Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

Titled “CHERBOURG - ROUEN”  this original, very rare, and museum-grade D-Day invasion map vividly illustrates the intensive planning and operational accuracy that was behind Operation Overlord and the largest amphibious seaborne invasion in history. This is a very rare 1st Edition map print that was printed in April of 1944 (2 months prior to the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944). This combat map was distributed to D-Day U.S. Infantry and Armored officers landing on Omaha and Utah Beaches. This heavily used Normandy invasion map was used to take some of the most earliest objectives of the D-Day invasion and the fall of Normandy, France from German divisions. What makes this invasion map so incredible is that it includes all of the designated landing craft areas of Omaha Beach from Vierville sur-Mer to le-Haut Chemin including: DOG RED, DOG WHITE, DOG GREEN, & CHARLIE to all of the Utah Beach landing craft specified/designated landing areas of La Madeleine including: TARE GREEN, UNCLE RED, & VICTOR. This map also shows all of the D-Day landing beaches of Juno, Sword, and Gold landed on by the British and Canadian forces. Many thousands of lives depended upon the success of the operation – millions in fact, it was thus vital that this map contained as much information possible of this Normandy coastal section to insure the most military success for the Allied Powers.

The D-Day Normandy landings on June 6th, 1944, were one of the most critical events of World War II. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany. It involved a massive amphibious assault by the Allied forces on the beaches of Normandy, France. The invasion was divided into five sectors, with the Americans landing on Utah and Omaha Beaches. The operation was meticulously planned and executed, but it was far from easy. The soldiers had to face fierce resistance and risk their lives to achieve their objectives.

Planning for Operation Overlord began as early as 1943. The objective was to create a second front in Europe to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union in the east and force Germany to fight a two-front war. The Allies planned to land on the Normandy coast, establish a beachhead, and advance inland to capture key objectives, including the port of Cherbourg, to supply the invasion forces. The operation required a massive amount of resources, including troops, equipment, and supplies. The Allies built an elaborate deception plan, known as Operation Bodyguard, to convince the Germans that the invasion would take place elsewhere.

The operation was scheduled for June 5th, but bad weather forced a delay of 24 hours. On June 6th, the invasion force, consisting of over 150,000 soldiers, 5,000 ships, and 11,000 aircraft, set sail for Normandy. The American forces landed on Utah and Omaha beaches, while the British and Canadians landed on Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches.

The American forces faced some of the toughest resistance on Omaha Beach. The beach was heavily fortified with bunkers and obstacles, and the Germans had machine guns and artillery positions overlooking the beach. The American troops faced heavy casualties as they landed on the beach under fire from the Germans. The situation was critical, but the troops managed to secure a foothold on the beach and begin the slow process of advancing inland.

The situation on Utah Beach was relatively better than Omaha Beach. The beach was less heavily fortified, and the troops faced less resistance from the Germans. The American troops quickly secured the beach and began to advance inland to achieve their objectives.

The American soldiers faced several missions in Normandy, including securing key objectives, capturing bridges, and advancing inland. The soldiers had to fight in difficult terrain, including hedgerows, forests, and small towns. The Germans fought fiercely and used their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.

One of the critical missions for the Americans was the capture of Cherbourg, a vital port that could supply the invasion forces. The port was heavily defended, and the Germans put up a fierce resistance. The Americans managed to capture the city after several weeks of fighting, but the port was heavily damaged and took several months to become operational.

Another critical mission for the Americans was the capture of the city of Caen. The city was a key objective as it was a major transportation hub and had several strategic positions. The Americans faced heavy resistance from the Germans, and the city was heavily damaged during the fighting. The Americans eventually captured the city, but it took several weeks of intense fighting.

In conclusion, the D-Day Normandy landings on Omaha and Utah Beach on June 6th, 1944, were a critical turning point in World War II. The operation was meticulously planned and executed, but it was far from easy. The American soldiers faced fierce resistance and had to risk their lives to achieve their objectives. The soldiers had to fight in difficult terrain and face heavily fortified positions. The capture of Cherbourg and Caen were critical objectives for the Americans, and they faced heavy resistance from the Germans. The sacrifices made by the American soldiers on D-Day.

Omaha Beach:

H-Hour 0630

Lead Allied assault forces
1st US Infantry Division, troops from 29th US Infantry Division, US Rangers

German Defenders
Troops from 352nd Infantry Division and 716th Infantry Division

Objectives
US forces aim to advance inland and gain control of the main east-west road. Further to the west, US Rangers land at Pointe du Hoc with the mission of scaling steep cliffs and disabling the large German guns situated on top of them, which could otherwise fire at Allied ships.

Hourly Timeline of D-Day Landing on Omaha Beach:

0300

Landing ships miles offshore begin lowering the landing craft that will take the assault infantry to the beach. Many troops have to climb down cargo nets from the ships into the landing craft.

0335

Bomber aircraft of RAF Bomber Command attack a range of targets in the whole landing area.

0455

The first waves of landing craft head for the beach.

0550

USS Nevada bombarding a German gun battery in Normandy with her 14 inch guns. (Photo: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / US National Archives)

Allied warships begin bombarding German defenses in the Omaha area. Some German gun batteries try to fire back but are temporarily silenced.

0550

Despite the rough seas, most of the 64 DD (amphibious) tanks begin to launch into the water around 5,000 yards out. Many sink as they approach the beaches, meaning that the infantry will have fewer tanks to support them as they land.

0556

Nearly 450 American heavy bomber aircraft drop bombs, but they fall too far inland (5km) rather than in the beach area. Due to low cloud, the aircraft add a brief delay to dropping their bombs, to ensure they do not hit any friendly forces.

0600

Support landing craft begin to fire guns and rockets against German defences along the beach.

0630

US infantry begins landing on Omaha Beach. They have to cross around 300 yards of beach before they can find a little cover in the form of a shingle bank and sea wall. Many are killed by the fire of German defenders, or lose their weapons and equipment in the confusion.

0700 – 0800

Enemy fire and a higher than expected tide make it difficult for the Americans to clear away beach obstacles, which are increasingly covered by the tide. Many of the larger landing craft have to wait offshore rather than landing their troops because they cannot get through the obstacles.

0710

2nd US Rangers arrive at Pointe du Hoc, and begin climbing the cliffs so they can attack the coastal gun battery on top.

0745

2nd US Rangers have scaled the cliff. They find that the coastal guns have been removed, but later find them inland and destroy them.

0800 – 0900

US troops are still struggling to gain a foothold in the main beach landings. Eleven destroyers come closer inshore to fire their guns directly at German strongpoints to aid the troops. Gradually small groups of US infantry begin to advance off the beach, where there are weaker spots in the German defences.

1100 – 1200

US troops start to get to the top of the bluffs (hills at the back of the beach). However many are still disorganised. Surviving German troops in the beach defences start to surrender (though some hold out until late afternoon).

1300

The road inland at St Laurent is clear, so that vehicles can move up it and support the infantry.

2000

During the afternoon, engineers have managed to clear more routes through the beach obstacles and more routes off the beaches that vehicles can use. US troops capture several villages just behind the beach.

2400

Omaha Beach: At the end of D-Day: Due to the difficulties experienced by US troops at the start of the landings, the Americans have only advanced about one mile inland in most places. The beachhead is not yet secure and is still shelled by German artillery. However German forces here are also off balance, and not yet able to make a strong counter-attack. At Pointe du Hoc, 2nd US Rangers have destroyed the long range coastal guns and held out against strong counter-attacks, losing 90 out of the 225 men who had originally landed. Troops from the main beach landings have not yet linked up with them.

2400

Casualties at Omaha Beach on D-Day: Total casualty figures for D-Day were not recorded at the time and are difficult to confirm in full. The US Army has lost 3,686 casualties including around 777 killed. Other Allied losses include 539 naval and 10 air forces casualties. The German have lost over 1,000 casualties.

General Summary of D-Day Operations on Omaha Beach:

On the morning of June 6, 1944, two U.S. infantry divisions, the 1st and the 29th, landed at Omaha Beach, the second to the west of the five landing beaches of D-Day. Opposing the landings was the German 352nd Infantry Division. Of its 12,020 men, 6,800 were experienced combat troops, detailed to defend a 53-kilometer (33 mi) front. The German strategy was based on defeating any seaborne assault at the water line, and the defenses were mainly deployed in strongpoints along the coast. Casualties on Omaha Beach were the worst of any of the invasion beaches on D-Day, with 2,400 casualties suffered by U.S. forces. And that includes wounded and killed as well as missing. There is no concrete number for the German forces that were killed at Omaha Beach. Those records simply did not exist, and entire German units were wiped out virtually to a man. Any best estimate at the German losses on D-Day is a guess.

D-Day and Omaha Beach:

Omaha Beach linked the U.S. and British beaches. It was a critical link between the Cotentin Peninsula, also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, and the flat plain in front of Caen. Omaha was also the most restricted and heavily defended beach. For that reason, at least one veteran U.S. Division (lst Infantry Division) was tasked to land there. The terrain was difficult. Omaha beach was unlike any of the other assault beaches in Normandy. Its crescent curve and unusual assortment of bluffs, cliffs and draws were immediately recognizable from the sea. It was the most defensible beach chosen for D-Day; in fact, many planners did not believe it a likely place for a major landing. The high ground commanded all approaches to the beach from the sea and tidal flats. Moreover, any advance made by U.S. troops from the beach would be limited to narrow passages between the bluffs. Advances directly up the steep bluffs were difficult in the extreme.

German strongpoints were arranged to command all the approaches and pillboxes were cited in the draws to fire east and west, thereby enfilading troops while remaining concealed from bombarding warships. These pillboxes had to be taken out by direct assault. Compounding this problem was the allied intelligence failure to identify a nearly full-strength infantry division, the 352nd, directly behind the beach. It was believed to be no further forward than St. Lo and Caumont, 20 miles inland. The V Corps was assigned to this sector. The objective was to obtain a lodgment area between Port-en-Bessin and the Vire River and ultimately push forward to St. Lo and Caumont in order to cut German communications (St. Lo was a major road junction). Allocated to the task were 1st and 29th Divisions, supported by the 5th Ranger Battalion and 5th Engineer Special Brigade.