U.S. Airborne in Cotentin Peninsula



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TOP SECRET - BIGOT NEPTUNE
 101st Airborne Division
APO 472, U.S. Army
19 May 1944
 
 No. of Copies: 250
Copy No. 131
ANNEX No. 6B TO FO NO. 1.

MAPS:     
FRANCE 1/50,000, GSGS 4250, SHEETS: LA HAYE DU PUITS (6 E/5), PERIERS (5 F/2 - 6 F/1), VALOGNES (6 E/3 - 6 E/4).
   
1.
  1. Enemy Situation - Annex No. 1.
  2. Friendly Situation - Annex No. 3.
  3. The 101st Airborne Division, reinforced, will land by air and water on the Cotentin Peninsula beginning at J-Hour on the night of D minus one - D-Day to assist landing of the 4th Infantry Division on Utah Beach.
  4. Initial CP Ashore:
    101st A/B DivisionHIESVILLE(387922)Tentative
    501st Prcht. Inf. Regt.COQUERIE(349952)Tentative
    502nd Prcht. Inf. Regt.LOUTRES(389963)Tentative
    506th Prcht. Inf. Regt.CULOVILLE(398919)Tentative
    327th Glider Inf. Regt.STE MARIE-DU-MONT (vicinity)(4192)Tentative
    Division Service AreaSEBEVILLE (vicinity)(3794)Tentative
2.
  1. General Plan - Annex No. 3.
  2. Initially, Radio will be the primary means of Communication within the Division.
  3. J-Hour is the time of dropping of the first Parachute Serial.
  4. J-Hour, H-Hour, D-Day will be announced to Units by Officer Courier.
3.
  1. 101st Airborne Signal Company:
     
    (1)Parachute Echelon .
    1. Message Center.
      (1) One Message Center Team of eight men will operate Message Center immediately upon landing.
    2. Radio Communication - Appendices No. 1 & 2.
    3. Wire Communication.
      (1) One Wire Team of three men will accompany the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment and one Wire Team of three men will accompany the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Immediately upon landing, these Wire Teams will lay one line back to the Division Command Post.
      (2) Circuit Diagrams - Appendix No. 10.
    4. Pigeon Communication.
      (1) Eight Pigeons will be carried.
    (2)Glider Echelon .
    1. Message Center.
      (1) Operation normal.
    2. Radio Communication - Appendices No. 1, 4, 6, & 7.
    3. Wire Communication - Appendices No. 10, 11 & 12.
    4. Pigeon Communication.
      (1) Sixteen Pigeons will be carried.
  2. 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.
    (1) Radio Nets - Appendices No. 5, 6 & 7.
     
  3. 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
    (1) Radio Nets - Appendices No. 5, 6 & 7.
     
  4. 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, less 3rd Battalion.
    (1) Radio Nets - Appendices No. 5, 6 & 7.
    (2) Lay one Wire Circuit to Division CP immediately upon establishment of Regimental CP.
     
  5. 3rd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment.
    (1) Communication normal with the followings exceptions.
    1. Enter Division Command Net. See Appendices 5, 6 & 7.
    2. Lay one Wire Circuit to Division CP immediately upon establishment of Battalion CP.
       
  6. 101st Airborne Division Artillery.
    (1) Communication normal. See Appendices No. 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8.
    (2) Lay one Wire Circuit to Division CP immediately upon landing. See Appendix No. 10.
     
  7. 377th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion.
    (1) Communication normal.
    (2) Establish Liaison with the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment immediately upon landing.
     
  8. 327th Glider Infantry Regiment.
    (1) Communication normal.
     
  9. 1st Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment.
    (1) Enter Division Command Net #2 upon landing. Upon reverting to control of 327th Glider Infantry Regiment, the 1st Battalion, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, will leave Division Command Net and enter 327th Regimental Command Net.
     
  10. 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion. (Less Btrys. A, B, C, D, E & F).
    (1) Enter Division Command Net after landing.
     
  11. Battery "A", 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion.
    (1) Upon landing will be prepared to establish Liaison Communication with 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Battery Command Channel.
     
  12. Battery D, E & F, 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion.
    (1) Communication normal upon reverting to Battalion control.
     
  13. Battery "B", 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion.
    (1) Establish Liaison Radio Communication with Division Command Post after landing.
    (2) Enter 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion Command Net after landing of Battalion Headquarters.
     
  14. Battery "C", 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion.
    (1) Establish Liaison Radio Communication with Division Command Post after landing.
    (2) Enter 81st Airborne AA & AT Battalion Command Net after landing of Battalion Headquarters.
     
  15. 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion. (Less Co. "C").
    (1) Radio Nets - Appendices No. 5, 6 & 7.
     
  16. 1st and 2 nd Platoon, Company "C", 326th Airborne Engineer Bn.
    (1) Enter the 506th Parachute Infantry Regimental Command Net.
     
  17. Company "C", 326th Airborne Engineer Bn. (Less 2 platoons).
    (1) Enter the 501st Parachute Infantry Regimental Command Net.
     
  18. 326th Airborne Medical Company.
    (1) Communication Normal.
     
  19. Troop "C", 4th Cav. Sqdn.
    Company "D", 70th Tk. Bn.
    (1) Establish Radio Liaison with 101st Airborne Division Headquerters by sending Liaison Set to Division CP.
x. (1) Message center.
  1. Operation normal.
  2. Prearranged Message Code Group, APP, will signify:
    THE STRONG POINT AND BATTERY AT ST. MARTIN DE VARREVILLE ARE CAPTURED.
    (2) Messenger Communication.
  1. Upon establishment of a CP, each Unit will dispatch two messengers to Division Message Center.
  2. Messenger vehicles will be given FIRST priority on all roads.
    (3) Radio Communication - See Appendices No. 1 & 9.
  1. Guard Net Frequency will be 4290 KC. This frequency will be used by any Units in VII Corps unable to make contact on regularly assigned Frequency.
     
  2. 1. Radio Silence will be broken upon landing of Para chute Elements.
    2. At H minus 40, Radio Silence may be relaxed by Unit Commanders of Seaborne Elements within approximately twelve (12) miles to Seaward of beaches, unless otherwise prohibited.
     
  3. An SCR-300 Contact Net will use Channel 33. This Net will be used in contacting friendly Elements  by Division, Regimental and Battalion Headquarters.
    Elements of 82nd Airborne Division may also report into this Net. Authentication not required unless requested. Mutual recognition Code Word will be, ORANGE.
     
  4. Elements of the Division may report into Liaison SCR-300 Net of the 87th Chemical Battalion, or Orange Contact Net, using ORANGE Recognition Signals to call for mortar fire.
     
  5. The Commanding General's Radio Set will enter any Radio Net in the Division.
     
  6. Upon estabishment of 501st and 506th Parachute Regimental Command Net with SCR-284, Liaison Communication with attached Engineer Units will be maintained with SCR-300 Radio.
     
  7. Reception Organization will establish communication between Beach CP, Beach Assembly Area and Division Assembly Area and establish contact with Division CP. See Appendix No. 13.
     
  8. The following Units will be standing by in the Division Artillery Command Net:
    65th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (Sp).
    4th Division Artillery.
    87th Chemical Battalion.
    VII Corps Artillery.
    (4) Wire Communication.
  1. Operation normal.
     
  2. Underground Telephone Cable on the Continent will not be cut but service into Enemy Sectors will be interrupted at Repeater Stations or Telephone Exchanges.
     
  3. Precautions: Previous Operations have shown that open wire leads are sometimes heavily mined around the base of pole and under the lead between poles. Booby Traps have also been attached to hanging wires. Inside Plant Facilities of Telephone Exchanges may be booby-trapped.
     
  4. Line Route Maps will be submitted by all Units every twelve (12) hours.
    (5) Pigeon Communication.
  1. Pigeons will be delivered by Division Signal Supply to Units at Departure Airfields, on D minus 1.
    Basis of Issue will be:
       Eight (8) per Regimental Headquarters.
       Four (4) per Battalion Headquarters.
       Twentyfour (24) Signal Company.
     
  2. All Pigeon Messages will be encoded if practicable. Pigeons should be released in pairs with one bird carrying the duplicate copy of Message.
     
  3. Immediately upon landing, each Unit will release two Pigeons, giving situation and location at time of landing.
    (6) Visual Communication.
  1. Yellow and Orange Panels will be used to designate Friendly Troops.
     
  2. Orange Flags will designate Friendly Troops.
     
  3. Orange Smoke will be used to designate Friendly Troops. Green Smoke will be used to indicate, OK TO LAND HERE. Red Smoke Grenades will be used to indicate a Target.
     
  4. Pyrotechnics - Single Yellow Star will be used as ground to ground signal to designate Friendly Troops.
     
  5. Three Dots OR Three Dashes, using Signal Lamp, SE-11 or Flashlight, means, I AM FRIENDLY.
     
  6. Orange Shoulder Loops will be used in Division to designate Beach Control Guides, ONLY.
4.
  1. 101st Airborne Signal Company Bivouac will be in vicinity of Division Command Post.
     
  2. Division Signal Repair and Division Signal Supply will be located in vicinity of Division CP.
     
  3. Signal Supplies, including Wire, will be available at Division Signal Supply on D plus 1.
     
  4. Beach Signal Dump will be located at 409953 and initially will be under control of 1st Engineer Special Brigade.
     
5.
  1. Signal Operations Instructions (Assault) Index No. 1 - 1 will be in effect at J-Hour.
     
  2. Signal Operations Instructions (Reference) Index No. 1 - 1 will be effective at 0001B, D plus 4.
     
  3. Division Signal Officer may be located through the Division Message Center.
   OFFICIAL:


MILLENER
G-3
 TAYLOR

APPENDICES:
 
  1 - Higher Hq. and Lateral Radio Nets.
2 - Radio Sets, Division CP - Prcht. Echelon.
3 - Artillery Nets - Prcht. Echelon.
4 - Radio Net - Division CP - Glider Echelon
5 - Division Radio Net - Prcht. - D-Day.
6 - Division Radio Net - Glider - D-Day.
7 - Division Radio Net - 1800, D plus 1.
8 - Artillery Net after Glider & Seaborne Landing.
9 - Radio Net - 81st AA.
10 - Circuit Diagram - Prcht. Echelon, D-Day.
11 - Circuit Diagram - 1800, D plus 1.
12 - Circuit Diagram - D plus 4.
13 - Radio Net - Seaborne Reception Organization.
14 - Radio Net - NSFCP
 
DISTRIBUTION:
     Same as for FO No. 1 + 50 copies Sig O

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