Page 42 - Bugle Spring 2023

6 RIFLES
Normandy American Cemetery
Longues-Sur-Mer battery
Ex NORMANDY BUGLE
D Company deployed 21 personnel to Normandy over a long weekend in October 22 in which four key deliverables were achieved:
1. To gain a wider understanding of the
complexities and scale of Operation OVERLORD. D Company developed knowledge of the locations of strategic importance to the Operation.
2. Explore, in more detail, specific actions relating to our antecedent ‘forming’ regiments.
3. Discuss how advances in both equipment and tactics would influence planning and execution of operations today.
4. Develop D Company identity, in order
to improve retention and increase effectiveness. This weekend proved to be a crucial opportunity to further the friendships and comradery within the Company.
What went well and
not so well
Over the course of three days D Company were able to visit many of the significant sites associated with Operation OVERLORD. This included the pre-emptive strikes on both Pegasus Bridge and the Merville Battery. The
British Normandy Memorial
main effort around the establishment of a beachhead on Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah beaches. The logistical challenges around Arromanches and the mulberry harbour, and an overriding sense of the Combined Arms nature of the entire operation. The pre-landing Naval gunfire that wore down enemy defences, RAF Glider Pilots skills that enabled key inland positions to be captured and the intermit fire support provided by Allied armour.
We were able to visit Longues-Sur-Mer battery, the site of a daring assault by C Company, 2nd Devonshire Regiment, as well as Hill 112 and ‘Cornwall Wood’ - the site of a ferocious battle to hold the vital high ground fought by the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry.
Each evening we dined in the French town of Bayeux and reflected on the day’s activities, enhancing unit cohesion.
Lessons Learnt
Our key takeaways included:
Exploitation inland from Gold beach (Combined Arms training)
The use of armour to accelerate the exploitation phase of any light role infantry assault. The effectiveness of surprise fast moving, penetrating attacks deep into enemy
Each evening we reflected on the day’s activities, enhancing unit cohesion
territory was demonstrated again in Iraq and has been recently deployed to great effect by the Ukrainian Army in the Donbas.
Pegasus Bridge achieving surprise
Horsa Gliders enabled the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry to take Pegasus Bridge by surprise. Could this objective have been taken so effectively with the use of equipment available to use to us today? Would Helicopter insertion have lost the element of surprise? Would we be able to achieve similar surprise and concertation of force so close to a target today?
Longues-Sur-Mer battery
Communications are critical in any conflict and at every level. Allied Naval gunfire on
the Longues-Sur-Mer battery disabled the local German wired communications link, forcing them to revert to runners and flags to direct fire, thereby reducing each position’s effectiveness. This flagged the requirement to practice secondary means of communication.
Arromanche and the Mulberry Harbour (supply chain and logistical support) Operating at scale on the continent carries
an unprecedented logistical burden, how would we achieve this today if fighting in Europe was once again to become a reality? How will advances in signals intelligence and direction / location finding capabilities impact our ability to utilise primary communications links?
42 RIFLES The Bugle
Ever Forward Memorial - Omaha Beach