Minefield clearance is one of the important tasks of the Sappers, and in doing so, they set an commendable example by making safelanes for the tanks and follow up infantry, under heavy enemy fire. However, the details being circulated on social media under the heading: "An Infantryman's Account of the Sappers on D Day - 06 Jun 1944", are not available in the historical records or War Diaries of the Engineer companies or regiments involved on the D Day.
The dramatic narrative circulating on social media, about sappers being spaced 25 yards apart, with marker flags in their legs and leaving a trail of bodies, is not historically documented in credible histories or verified primary accounts. The way it is written, with details like -- "Marker flags stuck into legs after morphine, bodies spaced at intervals forming a path, the infantry literally stepping where each sapper fell....", is consistent with modern internet fiction or embellished soldier-tales rather than authentic military records. In fact, during the initial assault, the armour provides fire support to the infantry, and infantry has to literally rush through the minefield under the covering fire of the artillery. Minefield clearance for the induction of armour and follow up infantry takes place only after the infantry captures the initial objectives.
Moreover, no authoritative history of D-Day or Royal Engineers’ archival citations include this graphic sequence. The real accounts mention clearing mines while lying flat and under fire, but without the lurid embellishments added in viral posts.
As per the official historical records, what actually happened on the D-Day was:
● Engineers were tasked with breaching minefields and obstacles to allow armour and follow up infantry to move across.
● They worked with mine detectors, tape markers, bayonets and Bangalore Torpedoes, and had to often stay low to the ground to avoid enemy fire.
● Their exposure to the fire from the flanking enemy positions and the mines, made the task very dangerous. While the casualties did occur, minefield lanes were created by detection and careful clearance, not by soldiers being used as human markers.
Notwithstanding the above, the task accomplish by the Sappers involved commendable spirit, a high degree of training and motivation, accompanied by exemplary leadership, which made the individual Sapper soldiers perform their challenging tasks even at the risk of their lives for the 'izzat' of their regiment.
And it is only to uphold such high military traditions that leaves a soldier with no option but to make the supreme sacrifice, whenever one is confronted with a similar situation. That is the importance of military traditions, which form the basis of providing the highest degree of motivation and greatest sense of inspiration for a regiment or battalion. In fact, to keep alive such traditions of courage and commitment, is the real challenge for every unit of the Indian Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Every soldier is expected to live for it, and if the situation so demands, die for it. Traditions play a very important role in motivating the soldiers.
It was on June 06, 1944, the D-Day of 'Operation Overlord' which brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies, making it the largest amphibious invasion in military history. These are also known as the Normandy landings, which became the watershed moment of World War ll, since these landings marked the beginning of the fall of the Third Reich. Both the Allied and Axis forces were fighting for their prestige as well as survival, and had it not been for such an unparalleled degree of dedication, determination, courage, commitment and leadership at the tactical level, the success of 'Operation Overlord' could have been jeopardized on the the D Day itself.
However, 'Operation Overlord' was not won on the beaches alone, it was won months earlier through detailed planning, provision and catering for a complex logistics set up, use of specialized equipment, orchestrating an audatious deception plan, and detailed coordination of land, sea, and air forces.
The invasion succeeded because the defence forces of the Allied nations worked as a team under the unified command of General Eisenhower. They placed the common objective of defeating the Axis forces, over the national pride of individual nations. 'Cooperation' is one of the Principles of War, whether it be among the warring nations or between their Armies, Navies and Air Forces, or between various arms and services of the respective defence forces.
It would be pertinent to mention here, that it is not only the fighting or the supporting arms, but also the services, which play a pivotal role in winning the wars. While the glory is often attributed to the mountaineers who scale the peak, the role of the people taking them to, and launching them from the Base Camp, cannot be ignored. It is the services which sustain the fighting elements throughout the war by providing logistic support, which involves detailed planning, risk, courage and commitment. Hence their role should never be relegated to a secondary position.
In a war, deception can be as powerful as firepower, since it leads to surprising the enemy, and 'Surprise' is one Principle of War, which can achieve results out of proportion to the effort put in. 'Operation Bodyguard' misled Germans into believing that the invasion would occur at Pas-de-Calais, not at Normandy. This led the German forces to be held back at wrong locations, making the task relatively easier for the Allied forces.
While German Generals like Field Marshal Rommel, Heinz Guderian, Von Rundstedt, and Von Manstein were equally capable, they were handicapped due to Hitler's political interference in their military plans.
Leadership at all levels is another decisive factor in winning a war. General Eisenhower had even prepared a resignation letter in case the invasion failed. That shows his moral courage to accept responsibility even for the defeat, had it happened. Weather was uncertain, heavy casualties were expected, and failure of 'Operation Overlord' could have prolonged the war, apart from raising the morale of the Axis forces. The stakes were high on both the sides. An exemplary leadership involves accepting responsibility, moral courage, risk-taking, and decision-making under the most uncertain conditions.
Intelligence is another factor that played an equally very important role in winning the war. As Napoleon said, "One man at the right place is worth ten thousand men on the field." The Allied forces had developed a superior intelligence network, as compared to the Axis forces.
But above all, courage at the level of an individual soldier matters the most. Despite chaos and heavy losses, especially at Omaha Beach, the soldiers pressed forward with utter disregard to their personal safety. This brings us to an important lesson, ie the success of the finest plans depends on the bravery and resolve of individual soldiers, since it is they who have to execute the plan on ground.
'Operation Overlord' teaches us that overwhelming success can be achieved by careful planning, unity among the warring nations, strategic deception, and human courage, combined with decisive leadership. But morale and initiative at the tactical level remain critical, because ultimately it is the soldier, irrespective of the arm or service to which he/she belongs, who has to translate the plan into victory.
On this subject, it is worth reminding every one, a very appropriate quote written in the Lecture Hall of French Infantry School, which reads: "The man is the first weapon of the battle; let us then study the soldier, for it is he who brings reality to it. Only a study of the past can give us a sense of reality, and show us how the soldier will fight in battle."
