Omaha, with its broad beach and fortified bluffs, was the most heavily defended of all the invasion beaches. The massive Allied aerial and naval bombardments were largely ineffective here and the American troops faced stiff resistance from the experienced German 352nd Infantry Division, which was carrying out anti-invasion training in the area. In many of the US rifle companies, casualties exceeded 50%, but by the evening of D-Day the American soldiers were firmly ashore. To the west of Omaha, US Rangers made a daring cliff-top assault on a German coastal battery at Pointe du Hoc, only to find that the gun emplacements were empty. 50mm Anti-Landing Gun commanded by Corp.Siegfried Kuska in strongpoint WN62 covering the entrance to the Colleville draw. At six miles wide, Omaha was the largest of the landing areas, with the toughest defence. The water and beach were littered with mines and the entire beach being overlooked by 30-metre cliffs. The experienced 352nd German Infantry Division had the beach covered. The 1st Infantry assault experienced the worst ordeal of the D-Day operation. All but two out of 29 amphibious tanks sank and almost all the senior officers were killed or wounded as they set foot on the beach. Despite a 50% casualty rate, the survivors regrouped and pressed on. Aided by heavy naval bombardment, the infantry crossed the beach and began scaling the cliffs. Paratroops closed in on the German defence from behind, enabling the beach exits to be secured by midday. The Americans suffered 2,400 casualties at Omaha on June 6th, but 34,000 Allied troops had landed by nightfall.
