Lt. Bob Gans
Company I, 142nd Regiment

One of the most controversial actions of World War II took place during the invasion of Southern France and by a strange chance, I was right in the middle of this controversy!

For months the Allied forces had been planning the invasion in great detail under the code name Anvil. The 36th was one of these divisions to fight supported by the Free French Army. During the planning, the landing at San Raphael was considered the most dangerous of all. This was a natural harbor and the Germans had fortified it with great care. Every type of weapon and obstacle was placed in and around the beaches.

The 36th Division planners worried about it and had an alternate plan in case it proved too tough to crack. Just before the invasion, the Krauts moved a full Panzer regiment to add to the defending forces!

Well, the 142nd boarded the boats in Naples and made for the attack areas. Two days out to sea, my platoon, together with I Company, was called into the dining room of the ship to receive final instructions for the invasion of San Raphael. We crowded around a large relief map of the area and the Intelligence Officer explained our orders.

It seems the regiment was to attack at H + 6 hours—six hours after the landings at Yellow, Blue and Green beaches. The officer in charge pointed out every detail of our attack. He explained the mines, artillery emplacements, barbed wire, etc. and then he called out my name, "Lt. Gans," he said. I raised my hand. "Gans, take your platoon in on Red beach at this point and get across the beach area to the beach wall, jump over the wall and move at an azimuth of 220° to this road crossing just below Frejus. Pay no attention to the enemy until you reach the roadblock." "Oh yes," he continued, "There is a German roadblock next to the road junction and if you can, clean it out!"

I was absolutely stunned! He was ordering me to lead a 28-man platoon across a heavily armed beach, reach a road junction 3 miles away—through thousands of combat enemy. "Oh yes," the officer continued, "you will start 1 hour before our main regimental attack!"

Just then, Lt. Andy Diaz of our 2nd Platoon cried out, "That’s downright murder! It’s crazy." I thought so too, but I didn’t want to scare all of my men.

Well you know the rest. The invasion started off—Green, Yellow and Blue beaches were taken easily. Red Beach was never subdued and the early bombardments did not reduce the enemy positions. At H hour, I and 28 guys boarded our invasion boat and took our seats and headed toward the beach. My heart was pounding pretty good by now. It seemed to me we were all headed for certain destruction. General Dahlquist had gone ashore at this time at Blue Beach and the Naval Commander, Rear Admiral Spencer Lewis, was faced with a dilemma. The defenses of Red Beach had not been destroyed. What to do? Bravely, on his own he ordered the entire 142 regiment, now fully in boats, to veer to the right and land at Green Beach. This they did without a casualty. General Dahlquist approved the change, but General Lucius Truscott, VI Corp Commander was furious. He threatened to relieve General Dahlquist and court martial Colonel Lynch!

All went well. Red Beach was taken one day later from the rear. What puzzles me to this very day, are the orders given to me and my men. Why were we ordered into an absolute certain death trap? Why kill 29 men? Who gave such an order? Over the years, I have wondered about it and the providence that saved our lives. Could it be that someone in regimental wanted to test the awesome defenses of Red Beach? If so, what a cold and inhuman way to do it. Maybe someone, still alive in upper echelon knows the answer. I’d like to know.

Lt. Bob Gans
I Company,
142 Infantry
36th Division