-Sea, air, and artillery bombardment: The pre-landing phase aimed to soften German defenses thoroughly.
-Five beach sectors: Omaha was subdivided into five sectors by the Americans, from west to east: Charlie, Dog Green, Dog Red, Dog White, and Easy.
-Infantry Assault: Three rifle companies supported by armor would spearhead the assault to clear beach exits and German strongpoints. They were to be followed by troops with bulldozers, flamethrowers, and bangalore torpedoes to breach obstacles.
-Follow-up Waves: The second assault wave was to land 30 minutes after the first and establish a beachhead inland of the dunes while knocking out German bunkers. Subsequent waves were to sustain the attack, with troops landing over the beach until a breakthrough on the flanks could be achieved.
German Strategy:
-Fortified Defense: The beach was heavily fortified with thousands of mines, barbed wire, concrete pillboxes, and dug-in positions protected by high bluffs.
-Coastal Guns and Artillery: Powerful guns, including the long-range 88mm cannon, covered a wide area, including the beach and the water approaches.
-Limited Counterattacks: German doctrine for beach assaults emphasized static defenses rather than dynamic counterattacks. German command expected landings elsewhere and hesitated to commit reserves.
-Inflexible Response: The Germans were hampered by rigid command structures and communication problems that slowed down their ability to react to the invasion.
