D-Day - The Untold Story

Page 4 of 6

• 1. Operation Overlord
• 2. Surveying Omaha Beach
• 3. Witnessing the horror
• 4. Historical discrepancies
• 5. The element of surprise
• 6. Find out more
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Historical discrepancies

So far, there are discrepancies between the historical account of what happened to the 741st on D-Day, and what is born out by archaeological study. However, once all the tanks are located, studied and filmed, the INA team plans to make as accurate a record as possible of the event, and place the details in the greater context of D-Day history. Meantime, analysis of the data to date provides the following insights:

1. The tanks launched at approximately 6,000 yards as intended, regardless of sea conditions.

2. The LCTs were headed into the current and drifting to the east as they launched the tanks.

3. The tanks launched and turned into the current to head for their landing area. This is the most significant factor in their sinking, as it would expose the long side of the tank to a 'beam sea', meaning that the force of the waves would strike the weakest, most flexible, portion of the floatation skirt, causing it to buckle and ultimately fail. It is apparent that the tanks were attempting to stay on course for their intended landing area, and were using the steeple of the church at Colleville sur Mer as a point to steer by, as they moved with the current steadily to the east and off course, compounding the angle at which they had to turn the vehicles 'beam-on' to the waves.

4. The two tanks that made it to shore had put their 'stern' to the waves to mitigate the impact of the sea, and reduce the chance of swamping. Interviews with survivors revealed that the commanders of the two DD-Tanks that made it to shore had considerable small-boat experience on rivers and at sea, and would have known the danger of turning 'beam-on' to the seas.

5. Someone in the 741st used a tank radio to contact the 743rd Tank Battalion to inform them of their fate, saving the lives and tanks of the 743rd and allowing them to get to shore to protect the infantry.

6. Rockwell (US Navy) and Elders (US Army) conferred, and decided not to launch within moments of the 741st launching on orders from Young and Thornton.

7. The tanks can be divided on the chart into C-Company tanks in the west, and B-Company tanks in the east.

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Published: 2002-06-01