Because the sand was whet and sinky and they would become stuck in it witch is not what they would want now is it?!?
By Kevin Clark c:
0600
Omaha beach juno beach Utah beach sword Beach Gold beach
D-Day
D-Day started with a storm at sea. This delayed many of the ships and interfered with the planned naval gunfire support. Also the American paratroops did not all land in their planned areas. -Utah beach suffered from the landing craft dropping off the tanks way too early and less than 10% of the tanks made it off the beach. None of these things helped at all.
Colonel Hobart (England) invented many vehicles that were used on D-Day. He invented amphibious tanks that could operate in water before landing on the beach ("Donald Duck", duplex drive tanks), he invented tanks that could fire flamethrowers, he invented tanks that could fire heavy mortars that could blast bunkers at point blank range, he invented tanks that could put down planks of wood that could give traction and support to tanks that ran on beach sandy ground so they would not sink in the sand. He invented tanks that could put down items so the tanks could get off the beach and get onto high ground. These tanks were called "Hobart's Funnies". After D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Americans took German beach obstacles and fitted them to American M-4 Sherman tanks, called "Rhinos", and these pieces of metal ripped up the Bouchage hedge rows and enabled the Americans and others to break out of the Normandy Peninsula.
Many American troops died on Omaha beach because of two factors, the landing craft launched their 'swimming' tanks too far from shore and most of them sank, Also the beach was heavily defended by an excellent German regiment the Allies didn't know anything about.
The U.S.A takes Omaha and Utah, Britain takes Sword and Juno and Canada takes Gold beach.
Beaches in Normandy, France. Five Beach landing zones: 2 American, 1 Canadian & 2 British.
The Allies principally used landing ships and small landing craft called Higgins Boats. Once ashore, they used Sherman and British Crusader tanks.
The British forces were assigned to two beaches, Sword and Gold. The British LCT's at both at Sword and Gold held off landing their tanks till they could come off almost right onto beach. This gave the soldiers immediate armour support. (the launching of American tanks way too far out at Omaha was one the main reasons Americans were decimated on Omaha beach) The British forces held both Sword and Gold by 0900, just 2-3 hours after landing. from here they advanced inland some 6-7 miles by nightfall.
landing the infantry and tanks could only be done in calm weather, NOT stormy weather.........
The number of fortifications.