Utah Beach on 5 June 2019

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

During our recent D Day trip for the 75th Anniversary of D Day, where we led 33 wonderful folks on a week-long trip (35 total counting Anne & I), we got to visit Utah Beach on a very busy day on 5 June 2019.

So, I thought I’d tell you about Utah Beach in the Normandy Invasion and let you see some of our pictures of this hallowed ground as it looks today.

Overview

Utah Beach was one of the two beaches assigned to the American forces for the D Day Invasion—the other is the better known Omaha Beach. It was the far western objective during the D Day landings.

Utah was really a two prong operation, requiring significant airborne unit support along with an amphibious assault.

The two amphibious assault units were the 4th Infantry Division (Ivy 4) and the 70th Tank Battalion. They were supported by 2 airborne divisions, the 82nd Airborne and the 101st Airborne Divisions, who begin the attack around 0130 on 6 June 1944 behind enemy lines.

Over 1,200 planes supported this assault for the airborne operations.

At around midnight, bombing of Normandy started in the Utah sector. It was highly effective, especially in the morning attacks, just prior to the landings of the 4th Infantry Division and the 70th Tank Battalion.

The 82nd Airborne Operation

The 82nd began drops at about 0230. Their mission was to capture or destroy 2 bridges in the enemy rear and prevent reinforcements arriving to assist the defenders in the Utah beach sector. One of the primary objectives was to capture the village of Ste. Mere Eglise, an important cross road—again to deny the enemy the ability to reinforce the beaches at Utah.

Iron Mike with former 82nd Officer Jim Bowen, West Point Class of 1982—this is the symbol of the 82nd Airborne

The 101st Operation

The 101st started the assault, with the first drops at about 0130. They were also tasked with controlling the causeways behind Utah and destroying or capturing road and rail bridges over the Douve River. The area surrounding the Douve River is very marshy and the only real way to reinforce the Utah sector was by the causeways and bridges.

**C 47 replica on display at the Airborne Museum in Ste. Mere Eglise—this is the plane most soldiers jumped from on D Day**

The Landing at Utah

The attack was designed to be conducted in 4 waves, starting at 0630. It was proceeded by 40 minutes of naval bombardment, commencing at 0550. Then 20 minutes or so of aerial bombs were dropped.

The initial landings went well, especially after the first senior officer ashore, Assistant Division Commander Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., of the 4th Infantry Division, personally scouted the nearby terrain and decided to “start the war from here”. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions

The Results and Casualties

The 4th Infantry Division landed 21,000 troops at the cost of only 197 casualties. The secured the beachhead by about 0830, in about 2 hours after the initial landings

The 82nd and 101st Divisions, who conducted their assaults in gliders and by parachute, inserted 14,000 into the area of operations. They suffered far greater casualties with 2,500 casualties. The airborne troops were scattered behind the enemy lines, causing great confusion in the fog of war. Although this made their mission far more difficult, it also had the same effect on the German defenders, who were unsure of the American airborne soldier’s locations and objectives. They both successfully completed their missions by denying the enemy a chance to successfully counter attack.

The engineers, the 70th Tank Battalion and supporting landing crafts lost an additional 700 men.

Utah was a highly successful operation but did not achieve all their assigned objectives in the desired time frame—perhaps the war planners expected too much, too fast from their soldiers.

What it Looks Like Today

Here are some pictures of the sights and memorials of Utah Beach:

**Utah Beach Monument—in the background is the Utah Beach Museum**

**Sherman Tank—off to the left are some re-inactors leaving the site**

**Roadside Monument leaving Utah Beach**

**Lester Holt (NBC Anchor) and Hank at Utah Beach 5 June 2019**

My Final Thoughts

It was an honor to remember those brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of all branches of service who successfully invaded this sector of Operation Overlord. May we never forget their valor and sacrifice.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise experts, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 47 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Join Our Mailing List