Local Attractions

D Day Landing Beaches

Utah Beach	Omaha Beach	Gold	Juno	Sword

The landing operation began during the night of 5th to 6th June when three airborne divisions were dropped on either flank of the front. The paratroops' mission was to capture certain keypoints (the Merville battery, the bridge over the Caen canal, roads, locks etc.).

A little later, several hundred Rangers managed to capture the fortified position at the Pointe du Hoc, after a particularly daring assault. Meanwhile, between 0630 and 0730 hours, 135,000 men and roughly 20,000 vehicles were brought in by sea on five landing beaches as planned.

Although the objectives fixed for the evening of D-Day (Caen, Bayeux, Isigny, Carentan), were not achieved, overall the operation was a success. Except at Omaha Beach (Colleville-Saint-Laurent-Vierville) where despite a show of extraordinary courage from the Americans the beachhead for long hung in the balance, casualties were lighter than expected.

It then remained to link up the five assaults beaches and face the German counter-attack.

After joining up the five beaches and establishing a firm bridgehead covering 50 miles along the Channel coastline, the Allies proceeded to implement their plan.

Whilst the British brought pressure to bear in the Caen direction, drawing the German tank divisions around the regional capital, the Americans broke out from Utah towards Barneville to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula.

Following the capture of the major continental port of Cherbourg in late June, they attempted to break through the German defences southwards whilst at the other end of the front the British made efforts to clear the Caen sector.

The second fortnight in July saw three great successes: the liberation of Caen, the capture of Saint-Lô and the breakthrough southwards towards Granville and Avranches. After a fruitless attempt at cutting off a section of Patton's army in the Mortain counter-attack, the Germans, whose resistance was weakening, began their withdrawal to the Seine.

However, in a great two-pronged attack by the British, Canadians and Poles in the north and the Americans and Lerclerc's French coming from Alençon in the south, part of two German armies were trapped in the Falaise-Chambois pocket (the "Corridor of Death" at Montormel).

This brought the battle of Normandy to a close, at Tournai-sur-Dives on 21st August 1944. The Allies had pulled off their first victory on the continent. Three days later, they crossed the Seine and entered Paris.

 

A selection of Museums

 

	Caen Pegasus bridge (area)
CAEN Le Mémorial, Un Musée pour la Paix Esplanade D.D. Eisenhower 14066 Caen Cedex Tel. (33) 2 31 06 06 44 - Fax. (33) 2 31 06 06 70 - Minitel 3615 Mémorial Through its spectacular display, the Memorial offers the visitor a journey through the history of the 20th century inviting reflection on peace. Nobel Peace Prize winners Gallery. Garden of Remembrance. From March 2002 : additional areas covering the themes of "The world at the timeof the Cold War" and "Worlds unit for Peace" BENOUVILLE - RANVILLE Pegasus Bridge It was here that the gliders of 6th Airborne Division landed during the night of 5th to 6th June 1944. The capture of the bridge, a strategic objective across the river Orne, was the first Allied Victory. Musée Mémorial Pegasus Avenue du Major Howard 14860 Ranville Tel. (33) 2 31 78 19 44 or (33) 2 31 78 19 42 This site is dedicated to the 6th Airborne Division whose mem were the first to land on Normandy soil during the night of 5th/6th June 1944, The famous Pegasus bridge is now adjoined by a new museum covering 12.000 m2 with hundred of different exhibits. DOUVRES LA DELIVRANDE Musée Radar 14440 Douvres la Delivrande Tel. (33) 2 31 06 06 45 or (33) 2 31 37 74 43 The first museum devoted to the history of radar in the former German radar station at Douvres, where two remarkably preserved bunkers and an original layout help you to understand the role of radar and how the technique was developed. MERVILLE-FRANCEVILLE Musée de la Batterie de Merville 14810 Merville-Franceville Tel. (33) 2 31 24 21 83 This museum situated in the blockaus of the Merville battery relives the conditions and documents the unfolding of the operation led by the 6th British Air Division. OUISTREHAM Musée Number 4 Commando Place Alfred Thomas 14150 Ouistreham Tel. (33) 2 31 96 63 10 The museum retraces the epic story of the first commandos to land on Sword Beach at dawn on 6th June, including the Franco-British commando and French Commandant Philippe Kieffer. OUISTREHAM Musée du Mur de l'Atlantique Avenue du 6 Juin 14150 Ouistreham Tel. (33) 2 31 97 28 69 In a former artillery range-finding post on the Atlantic Wall, the museum houses a large collection of documents and relics, and a range-finding station that provides a fine view over the whole mouth of the Orne.

 

Back