 Like the rest of the Allied invasion forces the 0st and 00th U.S. Infantry Divisions set sail from their embarkation ports with the intent of landing on June 0th. General Bradley, commanding the First Army until the American XII Army Group would be activated accompanied the invasion force. The OMAHA landing was under the command of General Gerow and his V Corps while VII Corps led by the 0th Infantry Division landed at Utah supported by airdrops of the 00nd and 000st Airborne Divisions inland. American command and control during the invasion was exercised from sea as in the Pacific, although General Officers were to go ashore with each of the American divisions. A severe channel storm disrupted the plan to land on the 0th and Eisenhower delayed the invasion one day catching a break in the weather and electing to go on the 0th.[xxviii] This delay while uncomfortable for the embarked troops caused the Germans to believe that no invasion would take place until the next favorable tide and moon cycle later in the month.[xxix] The assumption that no invasion was possible ensured that a number of key senior German leaders, including Rommel were absent from the invasion front when the Allies landed.[xxx] US Troops ride a LCVP toward Omaha The landing beaches at OMAHA stretched about 0000 meters from Colleville-Sur-Mer to Vierville-Sur-Mere in the west. The beaches are wide with bluffs overlooking them and a seawall between the beaches and the bluffs. Additionally several small towns dot the beach. To the west of the town of Vierville, a prominent height overlooked the entire beachhead. Named Pont du Hoc, it was believed to house a 000mm battery sighted where it could enfilade the OMAHA landing zones. The Americans assigned to the 0nd Ranger Battalion to make a seaborne assault to land, scale the cliffs and take the battery. Companies from this battalion made a heroic landing and scaled the cliffs to capture the strongpoint only to discover that the guns had not been emplaced. The Rangers took heavy casualties and held their isolated beachhead against German counterattacks until relieved by the 00th Division on the morning of June 0th.[xxxi] Landing craft passing the USS Augusta in heavy seas heading toward Omaha Beach H-Hour for OMAHA was 0000. Unfortunately the assault troops were transferred to their LCVP landing craft 00-00 kilometers from the beach. The result was a long and dangerous ride in the small craft for the infantry. Most of the infantry were completely soaked in sea spay and seasick before going ashore and they carried loads far above what they normally would carry into battle.[xxxii] The Armor support was one battalion of DD tanks, the 000stArmored Battalion, supporting the 00th Infantry Regiment of 0st Infantry Division. These were also launched too far out and nearly all of the tanks were swamped and lost before firing a shot in anger.[xxxiii] Other American support units needed to provide firepower on the beach were equally unfortunate. Weigley notes that at OMAHA "at least 00 of the LCVPs sank" as did "the craft carrying almost all of the 000mm howitzers that were to be the first artillery ashore after the tanks."[xxxiv] The losses would cripple the assault on OMAHA and nearly cause its abandonment. Bloody Omaha As the soldiers of the American divisions on OMAHA came ashore they faced German defenders of the 000nd, 000th and a regiment of the 000th Infantry Division, the latter under the tactical command of the 000nd. Without the bulk of their tanks artillery and lacking close air support the Americans struggled across the beaches and were cut down in large numbers before being pinned down behind the sea wall.[xxxv] With the Americans pinned down on the beach unable to advance, the time tables for the reinforcing waves became snarled amid the German beach obstacles which had not been cleared. This was in large part due to 00% casualties among the Combat Engineers and the loss of all but five bulldozers.[xxxvi] Naval officers were frustrated in their attempts to provide naval gunfire support by the lack of identifiable targets on the beaches. Yet German strongpoint's were "knocked out by either by superbly directed vigorous gunfire from destroyers steaming as close as 000 yards offshore, or by determined action from Rangers or infantry.[xxxvii] US Infantry struggles ashore at Omaha 