D-DAY - UNITS

29th Infantry Division (Omaha Beach)


Leonard T. Gerow

Charles H. Gerhardt

Norman D. Cota

Eugene N. Slappey

Victor Gillespie

William E. Warfield

Charles D. Canham

Sidney V. Bingham

Taylor Fellers

Berthier B. Hawk

Lawrence E. Meek

John A. Metcalfe

William G. Pingley

Walter O. Shilling

Archibald A. Sproul

Ettore V. Zappacostal

Thornton L. Mullins

Jack R. Wilson
 
The division was called into active service on 3 February 1941. Elements of the division were then sent to Fort Meade, Maryland for training. On 12 March 1942, over three months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent American entrance into World War II, with this reorganization complete the division was redesignated as the 29th Infantry Division and began preparing for overseas deployment to Europe.
The 29th Infantry Division, under the command of Major General Leonard GEROW, was sent to England on 5 October 1942 on ‘Queen Mary’. It was based throughout England and Scotland, where it immediately began training for an invasion of northern Europe across the English Channel. In May 1943 the division moved to the Devon–Cornwall peninsula and started conducting simulated attacks against fortified positions. At this time the division was assigned to V Corps of the U.S. First Army. In July the divisional commander, Major General GEROW, was promoted to command V Corps and Major General Charles Hunter GERHARD assumed command of the division.
The 29th Infantry Division sent the 116th Infantry to support the western flank of the veteran 1st Infantry Division's 16th Infantry at Omaha Beach. Omaha was known to be the most difficult of the five landing beaches, due to its rough terrain and bluffs overlooking the beach, which had been well fortified by its German defenders of the 352nd Infantry Division. The 116th Infantry was assigned four sectors of the beach; Easy Green, Dog Red, Dog White, and Dog Green.
The soldiers of the 116th Infantry were the first to hit the beach at 0630, coming under heavy fire from German fortifications. Company A, from the Virginia National Guard in Bedford was annihilated by overwhelming fire as it landed on the 116th's westernmost section of the beach, along with half of Company C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion which was landing to the west of the 116th. The 1st Infantry Division's forces ran into similar fortifications on the eastern half of the beach, suffering massive casualties coming ashore.
 
      
 
Commanding General: Major General Charles H. Gerhardt  [view folder]
Assistant Commanding: Brigadier General Norman D. Cota  [view folder]
G-1: Lt. Colonel Cooper B. Rhodes  [view folder]
G-2: Major Paul W. Krznarich  [view folder]
G-3: Lt. Colonel William J. Witte  [view folder]
G-4: Lt. Colonel Louis G. Gosorn  [view folder]
G-5: Captain Asa B. Gardiner  [view folder]
Chaplain: Major Harold F. Donovan  [view folder]
Surgeon: Frederick P. Barrow II  [view folder]
   
  115th Infantry Regiment: Colonel Eugene N. Slappey  [view folder]
    X.O.: Lt. Colonel Louis G. Smith  [view folder]
    S-1: Captain Lucien P. Laborde  [view folder]
    S-2: Captain William E. Bruning  [view folder]
    S-3: Captain George M. Nevins  [view folder]
    S-4: Major Harold T. Perkins  [view folder]
    Surgeon: Major Theodore A. Cross  [view folder]
      Hq Company: First Lieutenant Frank D. Bergstein  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain Charles E. Peter  [view folder]
      AntiTank Company: Captain Raymond E. McDonough  [view folder]
      Cannon Company: Captain Howard H. Dickey  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel Richard C. Blatt  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major James S. Morris  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Norval W. Carter  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain David F. Mentzer, Jr  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain John M. Ryan  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Leroy R. Weddle  [view folder]
      Company C: Captain Frank B. Bowen  [view folder]
      Company D: Captain George B. Nabb, Jr  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Lt. Colonel William E. Warfield  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Maurice G. Clif  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Rudolph G. Damato  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Richard P. Scott  [view folder]
      Company E: Captain Waldo E. Schmitt  [view folder]
      Company F: Captain Robert J. Kaiser  [view folder]
      Company G: First Lieutenant Livingston L. Baddy  [view folder]
      Company H: Captain Angelo W. Onder  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion: Major Victor Gillespie  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Grat B. Hankin  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Jesse L. Wilkins  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Jacobs L. Jones  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain William L. Spry  [view folder]
      Company K: Captain Louis I. Hille  [view folder]
      Company L: Captain Arthur D. Lawson  [view folder]
      Company M: Captain Arthur George B. Fowler  [view folder]
   
  116th Infantry Regiment: Colonel Charles D. Canham  [view folder]
    X.O.: Lt. Colonel Harold A. Cassell  [view folder]
    S-1: Captain Morris A. Ernst  [view folder]
    S-2: Major Asbury H. Jackson  [view folder]
    S-3: Major Thomas D. Howie  [view folder]
    S-4: Major John W. Sours  [view folder]
    Surgeon: Major Millard D. Buckley  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Joseph A. Rice  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain Charles W. Powel  [view folder]
      AntiTank Company: Captain William E. Lester  [view folder]
      Cannon Company: First Lt. Joseph E. McCollum  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel John A. Metcalfe  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Thomas S. Dallas  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Robert B. Ware  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Thomas J. Callahan  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Taylor N. Fellers [view folder]  (KIA 6 June 44)
      Company B: Captain Ettore V. Zappacosta [view folder]  (KIA 6 June 44)
      Company C: Captain Berthier B. Hawk, Jr  [view folder]
      Company D: Captain Walter O. Shilling  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Major Sidney V. Bingham, Jr  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Fred McManaway  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Robert M. DeWitt  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Charles R. Cawthon  [view folder]
      Company E: Captain Lawrence A. Madill  [view folder] (KIA 6 June 44)
      Company F: Captain William Callahan  [view folder]
      Company G: Captain Eccles Scott  [view folder]
      Company H: Captain George Boyd  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Lawrence E. Meeks  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Malcom R. Weller  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Francis R. Burns  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Archibald A. Sproul  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain Miflin B. Clowe, Jr  [view folder]
      Company K: Captain William G. Pingley, Jr  [view folder]
      Company L: Captain Charles W. East  [view folder]
      Company M: Captain Charles Kidd  [view folder]
   
  175th Infantry Regiment: Colonel Paul R. Goode  [view folder]
    X.O.: Lt. Colonel Alexander George  [view folder]
    Surgeon: Major Edmund G. Beacham  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Henry J. Reed  [view folder]
      Service Company: Captain Robert D. Smith  [view folder]
      AntiTank Company: Captain Marion W. Stevenson  [view folder]
      Cannon Company: Captain Clarence A. Major  [view folder]
    1st Battalion: Lt. Colonel Roger S. Whiteford  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Anthony J. Miller, Jr  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Guy G. Griffen, Jr  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Joseph E. Mueller  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain John C. Brashears  [view folder]
      Company C: Captain Alexander Pouska, Jr  [view folder]
      Company D: Captain Miles C. Shorey, Jr  [view folder]
    2nd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Millar G. Bowen, Jr  [view folder]
      X.O.: Captain Harold E. Simmons  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Louis J. Curl, Jr  [view folder]
      Company E: Captain Lawrence E. Maddox  [view folder]
      Company F: Captain Robert M. Miller  [view folder]
      Company G: Captain John K. Slingluff  [view folder]
      Company H: First Lt. Edward Wollf  [view folder]
    3rd Battalion: Lt. Colonel Edward A. Gill  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Ernest M. Rihter  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Paul T. Freund  [view folder]
      Company I: Captain Frank J. McKenna  [view folder]
      Company K: Captain John T. King III  [view folder]
      Company L: Captain Alvin W. Hobbs  [view folder]
      Company M: 1st Lieutenant Thomas C. Emlo  [view folder]
   
  121st Engineer Combat Bn.: Lt. Colonel Robert P. Ploger  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Henry E. Lewis  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Christian L. Martin  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Edward L. Humphrey  [view folder]
      Company C: Captain Svend A. Holmstrup [view folder]  (KIA 6 June 44)
   
  104th Medical Bn.: Lt. Colonel Arthur N. Ericksen  [view folder]
      Hq Company: Captain Ralph L. Hitz  [view folder]
      Company A: Captain Raymond F. Conway  [view folder]
      Company B: Captain Lester L. Kolman  [view folder]
      Company C: Captain John S. Williams  [view folder]
   
  29th Division Artillery: Brigadier General William H. Sands  [view folder]
    X.O.: Lt. Colonel Harry R. Warfield Jr  [view folder]
    110th Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Purley  Cooper  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major David G. McIntosh III  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain John John Ambler  [view folder]
      Hq Battery: Captain James R. McCarthy  [view folder]
      Serv. Battery: Captain Charles H. Kinsey  [view folder]
      Battery A: Captain William H. Beehler  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain Charles C. Cole  [view folder]
      Battery C: Captain Arthur L. Flinner  [view folder]
    111th Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Thornton L. Mullins [view folder]  (KIA 6 June 44)
      X.O.: Major John Wales   [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Bernard J. Sabatino   [view folder]
      Serv. Battery: Captain Frederic E. Consolvo  [view folder]
      Hq Battery: Captain William L. Decamps   [view folder]
      Battery A: Captain Jack R. Wilson  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain John Hodges  [view folder]
      Battery C: Captain Louis A. Shufford  [view folder]
    224th Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Clinton E. Thruston, Jr  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major George P. Page  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Louis J. Bonanno  [view folder]
      Serv. Battery: Captain Robert H. Stone  [view folder]
      Hq Battery: Captain Harry J. Mathews  [view folder]
      Battery A: Captain Arnold J. Young, Jr  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain Delos H. Mathiesen  [view folder]
      Battery C: Captain Harry Ostler  [view folder]
    227th Field Artillery Bn.: Lt. Colonel Neal W. Harper  [view folder]
      X.O.: Major Normand D. Aboosh  [view folder]
      Surgeon: Captain Harold L. Bacon  [view folder]
      Hq Battery: First Lt. Robert M. Gobder  [view folder]
      Serv. Battery: Captain Eugene D. Jones  [view folder]
      Battery A: Captain Doyle E. Conrad  [view folder]
      Battery B: Captain George F. Weidl  [view folder]
      Battery C: Captain Walter J. Rakow  [view folder]
   
  29th Military Police Pl.: Major Vern E. Johnson  [view folder]
  29th Signal Company: Captain Arba G. Williamson  [view folder]
  29th Reconnaissance Troop: Captain William H. Puntenney  [view folder]
 
Headquarters Company - After Action Report
115th Infantry Regiment - After Action Report
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Command Group - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Headquarters Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, A Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, B Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, C Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, D Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Command Group - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Headquarters Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, E Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, F Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, I Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, K Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, L Company - Group Critique Notes
116th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Battalion, M Company - Group Critique Notes
121st Engineer Combat Battalion - After Action Report