Headquarters | 2nd Bn | 16th IR | Invasion of France

Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry

The majority of HQ. Co., 2nd Bn. 16th Infantry, landed with the third wave of the Bn. assault team in LCVPs and an LCM. Transportation followed later in the day on LCTs.

The Bn. HQ. section with msg cntr and the radio section landed 700 yards to the left of its objective, approx. 30 yards from shore. Heavy fire was raking the beach and water. Part of the rifle companies were already on the beach. The men, well trained, waded through water, crossed the sand bar and proceeded to cover provided by the high water mark. The A & P flat on beach Easy Red at 0635 hours H, about 100 yards from the beach the craft came under heavy artillery fire which caused confusion in debarkation. The ramp was put down at the water's edge, the water was about waist high. When the craft was down at the water mark level and the first group of men headed for shore. The fire became more intense as the boat unloaded and the last men to leave the craft, carrying heavy equipment, were mowed down by the enemy fire.

The wire section was divided into two parts, one with the free boat carrying the BN. C.O. and staff, and the other with Co. A. This craft received heavy MG fires, the H Co. craft as it approached the landing. The heavy fire and intense shelling of the beach made it very unsafe. Several men carrying wire on the free boat were wounded in the water. The men managed to bring the switchboard, phones, and several rolls of wire ashore. The radioes that were carried ashore were put out of commission by small arms and MG fire.

The sections organized on the beach. The A and F platoon through the passage to the initial CP, finding unexperienced beach guides in a minefield. The demolition squad, having lost their equipment through casualties, borrowed the equipment of the engineers and proceeded to blow the minefield and make passage through the passage. The Bn. and sections followed to the initial CP at 682896.

The radio, wirex, and A & P sections returned to the beach to try to recover equipment lost in the landing. Enough equipment was recovered to enable the company to function in support of the Bn. The transportation was to land at 0730 but because of the heavy and intense fire of the Navy, ordered them to pull back from the beach. The ship had [?] received several direct artillery hits. They landed transportation about 1230 with a full of troops and equipment. After struggling to get the vehicles through the water they proceeded to the vehicle transient area. Two half tracks were lost in water too deep for travel.

The Aid platoon approached the beach at 0800 hours. The navy proved too rough for the DUKWs and they had to be towed in. Troops were on the beach and enemy fire was heavy, keeping the platoon from landing until 1200 hours. With only one truck available, the platoon loaded several of men carrying litter teams and ammunition from the AM Co. By 1700 hours Exit E-1 had been cleared sufficiently to enable them to proceed to the transient area, where they awaited orders from the Bn. C.O.

Despite the overcrowded beach, the efficient manner in which the attaining of objectives by the landing craft, reorganization of the sections and platoons of the Co. by the plat. and section sgts. was excellent. Equipment lost in the operation was relatively small, and every effort was made by men to retrieve equipment carried by the men wounded. Several trips were made under heavy shellfire secure equipment rushed ashore.

the Co moved forward to establish a command CP was initiated in the vicinity of 684892 where constant communications were maintained with cos of the Bn. and surrounding units, prisoners were received and taken to the rear by the intelligence section, and the necessary administrative work was handled by the Hqtrs. section. The Company stayed at this location for the remainder of the day.

From an account at the 16th Inf. Hqtrs. 4 July 1944.

Headquarters, 2nd Battalion on D-Day