Boat #5 — Minute‑by‑Minute Reconstruction
Overview
Boat #5, carrying 31 men of A‑Company, 116th RCT, made its final run‑in to Dog Green between 06:20 and 06:30 on June 6th, 1944. This reconstruction is based on survivor testimony, naval logs, and the USS Thomas Jefferson boat assignments.
PFC William Gray “Bill” Perdue stood in the front rank, left side, nearest the ramp.
06:20 — Final Run‑In Begins
Boat #5 is about 1,000 yards offshore. The men stand tightly packed, rifles between their knees. The coxswain begins a zig‑zag approach to avoid mortar fire.
Bill Perdue is in the front‑left position, one step behind the ramp.
Survivors recall the sound of machine‑gun fire hitting nearby boats “like tearing canvas.”
06:22 — First Incoming Fire
Mortar rounds begin falling around the LCVP. Shrapnel hits the bow. No one is wounded yet, but the men know they are under direct observation from WN‑72.
S/Sgt Elmere Wright, the boat commander, shouts: “Thirty seconds!”
06:23 — 200 Yards Out
The coxswain yells for the men to hold on. A burst of MG‑42 fire rips through the front of the ramp, punching holes through the steel.
Survivor Jack Ringer later said: “You could hear the bullets hitting the ramp like hail.”
06:24 — 100 Yards Out
The tide pushes Boat #5 slightly right, placing it directly in front of WN‑72, the deadliest strongpoint on Dog Green.
Wright shouts: “Get ready!”
The men brace for the ramp to drop.
06:25 — Ramp Drops
This is the moment Boat #5 is effectively destroyed.
The coxswain releases the lever. The ramp slams down. A wall of MG‑42 fire from 150 yards away tears into the front rank.
Bill Perdue is killed instantly.
He is one of the first men hit.
Survivors said the first burst “cut the front line down like wheat.”
Within two seconds, nearly the entire front rank is dead or dying.
06:25:10 — Chaos
Middle‑rank men try to move forward but are cut down. S/Sgt Wright is killed trying to push men over the sides. The coxswain screams for the men to jump overboard.
Survivor Cornett: “If you went down the ramp, you died. If you went over the side, you maybe had a chance.”
06:26 — Men Jump Overboard
Those who jump over the sides land in 6–8 feet of water. Many drown under the weight of their gear. The water is red with blood from the front rank.
Perdue’s body is carried forward by the surf.
06:27 — Middle Rank Hit
The BAR team is wiped out. Ray Nance is wounded in the face and shoulder. Roy Stevens is hit in the leg. Harold Shindel is wounded but manages to swim.
The boat is now a floating wreck.
06:28 — Rear Rank Tries to Escape
Ringer, King, and Cornett jump over the starboard side. They use the hull as cover while bullets stitch the water around them. The coxswain reverses the LCVP and backs away from the beach.
He survives.
06:29 — Survivors Reach the Shingle
Ringer, King, and Cornett crawl through the surf, using bodies as cover. They reach the shingle bank and collapse behind it.
They are the only uninjured survivors from Boat #5.
06:30 — Boat #5 Is Combat‑Ineffective
Of the 31 men aboard:
- 26 are killed
- 4 are wounded
- 3 survive uninjured
Boat #5 suffers the highest casualty rate of any A‑Company craft.
06:35–06:40 — Aftermath
Survivors regroup behind the shingle. They watch other A‑Company boats being destroyed. The beach is a killing ground.
Ringer later said: “We never had a chance. Not in that boat.”
Summary of Bill Perdue’s Final Moments
- Position: Front rank, left side
- Exposure: First man in the MG‑42 cone of fire
- Time of death: Within 1–2 seconds of ramp drop
- Cause: MG‑42 burst from WN‑72
- Witnesses: Ringer, King, Cornett (indirect), Nance (middle rank)
He died instantly, without suffering, leading the assault on Dog Green.