[jim]

I have just watched one of a series of programmes called Time Watch.
This weeks topic was Omaha Beach and what was the reason for the dreadful casualties inflicted on the US forces.

The American historians decided it was 2 main factors.
The first was that between the time the beach was chosen and the actual assault taking place, the Germans had hugely increased the defences,
the second was that USAAF in their attack on the beach and bluffs defences completely missed "all" their targets.
The programme went to the beach and filmed the bluffs and gun positions and the historians discussed the way the beach was defended.
After watching that, I am amazed that anyone made it up that beach alive.
Total losses in the assault on the beaches came to approximately 5000 men killed or wounded.

Several veterans from the Rangers were interviewed and some from the other units that took part.
I must admit that it always brings a lump to my throat when I listen to those old guys telling their stories.

Maybe if people like Paris Hilton and her like were to watch these programmes perhaps they would appreciate just what a high price was paid for her freedom to be selfish stupid wasteful and vain.
A sharp face to face look at reality might do her and her friends a power of good.


Just me musing a little and thought I would share with the guys.

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by jim

Maybe if people like Paris Hilton and her like were to watch these programmes perhaps they would appreciate just what a high price was paid for her freedom to be selfish stupid wasteful and vain.
A sharp face to face look at reality might do her and her friends a power of good.

I don't think Paris would be smart enough to comprehend the honor of meeting a WW2 (or other) vet.
Unfortunately, this type of behavior isn't the exclusive domain of Paris Hilton. It seems like most, if not all of the silver spoon types (aka "the best and brightest") born in the last 50 years are this way. The concept of serving one's country is viewed as being beneath them. It's a damn shame.
We would not have won WW2 without men like Eisenhower, Patton, Marshall, and Macarthur; who were also born with silver spoons in their mouths. The difference between that generation and the people of today is that back then military service was seen as a very honorable form of public service. Thank God they had that attitude, or the world would be a far worse place than it currently is.
Maybe we could hire a medium (I'll be glad to throw some money toward it) to channel the ghost of Patton to come and slap the hell out of today's rich kids, their parents, their grade school teachers, and their college professors...maybe that's the wake-up call that it will take for these people to realize that military service is, indeed, a higher calling.

[jim]

Well said Rush.

[Chris]

Yeah , i watched that . Damn good programme , so basically Omaha Beach was a total cock-up paid for by G.I's lives cos U.S air force couldnt hit a mile long beach .. but could bomb a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet .I feel so sorry for the poor guys that had to land on a beach that hadn't even been touched by bombing . Lets all hope that nothing like that happens again. God rest their Souls

[Lofty]

Mistakes happen.
One of many disasters that were overcome during WWII.
Shame a lot of the French seem to have forgotten they were liberated by the Allies

[jim]

I wish the programme had given more detail about why the bombing failed.

They did say that the aircraft only had a 30 minute time scale to deliver the bombs before the landing took place so tragically when the bombs missed the target area they had no time to try again.
But I suppose thats war, sometimes mistakes happen.

Wouldnt it be great if we could always go to war tooled up with a bag full of hindsight.

[bsmith13]

The aircraft assigned to bomb the german positions at Omaha beach were mostly B-17s from 8th AF. As you may know, 8th AF was in the habit of bombing from high altitude, and were not used to going in lower than 20,000ft. Weather also contributed to the fact that the targets weren't hit as assigned.

The aircraft assigned to hit german positions at Utah beach were B-26s from 9th AF, which were practiced in hitting targets from 15K ft all the way down to the deck. One of the many reasons that the 4th Division at Utah didn't have such a hard time is because 9th AF destroyed their targets.

[MoMo]

I'm sure that this programme is available on the BBC's site to view. The BBC has a site which allows you to view any programme from the past week, so that our transatlantic cousins can see the show. I'll check this out later.

[MoMo]

Listen to the discussion, or view the text, Guys.

Listen to our in-depth discussion with Timewatch editor John Farren, programme consultant, Simon Trew, specialist historian, Dan Todman and Stuart Mitchell, a historian from the Open University. They go behind the scenes and discuss some of the wider issues relating to the Bloody Omaha and the making of historical programmes.
BBC

BBC/OU Open2.net - Timewatch - Revisiting Omaha

[MoMo]

Bloody Omaha

BBC/OU Open2.net - Timewatch - Bloody Omaha