D-Day Documents

1st Division - 16th Regiment - Journal

0630 - First wave lands. Schedule on beach of Normandy France(see Field 5, Hq CT 16) and meets fierce resistance on beaches. Beach is under heavy machine gun and rifle fire. No advance made inland as beaches were fully covered by pill boxes and mine fields just inland from beaches.

0730 - Forward CP lands. Beach still under small arms and machine gun fire. No advance made inland. Casualties extremely heavy. Slight artillery fire on beach. Heavy machine gun fire covering all exits and the entire beach.

0805 - Rear CP lands. Beach still under heavy fire. CP established on beach and infiltration started thru right flank of area at small beack thru. Mine field cleared out and all troops on beach commence moving off to flank.

0830 - First four prisoners all from 8th Co, 916th Regiment, 352nd Div., brought in.

1000 - CP established just off beach on side of hill at 684895. Battalions are moving forward, but are out of contact with regimental CP. Beach and entire territory still under heavy fire and companies are meeting heavy resistance. Several landing craft have received hits and troops still landing on the beach are receiving artillery fire, causing medium casualities. Things are becomong organized, however, and the situation is beginning to clear.

1055 - 1st and 2nd Bns. get contact with the Regimental CP and are moving forward slowly, hitting very heavy resistance.

1115 - CO to CO 2nd Bn - 2nd Bn. is to hold up at point 38. Do not move further forward until you hear from us.

1120 - S-3 to S-3 1st Bn - Hold up at 38. Right, and we have contact with 2nd Bn. The 5th Co. is reported to be located at Surrain.

1135 - Negative report to Division by radio.

1145 - S-3 to 1st Bn., 18th has landed. They will go in on your right. They will take your objective. You did in and prepare for a counterattack. OK. A is on the right, C on the left, with B Co. following. We are still advancing slowly.

1145 - S-3 to CO 2nd Battalion - I talked to Capt. Smith and told his about the 18th. How soon can you move the rear part of your CP here by us up forward. We have someone on the way back now to pick them up and guide them forward.

1205 - 1st Bn to CO - Can we get any tanks up to Colleville-sur-Mer? A: No, none of them are up to here yet. They aren't off the beach. However, as soon as we can possible get anything up, we will shoot it up to you. Keep yelling for it.