Omaha - Why in daylight ?

Hey chaps have you seen this book ?
Omaha Beach - A Flawed Victory, by Adrian R. Lewis.



Interesting question which you might not have ever considered - I know I hadn't - why the hell was this landing not conducted in darkness ?

Some are saying this analysis by Lewis will become a standard work on the subject. I am making painfully slow progress with it but it's fascinating. See here for the gist of it:
http://www.amazon.com/Omaha-Beach-Adrian-R-Lewis/dp/080782609X

 

This probably doesn't in any way answer your question, Dave, but it maybe had something to do with the vastness of the operation. And the necessity of darkness for the prior Parachute & Glider landings, thus keeping the timings of the operation in order

 

Aye Kelly, the bigger picture and all that. But it's been said that if Omaha had failed - and it very nearly did - the Allies' footing in France would have been lost.

I liked this guy's review from the Amazon page:

 

Thanks for the heads up Dave, i have just started "Hell on the eastern front" but will be taking a much closer look at this book once this one is finished .. :thumb:

 

I know I harped on at you about it Jim, but what did you think about 'The Forgotten Soldier'?:cheers:

 

Great book Kelly, especially when it got on to the parts where the Germans was on the retreat, it actually makes you feel sorry for them when it starts telling you about the illnesses that they caught and the inadiquate clothing that they had thru the winter months. Would have loved to have read what happened to the girlfriend at the end .. :smirk:

 

Where's my copy Kelly ? :smirk:

UPDATE: 'Just banged a bid in on a copy, but I won't be increasing it, the postage is a rip-off. :wtf:

 

Just for you my friend:thumb:​

Do you know, you've whetted my appetite for another read:thumb:

 

I can report that dog-eared old paperback copies of this book are in demand.
I have been outbid twice now on eBay. Something tells me hardback copies will be a good investment. A now out-of-print paperback on U-862 that I put off buying new for £15 three years ago now changes hands for upwards of a ton fifty.
:sick:

 

Play.com

This may help.....

http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?sea...g=The+Forgotten+Soldier&page=search&pa=search

 

Cheers K, I finally got a copy for less than a fiver, delivered, from an eBay shop. 'Hasn't arrived yet though. :fag: BTW I had a look round out of interest and found a first edition for sale in the US for £25. Bargain!

 

very much a bargainAre you partaking??

 

Nah don't think so, had it been in the UK then I would. It's very desirable/collectable I would say. It's a pity the seller doesn't include a photo. Here's the link anyway:

http://www.alibris.com/search/detai...=40&pbestnew=12.63&page=5&matches=108&qsort=r

Also I found this, on the "fact or fiction?" controversy surrounding the book. A researcher even tracks Sajer down at his home in France to try to settle the argument. Amazing.

http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/sajer.htm

 

Have you started the read yet Dave?? :ehm:

 

Yes Jim, although as always these things with me are slow. I love to read but to really get the time and the peace to do it I need a long journey.
I can tell already about "The Forgotten Soldier" that there's no question I will finish it. I have been drawn-in right from the start and it's easy to see why it's a best seller that has stood the test of time 36 years after publication. Fiction ? Novel ? Maybe, but the US Army used it as a manual ! Classic.

Progress with the "Omaha" book has been even slower, a "coffee table" book that one !

 

And it gets better:thumb:I'm reading it again, wow, what a read:thumb:

 

Bloody Omaha

Tonight, Timewatch, BBC2 @ 9, all the latest thinking on Omaha:

Timewatch.

 

So it turns out that the mistakes and mishaps that led to the second wave of Rangers not being called in to land at Pointe Du Hoc, ended up being some kind of happy accident. (In terms of the objective at least, if not for the individuals involved.) Instead, they had to land at Omaha, and this became the turning point in the struggle to get off the beach.
Also, not surprisingly, the casualty figures for the beach as we know them should be doubled for better accuracy.
Adrian Lewis features in the programme, the author of the book that started this thread.

 

In the easy company the D-day happenerd in Darkness it was early Hours D- day morning

 

If you mean the BoB Easy company they were airborne of course. :wtf: