V CORPS D-DAY WW II

UNITED STATES ARMY

V CORPS FLAGS & GUIDONS • D-DAY ORGANIZATION
1944 REGULATIONS

On D-Day, 6 June 1944, V Corps (Major General L.T. Gerow) of US First Army landed on Omaha Beach. The initial assault was entrusted to the 1st Infantry Division and the 29th Infantry Division, with the 2nd Infantry Division in reserve. The two assaulting divisions were reinforced with a range of supporting units, such as the medium tank battalions of the 3rd Armored Group attached to the 1st Infantry Division. Four companies of these tank battalions were equipped with the amphibious-capable duplex drive (DD) version of the M4 Sherman tank. Also attached to the assaulting divisions were various tank destroyer, field artillery, engineer, ordnance and quartermaster units. In addition to its regularly assigned corps special troops, V Corps had an armored group, a tank destroyer group a mechanized cavalry group and an antiaircraft artillery brigade under command. Corps artillery consisted of 11 field artillery battalions of various types in four FA groups. The two engineer groups embodied four combat engineer battalions and nine separate engineer companies of various types. Also attached to V Corps was the Provisional Engineer Special Brigade Group, whose four brigades would be responsible for organizing the beachhead and establishing a logistical base.

The battle for Omaha Beach was fierce and bloody; both assaulting divisions suffered heavy casualties. The defending 352nd Infantry Division was a rebuilt Russian Front formation whose ranks included many combat veterans. The German troops were posted in strongly built and well-sited fighting positions with powerful artillery support. For many hours the Americans were pinned down by intense machine gun, mortar and artillery fire. Because of the danger of hitting friendly troops, US naval gunfire support was of limited effectiveness until destroyers approaching close inshore were able to identify and engage enemy targets. Only late in the day were the German defenses breached and the American hold on Bloody Omaha, as it came to be called, made secure. More than 2,000 US troops were killed, wounded or listed as missing in action; German casualties totaled around 1,200. But the Allies were ashore along the entire invasion front, and the liberation of Europe had begun.