Looking for reference pictures or diagrams of Omaha beach fortifications

[KMHPaladin]

One of my current favorite games is a Half-Life mod called "Day of Defeat," a pretty fun World War II infantry game in the vein of Firearms or Counter-Strike. They recently released a 1.2 version, but unfortunately, their Omaha beach map falls far short of reality. I am trying to gather pictures and diagrams that show what the beach looked like in reality, in terms of fortifications, bunkers, trenches, etc. If you have any detailed pictures or diagrams that show how they were set up, I would very much appreciate you sharing them.

Thanks in advance,

[Redwolf]

http://www2.cons.org:8000/history/maps1/

[aka_tom_w]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Martin Cracauer:

http://www2.cons.org:8000/history/maps1/<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

WOW

Great Map site for Omaha Beach, I have been searching all weekend for such a GOOD map on the internet and never came across this page.

THANKS!

-tom w

[Crockett]

Try these links

http://normandy.eb.com/normandy/cap/onormay226j4_FE.html

http://normandy.eb.com/normandy/week1/fortress03.html

http://normandy.eb.com/normandy/week3/onormay225a4.html

http://normandy.eb.com/normandy/maps.html

[KMHPaladin]

Thanks a lot for those resources, they are excellent. I'm also looking for anything that shows individual bunker positions along a shorter stretch, like maybe a sector-sized area. Anyone have that?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate you taking the time.

[aka_tom_w]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by KMHPaladin:

Thanks a lot for those resources, they are excellent. I'm also looking for anything that shows individual bunker positions along a shorter stretch, like maybe a sector-sized area. Anyone have that?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate you taking the time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Again Try these:

http://www2.cons.org:8000/history/maps1/

VERY detailed maps showing guns, bunkers houses and fortifications.

download the Hi Res zipped files and open them up and look in the blwon up sections.

they are VERY detailed.

-tom w

[KMHPaladin]

Alright cool tom, I looked at them more closely and they are indeed excellent. The only thing I wish they included was something showing elevation, that would be useful... but they are indeed good.

[Hensworth]

I have been there. If you have any specific questions about what the general area looks like, just shoot.

If anyone else is considering a visit : I can recommend it. It's one of the eeriest places I've ever been. The weather was very bad so I was there all alone at dusk. One thing will all always stay with me : the distance from the waterline to the bottom of the dunes seems like a mile...

Also came by Pegasus Bridge and Villers-Bocage.

[KMHPaladin]

Sgt Kelly I am considering doing a Private Ryan-style Omaha beach because of the ease of converting from the movie to a map as opposed to interpolating from maps to a map (i.e. having to guess at elevation, etc.) as well as the fact that the historically inaccurate short beach would probably be easier on the Halflife engine. Am I wrong in thinking this? It seems tough to reconcile the pictures where the cliffs seem like an eternity away and SPR where the cliff is only a hundred yard from the waterline. I understand that looking at a movie as anything but an abstraction of reality is a mistake, but SPR was supposedly a good representation of Omaha and that always nagged at my perception.

Additionally, the mental picture that I'm getting from the diagrams I've seen is that the bunkers were not actually on top of the cliffs, but for the most part were at the foot of the cliff with more of a network of trenches atop the cliff. Anything to add/correct/comment on in that? Please go ahead.

Thanks for your input,

[Roach]

There were no heavy bunkers on the top of the bluffs at Omaha; a few of the tobruk variety strongpoints were about as heavy as they got on the top; this doesn't include the concrete ammunition and shelter bunkers etc. There were only four main bunkers on the beach itself, between the base of the bluffs and the sea wall. At the eastern end (1st Div area) there were two bunkers positioned to face west along the beach. Similarly at the west end, at the mouth of the Vierville Draw (29th end), were two more facing east, again positioned to fire along the length of the beach. SPR is a good representation of Omaha Beach only as far as the 'feeling' factor goes; the physical, geographical accuracy of the beach, and the time they take moving off the beach is (i.e. serious penetration after twenty minutes as opposed to three hours), to put it mildly, a crock. The large bunker at the top of the bluffs that you see in SPR when Hanks is being briefed for his fantasy adventure certainly did not exist on Omaha; the 'bunker' was actually built for proposed Pointe du Hoc scenes, of which that type of bunker is indeed accurate.

I agree with a previous reply; Omaha viewed at dawn or dusk is an eery place. I have been many, many times and it never ceases to move me. If you ever get the chance, go see it - it will give you all the perspective you will ever need.

[ 04-19-2001: Message edited by: Roach ]

[Hensworth]

Obviously Roach knows far more about it then me .

However, I might still make myself useful :

Since my previous post I have come across a scenario called dd116th or something like that. The map used there is just about perfect, as far as the general landscape and proportions go. It's in the CMScenarioMegaPack which is somewhere on this board.