D-Day – During
We thought we would look at a few of the lesser known aspects of the D-Day landings, before, during and after. There are so many aspects of Operation Neptune (the assault phase of Overlord) that are worthy of telling but in this series we look at the weather (before the landings), armoured combat engineering (during the landings) and logistics (after the landings), perhaps lesser known aspects but all absolutely crucial.
Armoured Combat Engineering
Combat engineering is as old a military art as any.
Combat engineers are generally known as sappers, the name derived from the common term for a trench excavated under fire, usually the fire coming from a castle or fortress although there are many different versions of the origin of the term. Whatever the origin of the term sapper, there is no doubt that in all armies the tasks carried out by sappers, that of mobility and counter mobility are essential.
D-Day was no different to any conflict past or indeed future. The need to overcome the formidable field defences on the Atlantic wall was a primary concern, unless they could be neutralised no progress off the beaches could be made. The scale of challenge was huge, everything from mines to tank traps to barbed wire to concrete pill boxes would face the invading allied forces.
The combat engineering story of D-Day began years earlier, Royal Engineer surveyors started the task of looking at possible landing areas, drawing information from existing maps, photographs and even postcards. Hard facts about the geology, tide, obstacles, load bearing and topographic information were obtained by covert surveys. The work of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) was essential, these were comprised of Royal Navy midget submarines and Royal Engineers surveyors.
The airborne operations had significant Royal Engineer support but in this post we mainly look at beach operations.
The beaches in Normandy were well defended with both passive means such as obstacles and mines but also more active means such as artillery and infantry.
The primary objective by the Royal Engineer Assault Regiments was simply to clear obstacles on the beach and allow exit points to be created. Getting off the beach, although perhaps an obvious statement, was vital to maintain momentum. Both these tasks would have to be carried out whatever the weather, under fire and against the changing tide.
The disastrous Dieppe raid in 1942 had resulted in many lessons learned, most notably the need for an effective armoured combat engineering capability. The North African experience also demonstrated the need for obstacle breaching, especially against anti tank mines.
The sheer breadth of obstacles, both man made and natural, that were likely to be encountered led to the need for an equally wide range of specialist vehicles. Pioneering the implementation effort was Major General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart, commander of the newly formed 79th Armoured Division. The resultant vehicles were widely known as ‘Hobart’s Funnies’ although the task they were to carry out were far from amusing.
General Percy Hobart
Major General Hobart was commissioned into the Royal Engineers, serving with the Bengal Sappers and Miners before transferring to the Royal Tank Corps. He was a forward thinker and in many ways revolutionary (he is often credited with being the originator of the Blitzkrieg concept!)
This outspoken and aggressive manner led to him being retired in 1939 so when the call came to command the 79th Armoured Division he was serving as a Corporal in the Home Guard. An influential Times article by Liddell Hart that was reportedly seen by Churchill saw him quickly returned to service.
It was thought that a normal divisional command would not be the best use of his considerable intellect, the requirement for a specialist force of combat engineering vehicles and specialist armour was exactly the kind of thing that would benefit from his insight.
Hobart was eventually tasked with training this specialist unit, later to become the 79th (experimental) Armoured Division. Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery was Hobart’s brother in law and this ensured that Hobart had sufficient resources. Eisenhower quickly appreciated the value of Hobart’s ‘menagerie’ and ensured that red tape was slashed and top priority given to him.
Breaking new ground at almost every turn the resultant vehicles, tactics and training were truly revolutionary. Uniquely, the 79th did not deploy as a single unit but were used by any unit that needed them, including the US and Commonwealth forces. Most of the vehicles were converted Churchill or Sherman tanks and although many of the concepts had been used before and Hobart was not an engineer, he undoubtedly perfected the overall concept. The Churchill was the ideal donor vehicle because it was heavy, with a low centre of gravity, roomy interior and side escape hatches, and was therefore used for the majority of the funnies.
Demolition
Churchill Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) mounted a 290mm Petard spigot mortar which fired a demolition charge to approximately 80 yards, unfortunately the spigot mortar had to be reloaded from outside the vehicle. This was the basic donor vehicle for many of the variations.
Churchill AVRE
Petard Projectile (the Flying Dustbin)
Others included the Carrot and Double Onion demolition charge vehicles and the VEB or Vehicle Emplaced Banagalore torpedo for breaching large barbed wire entanglements.
Churchill Vehicle Emplaced Banaglore Torpedo
Churchill AVRE Double Onion
Gap Crossing
The Armoured Ramp Carrier (ARK) used a series of ramps to bridge gaps.
Armoured Ramp Carrier
Armoured Ramp Carrier
Assault bridges were used to breach gaps and bridge the sea walls. The Small Box Girder bridge had a span of 30ft and could carry a load of 40 tons.
Small Box Girder
Ditches were filled with bundles or fascines of brushwood or to form a step.
Churchill Fascine
Mine Clearance
Mine clearance was carried out by a number of means but the preferred method was to use rotating chain flails to detonate the mines thus clearing a path the width of the tank. The flails were mounted on the front of the tank and were called Sherman Crabs. A number of Churchill based designs using rollers and ploughs were also employed.
Churchill Jeffries Plough
Sherman Crab
Pill Box Assault
Churchill tanks equipped with flamethrowers were called Crocodiles, these towed and armoured trailer containing the fuel. Crocodiles were used primarily for clearing bunkers, a task in which they excelled and were usually employed in conjunction with the Petard equipped Churchill AVRE.
Churchill Crocodile
Route Clearance
Armoured Caterpillar D8 bulldozers were used to clear obstacles and keep the vehicle lanes open.
Armoured Bulldozer
Amphibious Assault
Sherman tanks were also converted into amphibious vehicles by the addition of a canvas skirt, propellers and other modifications. These provided vital armoured fire support in the opening phase of the beach assault although a number were lost to the heavy seas when they were launched too far from the beach. It is widely thought that as these losses were particularly heavy on Omaha beach it was this that contributed to the very high losses in that area.
Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) Tank
Soft Ground
The beach surveys had revealed the existence of large patches of clay that would not bear the weight of heavy vehicles and artillery. To overcome this the ‘bobbin’ tanks were used that laid a continuous reinforced canvas mat over the soft ground, thus spreading the load over a wider area.
Churchill AVRE Bobbin
Speaking on the subject General Eisenhower wrote
Apart from the factor of tactical surprise, the comparatively light casualties which we sustained on all beaches, except OMAHA, were in large measure due to the success of the novel mechanical contrivances which we employed, and to the staggering moral and material effect of the mass of armor landed in the leading waves of the assault. It is doubtful if the assault forces could have firmly established themselves without the assistance of these weapons.
Look at many of the armoured engineer vehicles in service today and you will the origins of their design in Hobart’s Funnies although interestingly the 79th had some capabilites not in service today. It is also of some interest why, despite Eisenhowers demonstrable enthusiasm and support for the 79th, why General Bradley insisted on using dismounted combat engineers that resulted in a slow advance and very high casualties on ‘Bloody Omaha’
Despite their armour the soldiers of the 79th suffered very heavy losses and were without a doubt extremely brave individuals, much was achieved by them and many lives saved.
Information for this blog post was obtained from the following sources
http://www.remuseum.org.uk/campaign/rem_campaign_overlord.htm
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v18/v18n1p-2_Constable.html
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