Point du Hoc

**Hounf of Culan** · September 23, 2009, 02:08 PM

First of all I don't mean to second guess all the planning and intelligence that determined point du hoc was a very important target on D-day being situated between Utah and Omaha beaches. I feel like a lot of people second guess alot of decisions made in wars and thats not what I'm trying to do. My question is was the position really a threat to halt or severely disrupt the D-day landings or were the generals just worried about too many casualties on the beaches. I just find it hard to believe that a single battery of 4 155m guns could really do anything to stop Utah or Omaha beach being taken, sure they could kill a good number of guys but its only 4 guns. Would it really have halted the landings?

**Katsumoto** · September 23, 2009, 02:13 PM

Like you said, it would have caused a lot more casualties, something the Allies didn't really need as the casualties would've been very high anyway.

**René Artois** · September 23, 2009, 03:42 PM

I'm guessing they could have been able to engage the ships as well. And as Katsumoto said, they wanted as few casualties as possible, D-Day planners really worked hard to give the troops on the beaches as best a chance and as easy a goal as possible.

**Azog 150** · September 23, 2009, 04:05 PM

^^^This. It posed a similar threat to the Merville Gun Battery near Sword beach.

To add to the above reasons- it could also have engaged the DD Tanks (Although most of the ones on Omaha didn't make it anyway)

**Tiberius Tosi** · September 23, 2009, 07:02 PM

The guns could have taken out tanks, and would have been devastating to the beaches. Most casualties on the beaches came from artillery and mortar fire, since some beaches were naturally protected from much machinegun fire.

**Hounf of Culan** · September 23, 2009, 07:56 PM

I just don't really see how destroying the 4 guns fits into the big picture, sure they could kill more guys but it seems like so much effort was spent on such a small battery.

**Roloc** · September 23, 2009, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Hounf of Culan

I just don't really see how destroying the 4 guns fits into the big picture, sure they could kill more guys but it seems like so much effort was spent on such a small battery.

It was epic in Call of Duty 2

**Azog 150** · September 24, 2009, 07:39 AM

Originally Posted by Hounf of Culan

I just don't really see how destroying the 4 guns fits into the big picture, sure they could kill more guys but it seems like so much effort was spent on such a small battery.

Actually it was 6 Guns. The Merville Gun Battery was 4 guns.

The reason is, the guns would probably have taken more lives then it cost to disable them. Plus, they had to be disabled either way, so it made sense to get it done sooner rather then later. If they hadn't taken the guns, then even after the beaches were taken (With heavier casualties), then they would have had to advance on the guns across land with the guns still being able to fire at them.

**Spartacus the Irish** · September 24, 2009, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Azog 150

The reason is, the guns would probably have taken more lives then it cost to disable them. Plus, they had to be disabled either way, so it made sense to get it done sooner rather then later. If they hadn't taken the guns, then even after the beaches were taken (With heavier casualties), then they would have had to advance on the guns across land with the guns still being able to fire at them.

Definitely. A more important point, however; how are the Allies supposed to land supplies, ammunition, equipment and reinforcements on beaches covered by artillery pieces?

D-Day was never going to be defeated in the landing phase, the Allies could call upon too much firepower. The crux of the operation was winning the build-up phase - if the Germans could get more forces to surround the beachheads than the Allies could push into their beachhead, the Allies would be in serious danger. The vital need was to reinforce those assault waves and landing forces with fresh reinforcements - thus the task of eliminating anything, especially fortified artillery, probably with fireplans of the entire beach sectors, and with large reserves of ammunition (compared to German field artillery), which could and would cause serious problems to that attempted build-up.