Cover Up at Omaha Beach: Maisy Battery and the US Ranges

by Gary Sterne

The Rangers’ mission was clear. They were to lead the assault on Omaha Beach and break out inland. Simultaneously, other Ranger units would scale the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc to destroy the ostensibly huge gun battery there and thus protect the invasion fleet from being targeted. But was the Pointe du Hoc mission actually necessary? Why did the Allies plan and execute an attack on a gun battery that they knew in advance contained no field guns? And more importantly, why did they ignore the position at Maisy that did? Using personal interviews with the surviving Rangers who fought on the beach and at Pointe du Hoc, The Cover-Up at Omaha Beach presents exceptionally detailed new research that takes the reader into the middle of the action with the Rangers.

Gary Sterne has made a painstaking study of what the Allies actually knew in advance of D-Day, including what was known about Maisy Battery. Maps, orders, and assault plans have been found in US, UK, and German archives, many of which have only been recently released after having been classified for more than sixty years. Radio communications of the Rangers as they advanced inland have been found, and Royal Air Force intelligence evaluations of bombing missions directed at the site have now been released. All these combine to make The Cover-Up at Omaha Beach one of the most up-to-date references on the subject.

Genres: World War II, Military Fiction, History, War

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Steven Jaskowiak · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book makes a lot of bold claims and represents itself as a piece of popular-specialist history on Pointe du Hoc and the wider actions of the US Rangers at Omaha Beach. In particular, the author pushes a narrative counter to that of most historians-mainly that Pointe du Hoc was not anything but an artillery observation post for a similar artillery battery further inland. Indeed, he asserts that artillery batteries at Maisy were the real target and that everyone else has just gotten the story wrong. The book excels in its extensive interviews with veterans who participated in the events and its extensive use of archival materials to reconstruct a German picture of the events (something that is notoriously difficult to do, due to the destruction of many critical materials). The author should be congratulated for his personal efforts to locate and conserve the site. From the website, it appears that the location is quite well presented in a proper context complete with installed artillery pieces (which are, albeit, of an incorrect type but are the correct caliber).

This book fails significantly however in its questionable narrative construction and complete lack of citations, footnotes or endnotes, or a bibliography. It is troubling that there are quotes taken at length from other books but they are not adequately cited. The author makes grand statements that 99% or 100% of every other book is wrong-which books, by whom? The reader must take it for granted that all the materials are genuine and exist...somewhere...but their location or source is rarely given. The author owns the land in question and operates a museum. One would assume that someone who assumes the position of curator and conservator of a battlefield would at least be familiar with the norms of publishing a history. The narrative is jumpy, confused, and spends much time recounting other events. The editing is sloppy with many spelling errors including some that are in the quoted or translated texts. The actions of the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, the general 84th Corps or 7th Army actions on D-Day, and even the entire history of the region's occupation are covered extensively. The battle at Battery Maisy is significantly less substantial in comparison-yet-this book alleges the existence of some sort of cover-up at this location in its title. Finally, the author makes much out of the "Top Secret" rating of many of his sources and that he was the first to exploit newly released documents. The Battery's location and armament are among those facts. Unfortunately, these same things were not classified in German post-war archives and were published in various forms. It was known that there was a series of artillery emplacements at Maisy and even what guns and units were assigned to them. It did not take declassified information to find the battery or know what could likely be found there. In short, I did not find the author's arguments entirely convincing.

You should read this book if you are interested in personal narratives of the rangers, the action at Pointe du Hoc, or even in the French civilian experience under occupation. The collection of interviews is unique and extensive. Another unique aspect is the chapter that is nearly entirely built out of Germany Daily War Book entries (few of which are actually relevant). These materials are uncommon in books in English and are therefore usually not easily accessible. I haven't personally been to the museum (much of it is focused on arguing the same points he makes during the book but in a more succinct form), so I cannot recommend it. The pictures look nice and there are few places you can wander through reconstructed trenches and bunkers in Normandy.

[Leaon Gronlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening!

This book's title caught my eye right away--what was there on D-Day that could be a "cover-up?" Then it was not long into reading it that I discovered what it was, at least half of that cover-up, and then in the final chapter we learned about another "cover-up" alleged by the author, but well evidenced by his documented interviews with the Rangers who lived and fought there in Normandy in early June of 1944. It was a fascinating read throughout the entire book to see and learn a more detailed version of the Rangers' battle for the cliffs at Point du Hoc and the following days for the battery at Maisy. A great book!!

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an excruciating read, even after I decided to skim instead of trying to comprehend. A great historian and archaeologist,yes, but this man is not a good author. Besides the basic typos (misusing you're, there, etc), the prose doesn't flow. It isn't written in chronological, spatial, or story flow. It is a Mish mash of quotes, pictures, and statements to prove his point. I think the ones who would most enjoy reading this book are those who have given their lives to studying this particular battle, or the Rangers who were actually there. Anyone else would do well to avoid it!

[Singleton Mosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of potential as the research is superb and the subject very interesting. Unfortunately it is a bit chaotic and inconsistent. At places there is too much first-hand account and too little narrative.
The story of the Maisy batteries however is very interesting which makes this a must read for everyone interested in D-Day, Pointe du Hoc and the Omaha landings.

[WRH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and very dry. His point was that the Commander of the Rangers on D-Day disobeyed his orders. The story was interesting but the entire book was copies of archived memos and orders to prove his point which was not interesting and impossible to read on a kindle

[Paul McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well developed and impactful.

[David L Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for great reporting of the truth.

Great book.. Terrible injustice done to so many Rangers, then and now.. Thanks for the courage to research and report.

[Lavinia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be a graduate prerequisite in the USA!!!

[Arie Meijvogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

Last year my son Robert and i visited Maisy. Never before knew of it,s existence. Got a superb tour of the site. I was tould of the book by Mr. Sterne and bought it the same day. This is a must read for everyone who is interested in Normandy. I will change your view on what was really there and what happened there. Well researched, very well written so to me a real page turner. Looking forward to Mr. Sterne,s second book.

[Stephen Boiko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone ordered the burying of part of the Maisy Battery and that was well before the end of the war and not for the benefit of local farmers. Why is the battery at Point du Hoc always listed in accounts as having six guns when it did not have any on the day?

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting detailed analysis of troop movements at Omaha Beach, showing that the famed Point du Hoc battery was empty, and many Allied men died by shelling from the underrated Maisy battery.