Engineer presents professional information designed to keep U.S. military and civilian engineers informed of current and emerging developments within their areas of expertise for the purpose of enhancing their professional development.
Issue link: https://engineer.epubxp.com/i/145930
By Major Danny Lucitt A ll societies have had conficts by which they are known—a moment never forgotten even if little is .known about the clashing participants. Troy had a wooden horse, the Spartans had a pass, and Marie Antoinette lost her head over cake. Long after the fall of the American empire, men will study our American moment, 6 June 1944—D-Day. On this day, Canadian, British, and American forces breached Fortress Europe and seized a foothold on the way to defeating fascism. At Omaha Beach, the 1st Infantry Division charged its engineers with the daunting task of clearing the beach of obstacles and mines. The 20th Engineer Battalion of the 1140th Engineer Combat Group maintained the audacity and tempo required for the 1st Infantry Division to seize its Normandy objective. While World War II raged in the South Pacifc, it was frst fought only on the periphery of Europe. Allied ground forces could only battle with the Axis in Africa and Italy, naval forces routinely fought in the North Atlantic, and the air forces of both sides had moments of victory. Still, to end the Third Reich, the Allies needed to bring the ground war to Berlin. The approach into Europe required a certain amount of deception, and deception meant diffculty. Landing in Italy to maneuver north into Germany would prove futile once Allied forces reached the Alps and neutral Switzerland. As deception though, it was brilliant. The coast of France, however, was where the main advance had to be conducted. Over the course of months, 12 Engineer British and American leaders gathered in Britain to plan Operation Overlord, the invasion of Europe. It would be led by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 1st and 9th Infantry Divisions and the 2d Armored Division would reposition from the Mediterranean to England for training. The initial entry of the Allied forces would not be easy. The Normandy beaches were heavily fortifed with steel and concrete barriers and manned by thousands of soldiers. Although the Germans believed that Allied forces would enter Europe from across the English Channel, they foresaw an invasion farther north. This belief was due in part to articles that Colonel Paul W. Thompson had been U.S. Navy Seabees constructed this foating dock at Normandy soon after D-Day. May–August 2013