OT; The Longest Day

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So just how well defended were the Normandy Beaches?

The Atlantic Wall defenses were made up of two types of fortifications; the Stuetzpunkten (StP or strongpoints) were roughly company-sized positions that included a mix of heavy and light fortifications set up for 360-defense. Obstacles (mainly barbed wire and AT ditches) and minefields surrounded their perimenter, as well as formed internal barricades within the position. Heavy fortifications included combat and supporting bunkers while light fortifications were mostly open positions, such as weapon pits and trenches. Many of the StP also included artillery batteries and flak postions.

The most common positions were the Widerstandsnest (Wn or resistance nests). For the most part, these were rouyghly platoon-sized postions that contained a "shell-proof" postions. These mostly consisted of machine gun and mortar positions as well as postions with artillery ranging from 37mm up to 88mm in caliber.

StP and Wn were sited in areas most suited to amphibious landings and were usually placed in one or two defensive lines. The so-called Fortress Areas simply conisted of seveal StP and Wn which were placed to cover not only the beaches, but the landward approaches as well.

The StP and Wn also suffered from two critical weaknesses. First, so short of weapons was the Third Reich that the Atlantic Wall had to rely on a large number of foreign or older weapons, this created major logistical problems in the supply of ammunition and spare parts.

The second critical weakness lay in the troops assigned to defend the wall. A large number of the troops came from the Ost Battalions, units formed up non-German troops, mainly Eastern European "volunteers", whose reliability was questionable. Those German units present in the west often had their ranks filled out with soldiers recuperating from wounds suffered on the eastern front. Many of these units also included large numbers of young and elderly soldiers, often only partially trained. Many of the beach defense units were from Bodenstaendug (Static) Divisions that lacked almost any organic transport.

The number of divisions assigned to the Atlantic Wall was in a constant state of flux, as the best formations were sent to the east to heelp stabilize the deteriorating situatuion. Shattered and depleted divisions from the east took their place.

Hampering the troops was Rommel's decision to focus on the setting up of obstacles and the laying of mines, at the expense of the training of the troops.

Source material is World at War #27 "Atlantic Wall Analysis" and the "German Army Handbook"

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The defenses of lower Normandy (defined as west of the Seine River and including the Cotentin Peninsula) were at their strongest near Cherbourg and included numerous coastal artillery emplacements. The area that would be known as Utah Beach did not include even a small fishing harbor, so it wasn't fortified as heavily. The primary defense was the flooding of the area behind the beach, this left four causeway exits from the beach itself.

The original planned invasion beaches were defended by a Wn and a StP with two 88mm guns placed that flanked the beaches. Fortunately, the loss of several command and control craft and a heavy current pushed the initial waves further south by several hundred yards, an area that was defended by only a single Wn.

Behind the flooded areas, the Germans built two (and third under construction) battery positions, the two active positions were at Azeville (105mm guns) and further north at Crisbeq (210mm guns).

Omaha Beach was defended by a dozen Wn, some of which had 75mm guns, while the one at Vierville had an 88mm gun that flanked the beach. A flooded area also existed beind the beach, but the topography placed this further inland. Many of the Wns were positioned on the bluffs, but some were also placed to flake the beach. Further west was a casemated battery position at Pointe de Hoc, its 155mm guns could fire into Omaha and Utah. Inland was another battery poisition at Maisy (also 155mm and able to fire into Omaha and Utah). Just east of Omaha is the small fishing harbor of Port-en-Bessin, defended by a battery of 155mm guns in a casemated battery at Longues.

The British/Canadian beaches included some small fishing harbors. Shoals covered large portions of Juno and Sword beaches. Sword was defended by a StP (with two 155mm guns), two Wn flanking the beaches and several more Wn inland, guarding the exits from Sword.

Juno Beach was defended by three Wn (one at Courseulles-sur-Mer, with two flanking it) As well as two additional Wn (Bernieres-sur-Mer and St. Aubin)

The British forces landing on Gold Beach would have to deal with four Wn on the beach, with two additional ones inland near Mont Fleury. These positions had a mix of 88mm, 75mm and 50mm guns. East of the Orne River was Battery Merville which had four 100mm guns covering the beach. Further east was Battery Mont Caisny (155mm guns), designed to provide flanking fire for Le Havre.

Too recap, the invasion beaches were protected by elements of three divisions, support by some 7 StP and over 60 Wn, the largest coastal batteries were 210mm and most were 155mm.


Source material is World at War #27 "Atlantic Wall Analysis" and the "German Army Handbook"

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The German Army believed that any fortified position should consist of small works, organized in great depth. The idea was not to present an unyielding front to the attacker, but rather to act as a shocj absorber and gradually slow doen the advance. Then, when the attacker has lost his momentum, a series of counterattacks would destroy the penetration before the attacker had reorganized and consolidated his gains. The Germans would typically man their defense postions with inferior soldiers in concrete positions and group their best soldiers and equipment in reserve, ready for the counterattack. The soldiers defending these positions were carefully trained to continue fighting, even when their positions were being overrun.

The Germans would typically organize their defenses into three zones, these were:
1) The Forward Zone (Vorfeldzone) consisting mostly of field fortifications, trenches, barbed wire entanglements, machine gun emplacements and observation posts.
2) The Main Defense Zone (Groskampfzone) comprised of fortified structures such as pillboxes, casemates and shelters and antitank obstacles covered by antitank guns. In addition, this zone would have intermediate areas to its front and rear, in which isolated works were placed at critical points along the avenues of approach, with the mission od disrupting and delaying the advnace as well as channeling the attackers into pre-planned killing zones.
3) The Rear Defense Zone (Ruckwartige Zone), organized mush as the Groskampfzone, but not as strong, as the attacker continued his attack, this would often be built up and converted into a Groskampfzone and a new Ruckwartige Zone would be built to the rear.

The Germans would emplace their pillboxes, casemated and field fortifications in order to provide interlocking fields of fire, but not so close together that enemy artillery would be able to mass its fire on a particular sector. The Germans build their fortifications along the principle of "Effect before cover", in this, a wide field of fire is considered to be more important in the siting of a position than any cover or concealment. Whenever possible fortifications are sited to permit both frontal and flanking fire. Defensive fire plans are carefully coordinated so that artillery concentrations can be laid on the areas where fire coverage from the positions is relatively weak.

In accordance with this doctrine, the Germans carefully reinforce their pillboxes and casemates with extensive field fortifications that lend flexibility and mobility to the defending troops as well as allowing the defenders to engage the enemy before he gets close enough to engage the main works. A typical pillbox position would included barbed-ware and minefields, fire trenches for infantry and open emplacements for mortars and field artillery, typically placed to cover the dead zones around the fortification.

The German practice is to provide all troops with adequate shelter against weather and hostile fire. pillboxes and casemates often have accommodations for their crews, field works would have underground shelters adjacent to the combat positions. The reserves would also enjoy underground shelters, these would protect them from enemy bombardment until they are committed to the counterattack.

German fortified positions are commonly linked together by communications trenches, to allow the relief of personnel, ammunition resupply and the evacuation of the wounded. In many cases, a group of defenses would be connected by a system of tunnels. SIgnal communication is provided by buried telephone wire, with telephones often being used to communicate between the inside/outside of a positions. In some pillboes, speaking tubes are installed in case of the failure of the telephone system.


Source material is World at War #27 "Atlantic Wall Analysis" and the "German Army Handbook"