US Naval Combat Demolition Units on Omaha and Utah Beach’s, Operation Neptune

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Temujin
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US Naval Combat Demolition Units on Omaha and Utah Beach’s, Operation Neptune

Post by Temujin » Fri Jan 13, 2023 11:15 am

Lieutenant (g) Blackwell, U.S.N.R. (Enclosure (A) to C.T.F. 122, Serial 844, of 19 July, 1944.)

From: Lt. (jg) H.L. BLACKWELL, Jr. D-V(G) USNR.
To : Commander Task Force ONE TWO TWO.

Subject: Naval Combat Demolition units; report of.

Reference: (a) ComNavEu Orders to Lt.(jg) Blackwell
P16-3/00 of 3 Tune, 1944 and endorsements
thereto.

Enclosure: (1) Report on the work of the U.S. Naval Combat
Demolition units in operation NEPTUNE.

1. This officer has been on temporary duty with
Task Force ONE TWO TWO for the purpose of collecting information
on the work of the U.S. Naval Combat Demolition Units in
breaching beach obstacles.

2. Some of the material collected has been briefed
to make up the report which forms Enclosure (1) of this letter.

Respectfully submitted,
(signed)
H.L. BLACKWELL, JR.
Lt. (jg), USNR

Document mentioned above, which you can open on the link below:

https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/re ... -NCDU.html

Below is a brief excerpt from the document, it does describe everything that happened in the link above

3 June - Force 'U' officers further briefed. Crews briefed
aboard their craft. Craft got under way, but bad
weather forced postponement of the Operation.

4 June - Craft again got under way.

6 June - From about 0200 on, craft arrived off coast of
France. NCDUs and Army Demolition Units embarked in
their smaller craft. Boat Team #6 had made almost
entire crossing in their LCM when LCT (HE) 2075
foundered; Boat Team #2 had embarked in LCM at
2300 and cast loose at 0330, when LCT(A) 2227 was
crippled by flooded engine room; and Boat Team #11
had to abandon their LCT at 0200, in sinking condition.
Foundering of 2075 was result of water coming
in where starboard rail had been out away and replaced;
replaced section swung one way only, like a
valve, admitting water and then impounding it. The
Assault Units of Force '0' went ashore to fulfill
their mission after almost a week aboard LCTs (whose
decks were often awash), having had no hot food or
exercise. Support NCDUs of Force '0' were fairly
fresh after crossing on LSI; and NCDUs of Force 'U'
had been on LSTs. It is felt that use of LSTs, if
available, is preferable.

The story of the actual operation is told in Section
II.

Source: Task Force One Two Two Report, Serial 844 of 19 July 1944, US Navy World War II Action Reports, Modern Military Branch, National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD 20749-6001

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Re: US Naval Combat Demolition Units on Omaha and Utah Beach’s, Operation Neptune

Post by Temujin » Fri Jan 13, 2023 12:17 pm

More info
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