Utah Beach

U.S. soldiers landing on Utah Beach

Date	June 6, 1944
Location	Pouppeville, La Madeleine, Manche, France
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

Germany

Commanders and leaders

J. Lawton Collins

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben

Units involved

VII Corps

Beach

Air drops

LXXXIV Corps

91st Infantry Division
919th Gren. Regiment
- Two Battalions

Strength

4th Infantry Division: 21,000
Airborne: 14,000

12,320

Casualties and losses

4th Infantry Division: 197
Airborne: ~2,499
Other units: ~700

Unknown

Utah Beach was the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), during World War II. The westernmost of the five landing beaches, Utah is on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the mouths of the Douve and Vire rivers. Amphibious landings at Utah were undertaken by United States Army troops, with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the United States Navy and Coast Guard as well as elements from the British, Canadian, Dutch and other Allied navies.

The objective at Utah was to secure a beachhead on the Cotentin Peninsula, the location of important port facilities at Cherbourg. The amphibious assault, primarily by the US 4th Infantry Division and 70th Tank Battalion, was supported by airborne landings of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Division. The intention was to rapidly seal off the Cotentin Peninsula, prevent the Germans from reinforcing Cherbourg, and capture the port as quickly as possible. Utah, along with Sword Beach on the eastern flank, was added to the invasion plan in December 1943. These changes doubled the frontage of the invasion and necessitated a month-long delay so that additional landing craft and personnel could be assembled in England. Allied forces attacking Utah Beach faced two battalions of the 919th Grenadier Regiment, part of the 709th Static Infantry Division. While improvements to fortifications had been undertaken under the leadership of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel beginning in October 1943, the troops assigned to defend the area were mostly poorly equipped non-German conscripts.

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Wikipedia