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What types of obstacles did German forces place in the water at Omaha Beach?
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Omaha Beach
U.S. infantrymen wading from their landing craft toward Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
To defend Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion, German forces under Field Marshal Erwin Rommel installed a variety of obstacles in the water to impede Allied landing craft. These defenses were arranged in lines across the beach, often featuring mines affixed to the structures.12
The obstacles included:
- Log posts: Wooden posts, some of which were topped with mines.1
- Hedgehogs: Five-foot-tall obstacles constructed from three crossed steel beams.1
- Belgian gates: Large steel frames standing seven feet seven inches tall.1
- Log ramps: Structures made of one long log supported by two shorter logs, sometimes with mines attached.1
These obstacles were positioned at varying depths, with some lines located below the low-tide mark and others situated between the low- and high-tide lines. While intended to destroy or disable landing craft, the obstacles ironically provided the only available cover for American troops during the initial assault.13