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Vehicles of the Todt organization were located and turned over to the G 4. In the afternoon
the sectional leaders of the French resistant troops were located and a detailed and accurate
account of the various small and large groups of Germans in that sector was obtained. The
regimental objectives would have been relatively eastily held if as planned the seaborne
forces had arrived on the afternoon of D-Day. As expected also, the enemy did not start to
attack before D-Day evening until nothing had been heard from the 4th division, the seaborne
force that was to come through our area. At 1400 hours we received one report at the regi-
mental command post which said there were no signs of activity at the beach by the 4th division.
We jokingly discussed having been stranded by another postponement of D-Day but not so jokingly
were we thinking. The whole day we tried at least to contact them by radio but nothing could
be heard from them. Not before 2100 hours when one operator contacted them did we know that
they had had difficulties with all the mine fields at the beach but were now working inland.
When Gen. Ridgway who jumped with our regiment had established the division CP at the same
spot as our regimental CP, that is about 200 yards west of Ste. Mere Eglise, learned of the
radio contact he wanted to re-contact the 4th division. He wanted to send the message that
they should send us ammunition and medical supplies that night. After much effort the radio
man got the contact again with the 4th Division. General Ridgway was spending the entire
time with the radio and when contact was made he directed that the message be sent in the
clear because it was urgent. At about 2100 he looked up into the east to see our first
airborne reinforcements. From 2100 to 2300 hours over 75 gliders came into our area carrying
one battalion of the 325th Infantry and Artillery units. A glider with a 150 mm gun and
ammunition crashed with a tremendous racket just outside of the CP. These gliders were
guided to their landing zone by the 505 Pathfinder teams under Lt. Chester, Lt. Smith, and
Lt. Bell (?). They were able to organize immediately. Now it was midnight, the end of a
hard and the beginning of a day which could be much worse. The situation looked bad, the
enemy attacking from the west and with strong forces from the north as expected and we had
started to run low on ammunition. Our regimental strength assumbled the first day was 1012
enlisted men and 82 officers. Of the 2,041 enlisted men and 164 officers who had jumped.
The 505 had done a wonderful job. Major Gen Ridgway sent the following message to the 505