c. One craft was struck by an artillery shell and had to discharge its personnel 200 yards offshore. Some men were lost by drowning, and those that swam ashore were met by heavy machine gun fire. An LCI struck a mine and blasted a hole in one compartment and at the same time was struck by artillery fire. About 56 casualties resulted, and 9 corpsmen of the battalion, 4 of whom were wounded, gave first aid until the casualties could be put aboard an APA. 

                    d. Upon landing, each platoon sought the engineer combat company to which it was attached. The Battalion Headquarters and Company C upon landing, found that the 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment was pinned down to the beach by the heavy fire which the enemy was delivering from his emplacements. Members of these units, at the request of the Commanding Officer, 16th U.S. Infantry Regiment moved along the beach under the heavy fire to locate officers so that the Infantry Regiment could be reorganized to attack inland. Other members placed rifle and carbine fire on German machine guns so that patrols could move forward and outflank them.

                     e. Upon landing, members of the battalion found that the gap assault teams, severely decimated by the fierce enemy fire, were far behind schedule in clearing gaps in the beach obstacles. Officers and men of the battalion worked side by side with these teams in clearing the obstacles under the heavy fire on the beach. The gaps were frequently interdicted by enemy artillery fire, which caused numerous casualties.

                     f. Other elements set up control stations on the beach to direct the landing of craft and salvaged equipment to mark safe lanes of approach. A detail from Company C helped rescue two platoons of infantrymen from the water. These men had debarked in deep water and their load of equipment was pulling many men down. Movement on the beach was made extremely hazardous by the heavy fire and by the large number of mines which had become detached from the obstacles and buried in the sand. In addition to these hazards, there were many burning vehicles along the beach sending showers of projectiles from exploding ammunition and fragments of metal as mines and demolition materials exploded.

                     g. The medical sections also performed their duties in an especially heroic manner. They collected casualties, gave first aid and evacuated the casualties to landing craft. Groups of casualties on the beach were subjected to heavy concentrations of mortar fire, and craft were under observed artillery fire the entire time they were grounded.

                     h. By 1200 hours, the communication sections had established ship-to-shore communication, and later in the afternoon had established three such nets. Later, however, two of these nets were put out of action by enemy fire as the radio antennae attracted artillery fire.”

                     i. Casualties sustained on D-Day:
                                   
                                  Killed in action:  4 Officers, 18 Enlisted Men
                                  Wounded in action:  12 Officers, 55 Enlisted Men

           4. Results of Action:

                     The outstanding action of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion under heavy enemy fire contributed materially to the successful establishment of the Omaha beachhead. This battalion not only performed all of its own missions, but aided many other units in the accomplishment of theirs. But for this aid, the precarious situation of the units on the beach might have been turned into disaster.

                                                                                           W.D. BRIDGES
                                                                                           Colonel, Corps of Engineers
                                                                                                      Commanding

Incl:
    A proposed Citation

R E S T R I C T E D

 

* * * * *

File No. P15

UNITED STATES FLEET
UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCES, FRANCE

Serial: 315                                                                                         

c/o Fleet Post Office,
New York, N.Y.

26 February 1945

RESTRICTED                                       

FIRST ENDORSEMENT to:                                      
5th Eng.Sp.Brig., Com Z
ETOUSA 1tr. 200.6 of
12 February 1945

From:                            Commander U.S. Naval Forces, France.
To:                                 Secretary of the Navy.
Via:                                Commander U.S. Naval Forces in Europe.

Subject:                        SIXTH Naval Beach Battalion – Unit Citation for.

           1.          Basic correspondence and proposed citation for the SIXTH Naval Beach Battalion are forwarded herewith, recommending approval.

           2.          It is considered that the duties performed by the SIXTH Naval Beach Battalion at OMAHA Beach during the assault landing on Normandy, France, 6 June 1944, were, because of the nature of opposition, considerably more difficult and dangerous, and required a great deal of initiative and bravery on the part of each individual assigned to this unit.

           3.          The actions of the SIXTH Naval Beach Battalion as a unit contributed immeasurably to the future success and security of the Allied Nations, the United States Army and United States Navy, and were per-formed in accordance with the highest traditions of the United States Navy.” The citation recommendation was not received and never acted upon by the Navy Department.

   A. G. KIRK.

C
  O
     P
       Y    furnished Lt. Col. I.M. Rice, USA
                           5th Eng. Special Brigade
                           APO 887 
                           By 05, 2/27/45 

CERTIFIED TO BE A TRUE COPY:

                                                      LEONARD O. ERICKSON
                          1st Lt., CE
                                        Personnel Officer

R I S T R I C T E D