The 30th enters the ETO

Map of Omaha Beach

Updated Map
 

The 230th Field Artillery was the first 30th unit to land on Omaha Beach.  They were called to action early to replace a field artillery battalion of  the 29th Inf. Div. whose howitzers had been lost in the assault on the beach.  At 1530 hours on June 10th the enter battalion was ashore near Colleville su Mer.  Their first firing positions were occupied around 0530 hours on the morning of June 11th near Chantilly.

The first infantry division arrived on June 13th, the 120th IR.   They came ashore at Exit D-1.  But for some this cross channel trip took a long detour.  Read the PDF file personal history of Frank Towers as he describes the 3rd battalion earning the 'fame' of being the only men to land on both Utah and Omaha beaches.

Personal History of Frank Towers  (Click)  Personal Military Memoirs of Frank W. Towers

The first units of the 119th landed on June 14th.  The first units of the 117th, Co. C landed June 14th through the 19th on Easy Red and their assembly point was Neuilly La Foret.

The 743 Tank Battalion took part in the initial D-Day assault on June 6th at Exit D-1.

The 823rd Tank Destroyer was delayed until June 24th.  The 30th Signal on June 15th.

  Dog Green bluffs July 2006...new houses block much of the bluffs.

   Bunker July 2006...protective wall on right has been removed.

Top Photo: Beach sector Charlie, west of Vierville draw, saw the assault by Company C, 2d Rangers.  They lost nearly half of their men when landing in the middle of the stretch shown here; then moved west, scaling the cliff to reach the "fortified" house on the top. Bottom Photo: The "Fortified" house, above Charlie Beach, although not actually fortified, was on the edge of a strongpoint (foreground) overlooking Vierville draw and connected with the draw by a maze of communication trenches.  (Photograph taken February, 1945)

Top Photo....July 2006.  On the old photo of Charlie Sector (the top one) you can see a bunker up on the cliffs but also a small one a little lower. This one still remains, here how it looks now.

Charlie Sector, in the distance Pointe de la Percee. Also here a new house in front of it. July 2006.

Beach in front of D-1: Also here you can see the block of concrete, remains of the Artificial Harbor.

Sign in front of Exit D-1.

The D-1 exit leading to Vierville sur Mer.

The D-1 Exit is near the house, Dog Green and part of Charlie Sector in the front. The big concrete block laying in the water are remains of the Artificial Harbor (Mulberry A).

The Easy green sector in front of the D-3 draw.

The D-3 Exit road leading to St. Laurent sur Mer.

This is the cliff were the improvised landing strip laid.  It is mentioned in Hewitt's book, Workhorse.