Destination Normandy: Three American Regiments on D-Day (Studies in Military History and International Affairs)

249 Pages·2006·1.97 MB·English

by  G. H. Bennett

Destination Normandy:
Three American Regiments
on D-Day
G.H. Bennett
PRAEGER SECURITY
INTERNATIONAL
DESTINATION NORMANDY
PraegerSecurityInternationalAdvisoryBoard
BoardCochairs
LochK.Johnson,RegentsProfessor ofPublicandInternationalAffairs,Schoolof
PublicandInternationalAffairs,UniversityofGeorgia(U.S.A.)
PaulWilkinson,ProfessorofInternationalRelationsandChairmanoftheAdvisory
Board,CentrefortheStudyofTerrorismandPoliticalViolence,UniversityofSt.
Andrews(U.K.)
Members
EliotA.Cohen,RobertE.OsgoodProfessorofStrategicStudiesandDirector,Philip
MerrillCenterforStrategicStudies,PaulH.NitzeSchoolofAdvancedInternational
Studies,TheJohnsHopkinsUniversity(U.S.A.)
Anthony H. Cordesman, Arleigh A.Burke Chair inStrategy, CenterforStrategic
andInternationalStudies(U.S.A.)
The´re`se Delpech, Director of Strategic Affairs, Atomic Energy Commission, and
SeniorResearchFellow,CERI(FondationNationaledesSciencesPolitiques),Paris
(France)
Sir MichaelHoward,formerProfessor ofHistory ofWar, OxfordUniversity,and
ProfessorofMilitaryandNavalHistory,YaleUniversity(U.K.)
LieutenantGeneralClaudiaJ.Kennedy,USA(Ret.),formerDeputyChiefofStaff
forIntelligence,Headquarters,DepartmentoftheArmy(U.S.A.)
Paul M. Kennedy, J. Richardson Dilworth Professor of History and Director,
InternationalSecurityStudies,YaleUniversity(U.S.A.)
RobertJ.O’Neill,formerChicheleProfessoroftheHistoryofWar,AllSoulsCol-
lege,OxfordUniversity(Australia)
Shibley Telhami, AnwarSadat Chairfor Peaceand Development,Department of
GovernmentandPolitics,UniversityofMaryland(U.S.A.)
JusufWanandi,co-founderandmember,BoardofTrustees,CentreforStrategicand
InternationalStudies(Indonesia)
FareedZakaria,Editor,NewsweekInternational(U.S.A.)
DESTINATION
NORMANDY
Three American Regiments on D-Day
G.H. BENNETT
Studies in Military History and International Affairs
Jeremy Black, Series Editor
PRAEGERSECURITY INTERNATIONAL
Westport,Connecticut (cid:127) London
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Bennett,G.H.(GeorgeHenry),1967-
DestinationNormandy:threeAmericanregimentsonD-Day/G.H.Bennett.
p.cm.— (Studiesinmilitaryhistoryandinternationalaffairs,ISSN1537–4432)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0–275–99094–X(alk.paper)
1. WorldWar,1939–1945—Campaigns—France—Normandy.2. UnitedStates.Army.Infantry
Regiment,116th.3. UnitedStates.Army.ParachuteInfantryRegiment,507th.4. UnitedStates.Army.
InfantryRegiment,22nd. I.Title.
D756.5.N6B432007
940.54’21421092273—dc22 2006025916
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable.
Copyright©2007byG.H.Bennett
Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe
reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe
expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber: 2006025916
ISBN:0–275–99094–X
ISSN:1537–4432
Firstpublishedin2007
PraegerSecurityInternational,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881
AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc.
www.praeger.com
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe
PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational
InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48–1984).
10987654321
Everyreasonableefforthasbeenmadetotracetheownersofcopyrightmaterialsinthisbook,butin
someinstancesthishasprovenimpossible.Theauthorandpublisherwillbegladtoreceiveinformation
leadingtomorecompleteacknowledgmentsinsubsequentprintingsofthebookandinthemeantime
extendtheirapologiesforanyomissions.
Dedicatedto:
Thefallen
Andto:
ThosemenandwomenonbothsidesoftheAtlanticwhocontinue
torememberthem

Contents
ListofIllustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1.OperationBoleroandtheClashofCultures 1
2.ThreeRegimentsandtheMindoftheGI 7
3.EarlyTrainingandtheBuilduptoJune6,1944 17
4.FreeTime,Crime,andtheGI 28
5.SegregationandRace 42
6.AmphibiousTraining 49
7.TheWaitingEnemy 61
8.PreinvasionMovements 68
9.LaunchingtheInvasion 80
10.TheBattlefortheMarshes 99
11.TheDriveInlandandtheCrossingoftheMerderet 109
12.Cut-offElementsofthe507th 117
13.AftermathandConclusions 129
viii CONTENTS
Appendix1:116thInfantryRegimentLossesinAction,June6–7,1944 141
Appendix2:507thParachuteInfantryRegimentLossesinAction, 155
June6–July14,1944
Appendix3:116thInfantryRegimentDecorationsforBravery—OmahaBeach 183
Appendix4:CasualtiesRecordedontheGraignesMemorial 195
Notes 197
Sources 209
Index 217
List of Illustrations
Menof29thRangerswashingonDartmoor 11
29thRangersmakingcoffeeonDartmoor,July1943 12
116thInfantryRegimentAssaultTraining,Dartmoor,1943 18
Open-airhaircutforsoldierofthe116thInfantryRegiment 19
AssaultTrainingatIvybridge 21
Tanklanding,AssaultTrainingCenter,Woolacombe 51
Menof116thInfantryRegimentpracticingdisembarkationfromship, 52
AssaultTrainingCenter,Woolacombe
Menof116thInfantryRegimentpracticingdisembarkationfrom 53
landingcraft,AssaultTrainingCenter,Woolacombe
Menof116thInfantryRegimentpracticingdisembarkationfrom 54
landingcraft,AssaultTrainingCenter,Woolacombe
Menof116thInfantryrelaxingonthebeach,AssaultTrainingCenter, 55
Woolacombe
116thInfantryRegimentbazookatraining,AssaultTrainingCenter, 56
Woolacombe
AntiaircraftgunguardingPlymouthSound 71
IronMikeStatueatLaFiere,Normandy 77
MarshesoftheMerderetRiver.Graignesoldchurchandmemorialareon 83
thehilltoptotheleftofthepicture
GeneralGavin’spreservedfoxholeatLaFiere,Normandy 100
GermangunpositionatAzevilleshowingcombatdamage 112
UtahBeachtoday 132
Graignesoldchurch 137