has to be an example of awful planning and planning by people that do not know the capabilities of the assets available. You don't read this in the record, history is written by the victors no matter how bad they screw up.
As a amature military historian of sorts, I am always appauled that history accords this
venture a success. Rightfully so, it also assigns to the men that braved the hail of fire, the victory they bought with blood guts and tenacity.
There are over nine thousand of them in the cemetary at Omaha.
But I have always ask why? Why were so many men sent into a hail of fire that they could
do little about, they actually had nothing they could do in return except draw fire.
In my opinion, I do not read in the written history a strong enough condemnation of
the tactical planning for this landing. The lack of adequate Naval Gunfire to prepare the
beach has been covered well and the Admiral charged with landing the assault force complained that it was inadequate.
Perhaps it was but the real blunder, in my opinion was the failure to deploy the asset that could deal with the source of the hail of fire delivered on the
assault force. The US Navy had perhaps 150 Fletcher Class Destroyers on this day, 70 years
ago. They were all new, each with 5 5 inche 38 rifles under control of a MK37 Fire Control System.
This Fire Control System was extremely accurate even out to maximum range of 18000 yards.
Off shore of Omaha beach is nasty and and narly keeping the big guns off shore 12 miles or so,
but a Fletch class destroyer with a draft of 17.5 feet can close with the shore to about 4000 yards.
AT 4000 yard, a Fire Controlman could see with the aid of his 24 power stereoscope range finder.
individuals and the weapons they fielded. Dead meat with 5 5 in. rifles at the ready of a finger squeeze.
This weapon was not deployed for this purpose, although six destroyers were assigned to the task force, they were assigned to guarding the transport ships.
About three hours after the bloody landing had begun, a Destroyer, one of the new Fletchers, the USS Frankford went in, closed with the beach, guns blazing. The infantry got off the beach and onto the high ground shortly after. But Damn! The beach was covered with the dead.
This has to be an example of awful planning and planning by people that do not know the capabilities of the assets available. You don't read this in the record, history is written by the victors no matter how bad they screw up.
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