[PAR35]

In addition the problems mentioned above, the US medium tanks wouldn’t have been particularly effective on the beaches. They would have to fire up at the heavy German defenses with relatively light cannon. The offshore fire from the ships was more effective than a tank would have been. Even the battleships providing support were close enough in to take casualties from shore fire.

And the good Lt. Col. may not have studied the British organized fiasco at Dieppe, where most of the tanks were never able to advance off the beach, and those few that did were fairly quickly abandoned.

OK, here’s your bonus for the night - a thread about British amphibian tanks at Normandy:

The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Hobart’s Funnies - January 9th, 2004 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/1054522/posts

Here’s a general Omaha Beach thread:

The FReeper Foxhole Remembers D-Day On Omaha Beach (6/6/1944) - June 6th, 2003 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/924248/posts

[Spktyr]

Let’s also not forget that Monty was a complete ass and without massive American support wouldn’t have won his Africa campaign.

[Lancey Howard]

I visited Normandy in 1983 (roomed at a Bed & Breakfast in St. Lo) and you hardly want to talk above a whisper there. A few years ago I was on a job in the western suburbs of Philly and I met a man and his wife who wouldn’t let me leave their house until I sat down in the kitchen with them for a tuna fish sandwich.

The Iraq war was imminent at that time and the conversation steered that way. The wife then mentioned that her husband, sitting next to me, had been in the D-Day landing at Normandy. My eyes widened and I asked the man to tell me about it, which he did. His story - - similar to so many other stories from that day - - kept me mesmerized and left me thoroughly humbled. And the gentleman was so matter-of-fact about it....

[DB]

Thank you.