D-Day glossary

APA — Attack Transport

American attack transport launching landing craft to carry troops ashore.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

Destroyer / DD

Fast warship used for escort and gunfire support. Here DD does not mean Duplex Drive.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B · Naval History and Heritage Command — Ship Abbreviations and Symbols

Flotilla

Group of ships or craft, often of the same type, organised to operate together. Composition varies with the navy and task.

Sources : Australian War Memorial — Structure of the Royal Australian Navy

HMS — His Majesty’s Ship

Royal Navy ship prefix under George VI; it can also identify a shore establishment.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Jargon buster

LBV — Landing Barge, Vehicle

Barge adapted to carry vehicles or supplies during landing operations.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I

LCA — Landing Craft, Assault

Small British assault craft carrying troops from ships to the beach.

Sources : Ministère de la Culture — Les épaves du Débarquement, glossaire

LCC — Landing Craft, Control

In the landing context, a small craft guiding or controlling waves of landing craft.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — Ship Abbreviations and Symbols · U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

LCF — Landing Craft, Flak

Landing craft equipped for anti-aircraft defence rather than ordinary troop transport.

Sources : Office of Naval Intelligence — Index of the U.S. Fleet, 1 December 1944 (scan)

LCG — Landing Craft, Gun

Gun-armed landing craft providing fire support against coastal positions.

Sources : Office of Naval Intelligence — Index of the U.S. Fleet, 1 December 1944 (scan)

LCI / LCI(L) — Landing Craft, Infantry

Infantry landing craft. In LCI(L), the parenthesised L means Large.

Sources : Ministère de la Culture — Les épaves du Débarquement, glossaire

LCM — Landing Craft, Mechanized

Landing craft carrying vehicles and heavy equipment; several versions were produced.

Sources : U.S. Coast Guard — The Coast Guard at Normandy · U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

LCS — Landing Craft, Support

Family of armed support craft accompanying amphibious landings.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

LCT(A) — Landing Craft, Tank (Armoured)

Armoured LCT variant adapted to provide close support during the landing.

Sources : Office of Naval Intelligence — Index of the U.S. Fleet, 1 December 1944 (scan) · U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

LCT — Landing Craft, Tank

Ramp-equipped craft for landing tanks, vehicles or cargo directly on a beach.

Sources : Australian War Memorial — Glossary, L

LCT(R) — Landing Craft, Tank (Rocket)

LCT converted into a rocket-launching platform for the preliminary bombardment.

Sources : Office of Naval Intelligence — Index of the U.S. Fleet, 1 December 1944 (scan) · Australian War Memorial — Glossary, L

LCVP — Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel

American bow-ramp landing craft, also called a Higgins boat, for troops, light vehicles and cargo.

Sources : Ministère de la Culture — Les épaves du Débarquement, glossaire

Liberty ship

Standardised merchant cargo ship mass-produced in the United States to carry supplies.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I

LSI — Landing Ship, Infantry

Ship carrying troops and their small assault craft. L and S distinguish large and small variants.

Sources : U.S. Coast Guard — The Coast Guard at Normandy · Ministère de la Culture — Les épaves du Débarquement, glossaire

LST — Landing Ship, Tank

Large ship carrying vehicles and unloading them through its bow onto a beach or suitable facility.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

Minesweeper

Vessel clearing mines to open or maintain safe navigation channels.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

ML — Motor Launch

Motor launch used for coastal, patrol or liaison duties.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — Ship Abbreviations and Symbols

PC — Patrol Craft / submarine chaser

American naval designation for a small patrol and anti-submarine vessel, distinct from a command post.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — Ship Abbreviations and Symbols

Rhino / Rhinoferry

Powered pontoon ferry carrying people, vehicles and cargo from ships to the beach.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Rhino

USS — United States Ship

Prefix identifying a commissioned United States Navy ship.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — Ship Abbreviations and Symbols

Armoured bulldozer

Protected earthmoving machine used to clear access routes and debris; not necessarily a tank.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

AVRE — Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers

British engineer tank, generally Churchill-based, adapted for demolition and obstacle crossing.

Additional context: specialist equipment used particularly on the British and Canadian beaches; this entry does not imply deployment at Omaha.

Sources : The Tank Museum — Tanks on D-Day · The D-Day Story — Jargon buster

DUKW — amphibious truck

American six-wheeled truck travelling on land and water. DUKW is a manufacturer’s model code.

Sources : The D-Day Story — DUKW

GMC CCKW

American six-wheel-drive supply truck, often called simply GMC in the accounts.

Sources : The National WWII Museum — CCKW Hard Top

Half-track

Vehicle with steering wheels at the front and tracks at the rear; some carried infantry.

Sources : The Tank Museum — Tank Chat on the M9 Half Track

Jeep

Light American cross-country vehicle used for liaison, transport and small loads.

Sources : U.S. National Park Service — The American Home Front After World War II, Jeeps

LVT / Alligator — Landing Vehicle, Tracked

Tracked amphibious vehicle; Alligator was a name used for this vehicle family.

Sources : U.S. Navy — Skill in the Surf, Appendix B

M10 — tank destroyer

American tank destroyer with an open-topped turret. The British Achilles adaptation carried a different gun.

Sources : The Tank Museum — M10 Achilles

M7 Priest

American tracked self-propelled artillery vehicle carrying a 105 mm howitzer.

Sources : Royal Canadian Artillery Museum — Canadian Artillery at D-Day: the M7 Priest

Sherman Crab

Mine-clearing Sherman whose rotating chain flail struck the ground to detonate mines.

Additional context: specialist equipment used particularly on the British and Canadian beaches; this entry does not imply deployment at Omaha.

Sources : The Tank Museum — Sherman Crab

Sherman DD — Duplex Drive

Amphibious Sherman with a flotation screen and propellers; DD identifies its dual-drive system.

Sources : The Tank Museum — How to Invent a DD Tank

Sherman Dozer / tankdozer

Sherman fitted with a bulldozer blade to clear routes and move obstacles.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

Sherman (M4)

Family of American medium tanks, with variants and equipment differing by unit and task.

Sources : The Tank Museum — Tanks on D-Day

Stuart (M3 / M5)

Family of American light tanks used for reconnaissance and support.

Sources : The Tank Museum — M3A1 Stuart and M5A1

Anti-tank ditch

Excavated obstacle intended to stop or slow tanks and other vehicles.

Sources : War Department — FM 5-15, Field Fortifications, February 1944 (scan)

Anti-tank wall

Masonry or concrete obstacle intended to block an access route to armoured vehicles.

Sources : War Department — FM 5-15, Field Fortifications, February 1944 (scan)

Barbed wire

Networks of pointed wire used to obstruct people’s movement.

Sources : War Department — FM 5-15, Field Fortifications, February 1944 (scan)

Beach stake

Stake driven into the tidal beach to damage or stop craft; some carried mines.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — D-Day: Combat Demolition Units, report of July 1944

Belgian gate / Element C

Large metal barrier used as a beach obstacle; Element C is another designation.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

Bunker / pillbox

Protected structure, often concrete, used as a shelter or fighting position; not every bunker contained a gun.

Sources : War Department — FM 5-15, Field Fortifications, February 1944 (scan)

Casemate

Fortified chamber protecting a weapon and its crew, with a suitable firing opening.

Sources : War Department — FM 31-50, Attack on a Fortified Position and Combat in Towns, January 1944 (scan)

Embrasure

Opening in a fortification allowing a weapon to fire while sheltering its crew.

Sources : War Department — FM 31-50, Attack on a Fortified Position and Combat in Towns, January 1944 (scan)

Hedgehog

Obstacle of crossed steel beams intended to obstruct vehicles or landing craft.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

Mine

Explosive device intended to deny or endanger a route; land and naval types differ.

Sources : First Division Museum — D-Day Resource Packet, Abbreviations and Vocabulary

Teller mine

German anti-tank mine also attached to some beach obstacles to endanger landing craft.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944 · Naval History and Heritage Command — D-Day: Combat Demolition Units, report of July 1944

Tobruk position

Small concrete position with an opening at the top, used for observation or a light weapon.

Sources : Ministère de la Culture — Poste d’observation dit Tobrouk, Pointe de Toul an Ouch

WN — Widerstandsnest

German resistance nest comprising fighting positions and shelters; its number identifies a local defensive site.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

Bangalore torpedo

Tubular demolition charge used by engineers to breach obstacles, particularly barbed wire.

Sources : U.S. Army — Ammunition and Explosives Portfolio, Bangalore Torpedo

BAR — Browning Automatic Rifle

American automatic rifle providing automatic fire within an infantry squad.

Sources : National Army Museum — M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle

Battery

Artillery unit grouping guns; the term can also refer to the position where they are installed.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Last Offensive, Basic Military Map Symbols

Bazooka

American portable anti-tank rocket launcher; the term identifies the launcher, not a tank gun.

Sources : Smithsonian National Museum of American History — M1 Rocket Launcher

DCA / AA — anti-aircraft defence

French abbreviation for anti-aircraft defence; AA is the usual English abbreviation.

Sources : National Museum of the U.S. Air Force — Flak 36 88mm Multipurpose Gun

Enfilade fire

Fire directed along the length of a position, route or formation.

Sources : War Department — FM 31-50, Attack on a Fortified Position and Combat in Towns, January 1944 (scan)

Flak — anti-aircraft artillery

German term for anti-aircraft artillery; some guns also engaged ground targets.

Sources : National Museum of the U.S. Air Force — Flak 36 88mm Multipurpose Gun

Howitzer

Artillery piece capable of curved-trajectory fire; it may be towed or vehicle-mounted.

Sources : Royal Canadian Artillery Museum — Canadian Artillery at D-Day: the M7 Priest

KwK — Kampfwagenkanone

German designation for a tank gun. Some guns of this type were installed in fixed coastal positions.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Ordnance Department: On Beachhead and Battlefront, glossary · U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

M1 Garand

Standard American infantry semi-automatic rifle during the Second World War.

Sources : Smithsonian National Museum of American History — United States M1 Rifle

MG34 — Maschinengewehr 34

German general-purpose machine gun preceding the MG42. The two designations identify different models.

Additional context to distinguish the MG34 from the MG42 named in the collection. MG34 was not found in the indexed French texts; this entry does not identify a weapon in any photograph.

Sources : Royal Armouries — MG42 Machine Gun, PR.13309

MG42 — Maschinengewehr 42

German Second World War general-purpose machine gun, distinct from its predecessor, the MG34.

Sources : Royal Armouries — MG42 Machine Gun, PR.13309

Mortar

Support weapon firing projectiles on a high curved trajectory, including at concealed positions.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Small Unit Actions

PaK — Panzerabwehrkanone

German designation for an anti-tank gun. In PaK40 or PaK43, the numbers 40 and 43 identify models, not calibre.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944 · U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Ordnance Department: On Beachhead and Battlefront, glossary

A/116, II/116: reading unit notation

In this collection, A/116 denotes Company A, 116th Infantry; II/116 denotes that regiment’s second battalion.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Combat Arms Regimental System · U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Last Offensive, Basic Military Map Symbols

Battalion / Bn

Unit bringing together several companies and command or support elements.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Last Offensive, Basic Military Map Symbols

Company / Co.

Unit comprising several platoons, usually within a battalion; organisation and strength vary by army and branch.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Combat Arms Regimental System

CP — command post

Location from which a commander and staff direct a unit, distinct from the American naval PC designation.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — A Command Post at War

Division

Large formation combining combat units and supporting services; French DI means infantry division.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Last Offensive, Basic Military Map Symbols

Engineers

Troops specialising in military engineering: routes, obstacles, bridges, demolitions and field works.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

ESB — Engineer Special Brigade

Brigade specialising in beach development and organising the landing of personnel, vehicles and supplies.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

GI / G.I.

Common term for an American soldier, not a specific rank or unit.

Sources : First Division Museum — D-Day Resource Packet, Abbreviations and Vocabulary

HQ — headquarters

A formation’s command and staff organisation, or the place where it is established.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — A Command Post at War

NCDU — Naval Combat Demolition Unit

U.S. Navy demolition team clearing gaps in landing obstacles.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — D-Day: Combat Demolition Units, report of July 1944

NSFCP — Naval Shore Fire Control Party

Shore liaison party requesting and directing naval gunfire.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — A Command Post at War

Platoon / French section

Subunit of a company. French section usually corresponds to an American platoon; terminology differs between armies.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Last Offensive, Basic Military Map Symbols

Rangers

American infantry units specially trained for raids and assault operations.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Jargon buster

RCT — Regimental Combat Team

Task grouping built around an infantry regiment reinforced with supporting units.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Combat Arms Regimental System

Regiment

Formation usually comprising several battalions; French RI means infantry regiment.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Combat Arms Regimental System

Seabees / CB — Construction Battalion

U.S. Navy construction units building bases, roads, piers and landing facilities. Seabees comes from the English pronunciation of the initials CB.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — History of the Seabees, World War II

SETF — Special Engineer Task Force

Special engineer grouping for clearing Omaha’s obstacles, working with naval demolition teams.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — D-Day: Combat Demolition Units, report of July 1944 · U.S. Army Center of Military History — The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany

Assault wave

Group of craft or troops scheduled to reach the beach in the same timed sequence.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Small Unit Actions

Beach exit / draw

Route from the beach inland; Omaha plans identify exits with codes including D1, D3, E1, E3 and F1.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Omaha Beachhead, 6 June–13 June 1944

Beachhead

Area held ashore after a landing, enabling reinforcements and further operations.

Sources : The D-Day Story — What is D-Day?

D-Day

Designated start day of an operation, usually 6 June 1944 here; D+1 is the following day.

Sources : The D-Day Story — D-Day

H-Hour

Reference time for the assault’s start. H+30 means thirty minutes afterwards, not a universal clock time.

Sources : The D-Day Story — H-Hour

Intertidal beach / foreshore

Shore alternately covered and exposed by the tide, changing how visible its obstacles are.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Small Unit Actions

Mine clearance

Finding and neutralising mines to make an area or route usable.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — D-Day: Combat Demolition Units, report of July 1944

Naval gunfire support

Ships’ gunfire against shore targets, planned or requested by troops and liaison teams.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — A Command Post at War

Operation Neptune

Amphibious assault phase of Overlord, including the sea movement and landing of forces.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — Operation Neptune: The U.S. Navy on D-Day

Operation Overlord

Codename for the Allied operation to establish and develop a military foothold in Normandy in 1944.

Sources : The D-Day Story — What is D-Day?

Beetle — float

Float supporting Whale roadway sections; steel and concrete versions were used.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Notes on floating bridge equipment, War Office, January 1944 · Imperial War Museums — Whale bridge section, Mulberry Harbour B

Bombardon

Floating steel breakwater positioned seaward of the Mulberry’s other protective structures.

Sources : Ministère de la Culture / UKHO — Une étude systématique du Mulberry B

Causeway

Prepared route, often assembled from steel pontoons, allowing vehicles to reach the beach.

Sources : Naval History and Heritage Command — History of the Seabees, World War II

Corncob / blockship

Ship deliberately sunk to form a protective breakwater rather than continue ordinary service.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Jargon Buster, Corncob

Gooseberry

Sheltered anchorage formed by ships sunk in a line; Gooseberry 2 was off Omaha.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I

Lobnitz / Spud pierhead

Floating unloading platform guided by legs resting on the seabed, rising and falling with the tide.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Spud · U.S. Army Center of Military History — Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I

Mulberry

Allied artificial harbour assembled after D-Day: Mulberry A at Omaha and Mulberry B at Arromanches.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Object 54, Whale floating roadway

Phoenix

Large concrete caisson towed into position and sunk to form an artificial-harbour breakwater.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Mulberry Harbour construction site, Hayling Island

Pipeline

Pipe carrying liquid, particularly fuel, between a ship, a landing point and storage tanks.

Sources : U.S. Army Center of Military History — Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I

PLUTO — Pipeline Under the Ocean

Undersea pipeline programme intended to move fuel from Britain to the continent.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Jargon buster

Pontoon

Floating unit supporting a pier, bridge, roadway or ferry.

Sources : The D-Day Story — Notes on floating bridge equipment, War Office, January 1944 · Naval History and Heritage Command — History of the Seabees, World War II

Whale — floating roadway

Articulated roadway connecting Mulberry pierheads to the shore, supported on floats.

Sources : Imperial War Museums — Whale bridge section, Mulberry Harbour B

B-17 — Boeing Flying Fortress

American four-engine heavy bomber built by Boeing and called Flying Fortress. It was a different aircraft from the B-24 Liberator.

Sources : The National WWII Museum — Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

B-24 — Consolidated Liberator

American four-engine heavy bomber made by Consolidated and called Liberator. It was a different aircraft from the Boeing B-17.

Sources : National Museum of the U.S. Air Force — Consolidated B-24D Liberator

Freya radar

Family of German early-warning and aircraft-detection radars, distinct from Würzburg tracking radars.

Sources : Royal Air Force — Rob O’Dell, Employment of Electronic Warfare in the Strategic Night Bomber Offensive, Air Power Review 10(1)

Würzburg radar

Family of German dish-antenna radars for tracking aircraft and directing gunfire or fighters. Würzburg-Riese was a larger version.

Sources : Royal Air Force — Rob O’Dell, Employment of Electronic Warfare in the Strategic Night Bomber Offensive, Air Power Review 10(1)