Because the Allied troops had their greatest losses at Omaha Beach, and a critical battle was fought overthere, the beach became for many synonymous for D-Day. I have received over the years many questions about Omaha and so I decided to give some more insight in the units involved during the landing at Omaha. One page is for the attacking American troops and, this one, is on the defenders side, the German units.

'Omaha Beach' runs from Port-en-Bessin in the east to Grandcamp-Maisy in the west of this area in the Calavados. But the sectors designated to the attacking troops on June 6th, 1944 lay between Colleville-sur-Mer and Vierville-sur-Mer (with a single sector some miles to the west, at Point du Hoc). This sector was to be defended by the German 716th Infantry Division. During the month of May, units of the 352nd Infantry Division were sent to this area as extra support (which came as a big surprise to the Allied staff). In the landing sector were 15 'Widerstandneste' (running from Wn 60 to Wn 74). These were various complexes which had their guns pointed at the beach of Omaha. Some 'Widerstandneste' were simple built constructions, with some bunkers and trenches, others had massive casemats with heavy guns, like Wn 61 en Wn 62 near Colleville-sur-Mer. Another heavy complex was at Vierville-sur-Mer, WN 72.

Below is a list showing the strategic places of the German infantry divisions (352 and 716), infantry regiments (726 and 916), infantry battalions (726 and 352 ) and company's (352, 726 and 916), and the 1st Flak regiment as it was deployed around Omaha Beach.

I./352 Commando Artillery Gruppe: Etreham (Major Pluskat)

352 Genie Gruppe: near Ste-Martin de Blagny

Major Werner Pluskat, commander I./352 Artillery Gruppe

UNITS OF THE GERMAN 716TH INFANTRY DIVISION AND THEIR LOCATION
(from east to west):

Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter, Commander 716th Infantry Division (HQ. Caen)

726 Regiment Commando: Sully

I./726 Battalion Commando: Maisons