A 5:30 a.m. on August 15th, 1944, Steve Weiss and the men of the Texas 36th Division boarded landing crafts and landed on a little rocky beach in St. Raphael, on the southern coast of France as part of Operation Anvil, the Second D-Day. Along with the 3rd and 45th Divisions, the were to move west to the Rhone River Valley and then north, to link up with the forces that had landed in Normandy two months early. Steve and his fellow T Patchers were experienced fighting men, their most recent combat having come in the break out at Anzio and the liberation of Rome.
The men had three immediate concerns has they the LCT’s assembled and then headed toward the beach in the predawn darkness. First, was would they land on the beach or have to wade in as they had done during their rehearsal landings? Wading in is slow and makes you more vulnerable to enemy fire. Second, what was the terrain like? How much distance between the waters edge and cover? And how steep was the terrain at the seawall? Third, how many Germans would be waiting to greet them? The got their answers at 8:00 a.m.
The LTC operators had assured the T Patchers that they would hit the beach with dry fight, a promise they delivered on. Green Camel beach, the code name of the Rocky patch on which Steve landed is roughly 100 yards from waters edge to the seawall.
Unlike the English Channel, there are no tides in the Mediterranean. In Normandy, the Troops landed at low tide, putting them several hundred yards from the cover of the seawall. No tide allows the men to land closer to the cover. There were no Germans dug in to defend the beach and the resistance met was limited to harassing artillery fire and landmines.
The 36th was able to move inland to the city of St. Raphael quickly. Later in the day, Steve’s squad was resting near a bridge with a pillbox at one end.
A friend of Steve’s was sitting near the pillbox when a shell came in. It hit the pillbox and instantly severed the friend’s leg.
After lunch, our group visited the Rhone American Cemetery, where 292 Americans, 62 unknown, are buried.
The men had three immediate concerns has they the LCT’s assembled and then headed toward the beach in the predawn darkness. First, was would they land on the beach or have to wade in as they had done during their rehearsal landings? Wading in is slow and makes you more vulnerable to enemy fire. Second, what was the terrain like? How much distance between the waters edge and cover? And how steep was the terrain at the seawall? Third, how many Germans would be waiting to greet them? The got their answers at 8:00 a.m.
The LTC operators had assured the T Patchers that they would hit the beach with dry fight, a promise they delivered on. Green Camel beach, the code name of the Rocky patch on which Steve landed is roughly 100 yards from waters edge to the seawall.
Unlike the English Channel, there are no tides in the Mediterranean. In Normandy, the Troops landed at low tide, putting them several hundred yards from the cover of the seawall. No tide allows the men to land closer to the cover. There were no Germans dug in to defend the beach and the resistance met was limited to harassing artillery fire and landmines.The 36th was able to move inland to the city of St. Raphael quickly. Later in the day, Steve’s squad was resting near a bridge with a pillbox at one end.
A friend of Steve’s was sitting near the pillbox when a shell came in. It hit the pillbox and instantly severed the friend’s leg.After lunch, our group visited the Rhone American Cemetery, where 292 Americans, 62 unknown, are buried.
It is like the other American Military Cemeteries to which I have been, pristine, lush and somber. 
The cemetery is divided into four quadrants with a fountain in the center that is bordered by flowers. There is also a bronze relief map towards the back that shows the area and how the campaign progressed from August 15th to September 7th. It really helped me to understand the terrain and the strategy. The Chapel is elevated and at the rear, buffeted on each side by a fountain. On the wall which acts as the base of the Chapel are the names of Soldiers and Airmen that were killed but either their remains were not recovered or they were not identified. Sixty of them are buried here.
Also buried here is PFC Louis J. Werdmann, who was killed on August 25, 1944. He was riding on the back of a tank destroyer when he was killed. His friend Steve Weiss was right behind him on the front of the next tank destroyer in line.
The cemetery is divided into four quadrants with a fountain in the center that is bordered by flowers. There is also a bronze relief map towards the back that shows the area and how the campaign progressed from August 15th to September 7th. It really helped me to understand the terrain and the strategy. The Chapel is elevated and at the rear, buffeted on each side by a fountain. On the wall which acts as the base of the Chapel are the names of Soldiers and Airmen that were killed but either their remains were not recovered or they were not identified. Sixty of them are buried here.Also buried here is PFC Louis J. Werdmann, who was killed on August 25, 1944. He was riding on the back of a tank destroyer when he was killed. His friend Steve Weiss was right behind him on the front of the next tank destroyer in line.
3 comments:
The spacing on the graves looks wider that at Corville sur mer and Luxembourg City.
My Great Uncle Edwin G Masching was on this landing. He was killed 4 OCT 1944. I am looking for men who served in the 143rd 3rd battalion Company I. I may be contacted through ajschott@hotmail.com
Thank you
My Great Uncle Edwin G Masching was on this landing. He was killed 4 OCT 1944. I am looking for men who served in the 143rd 3rd battalion Company I. I may be contacted through ajschott@hotmail.com
Thank you
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