Posted on 05/25/2009 5:51:40 AM PDT by franksolich
I'm reading D-Day (Stephen Ambrose, 1994, Simon & Shuster), a book that's been around a while, but which I hadn't read before.
Two questions, possibly stupid ones, pop up.
In a description of getting men ashore on Omaha Beach, apparently the toughest nut to crack, there's a story about how some boat pilots (coxswains, skippers, captains, whatever) refused to proceed because they were afraid of the heavy enemy fire.
Apparently at Normandy, the Navy transported the Army.
The writer fails to explain what happened next; only that the boats withdrew, or headed to the beaches held by the British (in other words, not landing near Omaha Beach at all).
The Army had ordered the Navy to proceed, and the Navy refused.
In such instances, who had the final say-so about what was to be done?
(Excerpt) Read more at conservativecave.com ...
By the way, I originally made a comment that might seen disparaging to the U.S. Navy--it was one of those primitive moments--and since it was said, it couldn't be unsaid, so I amended it in a later comment, an amendment which reflects my true sentiments towards some of the finest men and women in the military.
Just one of those primitive moments.
Don’t know, but I would say court martial.
Army legend has that one Sergent / officer told his coxswain that he had a rifle and 60 rounds of ammo and that either the ammo was going to get used on the Germans or it was going to get used on him..... his choice.
I would hardly classify anyone on any boat heading into France on June 4, 1944 a coward. Some might have been less heroic than others. I would believe that some boat drivers might have had orders that allowed flexibility in landing spots.
Yeah, that was my primitive moment; I temporarily forgot that I had never been in any such situation myself, and so can't judge.
Excresence happens; one accepts, corrects the mistake, adapts, and moves on.
The Navy was in charge until the troops were landed on the beaches, then the Army took control of the troops on the beaches. The landing craft crews had their orders from the Navy, which was to land the troops.
Was it cowardice not to land the troops or to find a safer spot. Good question when at Omaha live troops were needed a shore and dead troops did no good. One additional factor was that the tides and smoke ended up affecting where the landing craft put ashore, they could not see their guide points on the beach due to the smoke and were being moved off course by the current. Some groups of soldiers lived and fought to the top of the clifts that day due to landing in the ‘wrong place’.
Thank you, sir. I think this is the answer to my question.
Memorial Day would not be the day to make “disparaging” comments about any branch of the service. I would not let the account of one author color my opinion of any of our fighting men. No author, no matter how celebrated is perfect, they all have their personal biases and agendas.
Stephen Ambrose has been severely criticized for not fully researching negative portrayals of C-47 pilots and British coxswains who were piloting landing craft delivering US troops to Normandy. You might want to re-read the section on the landing craft pilots. You must remember that Stephen Ambrose never served in the military and has relied on the accounts of others.
I have volunteered in many nursing homes and retirement centers. Residents of very advanced age are still fighting over “who won the war”. On many occasions this never ending debate has escalated into shooting matches between members of different branches of the service. I love them all... but you can definitely not rely on a member of one branch of the service to give an accurate or fair portrayal of persons who served in other branches of the service. This warning is magnified by about ten when an evaluation is being given of personnel from a different country. On occasion Stephen Ambrose, a great writer and historian appears to have forgotten this simple rule.
The landing craft were facing inhalation from the Germans while making their way in to shore but they had so many other factors to contend with also. The obstacles of obliterated craft that they had to navigate around, smoke, waves, dead floating in the water, drowning soldiers, bad communication, utter confusion.....It must have been a scene straight from hell. Nobody could ever train for this. But they succeeded at the end of the day.
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How are things going back at the Lefthanded Chinese Midget Snuff Porn site?
They still cuddling up with DUers and Paulites?
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