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17thfabn
Ohio
OH USA
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Posts: 203
Joined: 2008
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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It is fairly easy to find a list of the ships from destroyers to battleships that provided naval gunfire support during the Normandy invasion. For instance two battleships, 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers and 3 destroyer escorts supported U.S. Army at Omaha beach.
https://www.historyonthenet.com/naval-artillery
I am interested in the use of the various landing craft such as the landing craft infantry and landing craft tank that were adapted to carry various guns, rockets and mortars for use as close in fire support for the forces landing.
I have seen some mention of the rocket firing craft. It seems they were not very effective.
It is fairly common knowledge that USN destroyers came in fairly close to shore to provide fire support at Omaha Beach.
One problem the big gun ships had was once allied forces were ashore they often had to shift their fire to avoid injuring friendly troops.
Since the landing craft infantry and landing craft tank were designed to operate in shallow water they could have been able to position them selves to provide ongoing fire support.
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Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy.
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DT509er
Santa Rosa
CA USA
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Posts: 1449
Joined: 2005
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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This may be of some assistance, scroll to the section titled; Landing Craft (USA craft prefixed by 'US'): [Read More]
I particularly enjoyed the history of Landing Barge Kitchen 6 - LBK 6: [Read More]
"When the enormous scale and composition of the Normandy invasion force became known, it was realised that many small craft, operating off the landing beaches, would not be equipped with a galley to prepare their own hot meals, or indeed any meals. The Landing Barge Kitchen was designed and developed to satisfy the anticipated demand. They had a capacity to provide 1,600 hot meals and 800 cold meals a day and operated like an amphibious fast food outlet with unlimited parking! "
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"American parachutists-devils in baggy pants..." German officer, Italy 1944.
“If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.” Lord Ernest Rutherford
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George
Centre Hastings
ON Canada
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Posts: 13361
Joined: 2009
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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DT, that was an interesting site on the different LC. Thank you
Cheers,
George
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OpanaPointer
St. Louis
MO USA
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Posts: 1875
Joined: 2010
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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One destroyer got a fire mission to suppress spotting activity from a church steeple near the coast. Her seventh shot shortened the steeple considerably. Source was one of the Army books/booklets on the invasion. I did the lot for the CMH people, it would be in one of the ones on Omaha IIRC. Been twenty + years.
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DT509er
Santa Rosa
CA USA
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Posts: 1449
Joined: 2005
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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"There were churches, with steeples, at Vierville, St.-Laurent, and Colleville. The destroyers avoided shooting at them under the orders of General Eisenhower. But, late in the day, Admiral Bryant ordered the ships to shoot since the Germans were not only using the towers to observe the beaches, but placing mortars and machine guns in them as well. Jim Arnold, from McCook, remembers that one actually blew up, probably from stored ammunition.
At about 1400 Harding, at Dog Green, fired at the Vierville church and severely damaged it. At about 1812 Thompson shot behind Easy Red at the church in St.-Laurent. The church at Colleville took the brunt; it was fired on four times by three different ships off Fox Green. Emmons fired first, at 1815. Harding was next, at 1855. At 1913 Emmons, with Baldwin, struck again. Samuel Eliot Morison says that this was a "surgical" job on the steeple as seen by French eyewitnesses."
[Read More]
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"American parachutists-devils in baggy pants..." German officer, Italy 1944.
“If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.” Lord Ernest Rutherford
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Michigan Dave
Muskegon
MI USA
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Posts: 8076
Joined: 2006
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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Quote: DT, that was an interesting site on the different LC. Thank you
Cheers,
George
DT , I agree with George great websites! Definitely leave it to the German Military to use churches to aid in their attacks!
Regards,
MD
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"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."
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DT509er
Santa Rosa
CA USA
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Posts: 1449
Joined: 2005
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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In all honesty, most if not all combatants at some point use or have used church steeples, mosque minarets, etc.
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"American parachutists-devils in baggy pants..." German officer, Italy 1944.
“If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.” Lord Ernest Rutherford
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RichTO90
Bremerton
WA USA
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Posts: 712
Joined: 2004
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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The Gunfire Support Craft for Operation NEPTUNE were:
UTAH
Support Craft Flotilla:
Group 1:
Division 2:
LCT (R) 368, 425, 439, 448, and 481
LCG (L) 5, 6, 7, and 893
LCF 18, 22, 27, and 31
Group 2:
Division 2: LCT (A) 2310, 2402 (snk), 2454, 2478, and 2488
Division 3: LCT (A) 2282, 2301 (snk) and 2309
OMAHA
Support Craft Flotilla:
Group 1:
Division 1:
LCT (R) 366, 423, 447, 450, 452, 464, 473, 482, and 483
LCG (L) 424, 426, 449, 687, and 811
LCF 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12
LCT (A) 2008, 2037, 2043, 2124, 2227, 2228, 2273 (snk), and 2275
Group 3:
Division 4: LCT (HE) 2049, 2050, 2075, 2229, and 2287
Division 5: LCT (HE) 2297, 2307, 2339, 2435, and 2487
GOLD
108th LCT (A) Flotilla: LCT (A) 2233, 2442, 2005, 2226, 2238, 2262, 2266, and 2499
332nd Support Flotilla, Group 2:
LCG (L) 13, 17 and 18
LCF 25, 26, 36 and 38
322nd LCT (R) Flotilla, Group 2:
LCT (R) 362, 440, 459, and 460
310th Support Flotilla, Group 2:
LCS (L) 251 (252 not ready in time to take part)
HDML 1392
SWORD
Support Squadron:
330th Support Flotilla:
LCF 30, 34, 39, and 42
LCG (L) 9, 10 and 11
100th LCT (A) Flotilla: LCT (A) 2012, 2042, 2052, 2123, 2191, 2334, 2432, and 2433
and LCT (CB) 2337
321st LCT (R) Flotilla: LCT (R) 331, 334, 419, 457, and 458
I'll see if I can dig out JUNO later.
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RichTO90
Bremerton
WA USA
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Posts: 712
Joined: 2004
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Naval Fire support by landing craft during the Normandy Invasion
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Juno
105th LCT (A) Flotilla (3rd Battery, 2nd RM Armour Support Rgt):
LCT (A) 2010, 2120, 2263 (sunk), and 2428 (broke down and sank on passage)
LCT (HE) 2051, 2078, 2240, and 2313
LCT (CB) 2041
103rd LCT (A) Flotilla (4th Battery, 2nd RM Armour Support Rgt):
LCT (A) 2009, 2014, 2283 (abn), and 2455 (RM Centaurs and Shermans)
LCT (HE) 2150, 2234, 2240, and 2306 (RM Centaurs and Shermans, OCU and bulldozers)
LCT (CB) 2338 (10th CAR Fireflies)
331st Support Flotilla, Group 1
LCF 1, 33, and 37
LCG (L) 831, 1007, and 1062
331st Support Flotilla, Group 2
LCG (L) 680, 681, 764, and 939
LCF 21, 24, 29, and 32
1st Division, 320th LCT (R) Flotilla: LCT (R) 359, 367, 405, and 437
2nd Division, 320th LCT (R) Flotilla: LCT (R) 337, 363, 378, and 398
LCT (R) 125 (reloads for LCT (R))
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