D-DAY AND THE NORMANDY BEACHES

There are plenty of books and commentaries written about the Normandy beaches and D-Day, both in terms of history and tourism. Unfortunately, most of the tourism books try to list everything there is to see—and there are a LOT of memorials and monuments—without filtering these for interest and importance. What we have done is produce a three-day itinerary for visiting the most interesting and relevant sites of the landing beaches. This itinerary includes museum and cemetery visits as well as short stops at several monuments. The idea is to provide perspective and an understanding of the invasion without overwhelming you because—let’s be honest—after a while every regimental memorial and cemetery starts to look the same.

So, use this itinerary as your guide, but if you see something that interests you that we have not mentioned, deviate and check it out. Similarly, if you are interested in finding out about an area of operations associated with a particular person or regiment, use the power of the internet and track down the relevant memorial or monument.

Let us start with a summary of the events leading up to D-Day. For detailed descriptions of the plan of battle and events leading up to D-Day, see the bibliography section.

In 1942, the Allies began to take the fight to the Nazis. Operation Torch, the seaborne invasion of North Africa, was underway as a successful combined operation between the British and Americans, and the Russians had begun a successful counter-offensive in the east. In January 1943, a conference was held between the Allied leaders at Casablanca. While Stalin could not attend, he made it clear that Russia expected a second front to be opened in northwestern Europe during 1943. The Western chiefs of staff deemed this impossible for 1943 but began the task of preparing detailed plans needed for the Allied invasion of Europe.

In part to satisfy Russian demands, the Allies agreed to invade Sicily and Italy in 1943, and Operation Husky led to the successful capture of Sicily in July 1943. In September 1943, Allied forces landed in Salerno, Calibria and Taranto to initiate the invasion of Italy.

In December 1943, General Dwight Eisenhower was appointed supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and in January 1944, planning for the 1944 invasion became the responsibility of the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). Under Eisenhower, British Air Chief Marshal Tedder was appointed deputy supreme commander while American Lieutenant-General Bedell Smith was to act as chief of staff. The other key appointments were General Bernard Montgomery as commander-in-chief of the Allied ground forces, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey as naval commander-in-chief and Air Chief Marshal Leigh-Mallory as air commander-in-chief. These men, along with a staff of twenty thousand, mobilized, assembled and co-ordinated Operation Overlord—the invasion of Normandy—which was to be the greatest naval air and ground assault ever executed.

In the south of England, over three million soldiers, sailors and airmen were assembled and trained for their role in the invasion of Europe. Operating under strict secrecy, these soldiers from America, the United Kingdom, Canada and other allied countries planned and practiced the landing of fighting troops and the transfer of their vital supplies. The initial assault force was planned to be 170,000 men and twenty thousand vehicles. Planning the movement and supply of this force was a logistical feat never attempted.

Operation Neptune was the naval part of Operation Overlord. Four thousand one hundred twenty four landing ships and craft needed to be constructed and assembled to transport combat troops and their equipment across the channel. Supplementing the landing ships were over one thousand supply vessels and over 1200 warships.

The Germans, of course, expected there to be an invasion of Europe, likely in France. The Allies worked hard to conceal the actual location of the landing sites and employed various ruses to throw the Germans off, including the creation two fictitious field armies based in the south of England and spreading false plans for the invasion of Norway and the Pas-de-Calais. Codenamed Operation Fortitude, the deception included the use of leaked signals, double agents, false wireless traffic and physical deception to make the Germans believe a First U.S. Army group under the command of General George S. Patton and a British Fourth Army had been created to invade Norway. These deceptions proved to be effective measures to mislead and confuse the Germans.

In November 1943, Hitler appointed Generalfieldmarschall Erwin Rommel (the “Desert Fox”) as inspector general of the Atlantic Wall defences with the task to create “Fortress Europe.” Rommel was not pleased with what he found, and immediately ordered new defences constructed on the French side of the English Channel, particularly in the Calvados region of Normandy. By the end of April 1944, over five hundred thousand obstacles were installed on French beaches and over four million lines laid. Barbed-wire entanglements and minefields were interspaced with reinforced concrete pillboxes, bunkers and fortifications. New coastal batteries were constructed, which were well camouflaged against air observation. To counter airborne assault, thousands of rows of stakes (“Rommel’s asparagus”) were replaced in open fields, and all low-lying areas of farmland and tidal areas along the coast were flooded. Coastal anti-tank artillery positions were encased in concrete. While the Allies prepared for invasion, Rommel’s labours were on the way to creating the reality of Fortress Europe.

Rommel believed that if the invasion was to be stopped, it had to be stopped on the beaches. This view is not shared by Rommel’s superior officer, Oberbefehlshaber Gerd von Rundstadt who was of the view that inland based Panzer divisions would be able to roll up and destroy any invading force. Having the Panzers stationed inland would provide greater flexibility in responding to the invasion wherever it was. This disagreement between senior Nazi commanders, combined with Hitler’s megalomania would result in a significant weakening of German response to the invasion.

Rommel believed that if the invasion was to be stopped, it had to be stopped on the beaches. Rommel’s superior officer, Oberbefehlshaber Gerd von Rundstedt, did not share this view. He thought that inland-based panzer divisions would be able to roll up and destroy any invading force. Having the panzers stationed inland would provide greater flexibility in responding to the invasion wherever it was. This disagreement between senior Nazi commanders, combined with Hitler’s megalomania, would result in a significant weakening of German response to the invasion.

Rommel’s firm belief that the invasion had to be stopped on the beaches resulted in him pushing for policy that every man and weapon should be concentrated on the Atlantic Wall or held in very close reserve behind. His plan was that heavy coastal batteries would engage Allied shipping offshore and landing craft as they approached the beaches. As these vessels neared the beach, they would come under direct fire from machine guns and anti-tank guns protected in concrete pillboxes and fortified houses, as well as from concentrated mortar fire from on-land batteries. Any craft that survived this wall of fire would disgorge soldiers onto mined beaches laced with barbed wire. Any gaps in seawalls were to be blocked with concrete, and other exits from the beaches should be closed by minefields in anti-tank ditches. To provide manpower for his defences, Rommel sacrificed depth. He gave orders that all forward units should entrench every man, including support staff, bakers, cooks and clerks, into firing positions on or near the beaches. Immediately behind the coastal defences, Rommel proposed to deploy all panzer divisions so they could be brought into immediate action on D-Day. However, commanders of the panzer divisions strongly opposed Rommel’s plan, believing that deployment close to the beaches unreasonably reduced flexibility—a view that was more in line with then current German tactical theory. Hitler’s solution to this disaccord between his generals was for direct command of the panzer divisions to be taken away from Rommel and orders issued that no panzer divisions could be deployed without Hitler’s direct order.

One of the greatest challenges for D-Day planners was choosing the site of the invasion. The operating range of British aircraft limited the number of potential landing sites as overwhelming air support was deemed essential to the success of the invasion. Four sites for the landings were seriously considered: Brittany, Pas-de-Calais, the Cotentin Peninsula and Normandy. Brittany and the Cotentin Peninsulas, narrow isthmuses, were rejected over fears that the Germans might be able to cut off exits and trap the invading forces. Pas de Calais was a more obvious choice, as it was the closest point between Europe and Britain. The Germans certainly considered Pas de Calais to be the most likely landing area and accordingly made it the most heavily-fortified region. Partially for this reason, and because the area’s many rivers and canals limited manoeuvreability, Pas de Calais was also rejected. Allied planners decided that Normandy offered the greatest number of options for a breakout toward Paris after landing and then on to Germany. However, Normandy lacked major port facilities, and to make the landing site viable the Allies would have to plan and construct artificial harbours as well as initiate a major thrust across northern France in order to secure harbours in the Netherlands.

The D in D-Day does not actually stand for anything. The term D-Day was adopted to designate the launch date of a mission, nothing specific.

With Normandy chosen, detailed planning began. Intense reconnaissance by Allied aircraft and the French Resistance sought to identify German defences and potential weaknesses to be exploited. Brand-new technologies were developed, the most essential of which may have been the floating artificial harbours, called Mulberry Harbours, essential for supplying the invasion. Accurate weather forecasting was extremely important as conditions had to allow for air support and seas calm enough to allow landing craft to successfully reach the shore.

The Allies chose five landing beaches:

Utah: Utah Beach was the westernmost of the D-Day beaches. It was a seventeen-kilometre stretch that afforded the U.S. 7th Corps a good jumping-off point to attack the vital port of Cherbourg fifty-six km away. Utah Beach was lightly defended, but the adjacent terrain was rough and difficult to travel through. Utah landings were to be supervised by Rear Admiral Don Moon.

Omaha: Utah Beach joined the west end of Omaha Beach. Omaha was the most heavily defended of the D-Day beaches, and as a result Allied casualties on D-Day would be greatest there. This sixteen-kilometre beach was bounded by the Douve Estuary (which divided Omaha from Utah) to the west and Gold Beach to the east. Omaha was peppered with mines and booby-trapped obstacles, and access off the beach was hindered by a line of barbed wire and a seawall. Beyond the seawall was an open, grassy plain, 130 to 275m wide, also mined. Above the beach was a line of bluffs about forty-five metres high, defended by a dozen concrete bunkers that included concrete casements for 50, 75 and 88mm guns. The entire area was pockmarked with fighting positions sighted with interlocking fields of fire. Omaha Beach was the responsibility of Rear Admiral Alan Kirk and Rear Admiral J.L. Hall.

Gold: to the East of Omaha Beach was Gold Beach, a sixteen-kilometre sector to be assaulted by the British 50th (Northumberland) Infantry Division and 40th Royal Marine Commando. The main objective at Gold Beach was to capture the town of Arromanches at the west end of the beach, which had been selected as the site of one of the Mulberry Piers. Gold Beach was defended by elements of the German 716 Infantry Division, which included many Osttruppen, Russians and Poles who had been conscripted to serve in the Wehrmacht.

Juno: the smallest of the landing beaches at just over three kilometres long, Juno was assigned to the Third Canadian Infantry Division. Like Gold, Juno was defended by elements of the German 716 Infantry Division with many Osttruppen. Concern about underwater shoals meant that the landing at Juno would be scheduled as the latest Allied landing in order to take advantage of higher tide. As it turned out, these “shoals” were actually banks of seaweed, so the higher tide was likely unnecessary. Juno Beach was fronted by vacation homes close to the seawall, some of which were fortified.

Sword: Sword Beach was the easternmost of the D-Day beaches and extended just under five km. Like Juno and Gold, Sword Beach was also fronted by vacation homes along the seawall. Some of these houses had been reinforced and turned into a makeshift bunkers. At Ouistreham, an anti-tank ditch had been dug behind the seawall. Menacing the beach to the east was the Merville Battery, a reinforced battery of four 75mm guns, and another battery of 155mm guns at Le Harve. Sword was assigned to the British 3rd Division along with units of British and French commandos and the 27th Armoured Brigade.

In addition to the various landings on 6 June 1944, squadrons of Allied aircraft bombed German defences along the Normandy coastline, as did naval vessels. Three divisions of paratroopers were also dropped behind enemy lines the evening of 5-6 June. The objectives of the paratroopers were to seize control of essential bridges and to protect the beaches from German forces advancing towards them from inland.

D-Day by the Numbers:

5,333 Allied ships and landing craft

200 warships providing naval bombardment

23,400 Allied paratroopers (7,900 British, 15,500 American)

23 Allied infantry divisions (13 U.S., 2 Canadian, 8 British)

132,715 Allied soldiers disembarked (53,815 British, 21,400 Canadian, 57,500 American)

10,500 Allied casualties (killed, missing, wounded, prisoners) by midnight June 6

3,598 Allied heavy bombers, 1,234 light and medium bombers, 4,709 fighters

7,616 tons of bombs dropped on Normandy during the night of 5-6 June

40,000 Axis soldiers in the landing areas

815 Luftwaffe aircraft available on D-Day

1 panzer division in Normandy

10,000 estimated German losses on D-Day

The Itinerary

We think four days are needed to tour the invasion sites, including visits to a few places that aren’t related to D-Day that you really should check out while you are in the area. In keeping with the rest of the tours in this series, we have assigned a score from 1 to 10 for each site, with 10 being “you really need to see this” and 1-2 being “interesting but if you are tired or your travelling partners are grumpy, maybe give it a pass.”

You need two days to see the sites at Omaha and Utah beaches. Another day is needed to visit Gold, Sword and Juno beaches. The visit stretches to four days by adding “other” sites of interest.

These itineraries are designed with you taking lodging in the area in or around Bayeux. Bayeux is large enough to offer several hotel and restaurant options and is a good central axis for the exploration of the D-Day sites. Access in and out of Bayeux is also easier than Caen. There are also several good lodging options in the countryside, and if you are travelling with a group these may be a better option. The issue with country properties are that they may or may not offer evening meals or proximity to restaurants or other entertainment. Keep this in mind when considering your booking options.

A note about nutrition. The main reason anyone visits this part of Normandy is to see the D-Day sites. This means there are a lot of restaurants and bistros catering to tourists. Like such establishments everywhere, quality and service are hit and miss. Even good restaurants may have bad days. As part of visiting the D-Day sites you are going to be driving and walking quite a bit, and you may not want the hassle of finding a place for lunch only to end up with mediocre or even bad meals. Instead, we recommend you visit a local street market or shop and put together a picnic lunch—smelly cheese, a baguette or two, some pâté, local fruit and maybe a bottle of the local apple brandy (Calvados, which you may want to water down). We suggest you add a small, collapsible cooler to your packing list (large enough to hold a bottle of wine, a bottle of water and a few sandwiches). There are many places to stop and picnic at your leisure.

Also keep in mind that many French restaurants are only open for lunch from noon to 2:00 p.m., and if you are not seated by 1:30 you risk not being served.

 Day 1. Omaha and Utah beaches sites and monuments.

It is not that the landings at Omaha and Utah beaches were more important than those in the British and Canadian sectors, but it is a fact that the monuments and sites for these areas are much more extensive. For this reason, get an early start to beat the crowds and maximize efficiency.

There are some terms you should know, particularly if you want to sound like you know what you are talking about to other people:

“LCA”: Landing Craft, Assault — A shallow-draft, barge-like boat with a crew of four could ferry about thirty-five soldiers to shore at 7 knots (13 km/h). This is the typical boat you see in the movies. Men generally entered the boat by walking over a gangplank from the boat deck of a troop transport as the LCA hung from its davits. When loaded, the LCA was lowered into the water. Soldiers exited by the boat’s bow ramp.

“LCM”: Landing Craft, Mechanical — A landing craft designed for carrying vehicles.

“LST”: Landing Ship, Tank — A craft designed to ferry tanks and other vehicles to shore.

“RCT”: Regimental Combat Team — An infantry regiment augmented with smaller tank, artillery, combat engineers, mechanized reconnaissance, signal corps, air defence, quartermaster, medical, military police and other support units to enable it to be a self-supporting organization in the combat field.

Duplex Drive Tank

“DD Tank”: Duplex Drive Tank — a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British and mostly used for the M4 Sherman medium tank. DD tanks worked by erecting a “flotation screen” around the tank, which enabled it to float, and it had two propellers powered by the tank’s engine to drive them in the water.

“Boat Section” — An assigned group of landing craft.

“Hobart’s Funnies” — unusually modified tanks operated by the79th Armoured Division of the British Army or by specialists from the Royal Engineers. They were designed to overcome particular problems anticipated on the commonwealth beaches during the landings. They were named after their commander, Major-General Percy Hobart, and included machines with mine-clearing equipment, flamethrowers, mortars, ploughs, bulldozers and more. There are several of these type of vehicles on display in area museums.

The Tour

DAY ONE- OMAHA

The first stop on this tour should be the Normandy American Cemetery, Map the final resting place for more than 9300 Americans. On the way, you pass two private museums: the Big Red One Museum [Rank  3] Map and the Overlord Museum [Rank 7] Map Overlord Museum. If you are on a longer trip, you may want to visit these museums, particularly as both display a number of armoured vehicles. Otherwise, save your time and continue to the cemetery and memorial.

There is a large parking lot on the east side of the memorial. From the parking lot you can cross the road to the north and find the 1st Infantry Division and Fifth Engineer Special Brigade memorials that stand on top of the remains of the former German strong point (Widerstandsnest 62). Returning to the parking area, follow the signs to the visitor centre. The centre displays films and photographs from the landing as well as biographies of many of the soldiers who participated in the assault. Check the website for hours and admission. Budget twenty minutes for the visitor centre.

From the visitor centre there is a pass that runs along the reflecting pool and then to an orientation table. From this point you can either enter the cemetery or take the stairs down to the beach.

The 172-acre cemetery is a striking monument. It is laid out in the form of a Latin cross with a chapel at the intersection of the arms. The reflecting pool connects the chapel with an arc of colonnaded loggias. Among the columns are maps and narratives of various campaigns in northwestern Europe after D-Day. You will also find the names of 1,557 individuals whose remains were never recovered. Interred in the cemetery are three Medal of Honor medal recipients: Brigadier-General Theodore Roosevelt, Sergeant Frank Peregory and First Lieutenant Jimmie Monteith. Their crosses are marked with a gold star.

After touring the cemetery, return to the orientation table and take the path down to the beach. If you are visiting in the summer, the way back up can be very hot, so consider bringing some water.

Before you take the path, take time to review the orientation table. From here you will be able to familiarize yourself with the various beach sectors, each of which are described in military terminology (Easy Red, Fox Green, Fox Red, Dog White, Dog Red and Easy Green).

Directly beneath the orientation table is Easy Red sector. This sector was defended by four German strong points and was the landing site for Easy and Fox companies, 2nd Battalion, 16th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) of the 1st Infantry Division, supported by Company B of the 741st Tank Battalion. The landing in this sector did not go well. Only four support tanks made it to shore, one of which was immediately destroyed by German artillery fire. Only one boat section for the company made it to shore, most of them losing their equipment in deep water. The current and high waves pushed the remaining landing craft east of their intended landing spot to Fox Green.

The landing at Fox Green was chaotic and saw high casualty rates and the loss of much equipment. Further to the east, at Fox Red, Company L of the 16th RTC landed relatively intact.

By 8:00 a.m. on D-Day, the situation at Omaha Beach was grim. Expected support from tanks landing on the beach was limited, and landing forces took heavy fire. General Bradley gave serious consideration to abandoning the Omaha landing. However, two events took place to salvage the operation. First, several U.S. Navy destroyers moved inshore to fire directly at enemy strongpoints with their five-inch naval guns, which proved effective in silencing the key German gun emplacements. Second, desperate American infantry in small groups managed to cross the beach to work their way up the bluffs where they were able to suppress fire from German positions. As a result, by noon the chaos of the landings at Omaha Beach had shifted to success. By the late afternoon, armoured bulldozers had landed on the beach and were able to plow roads up several of the draws to allow vehicles to move off the beach.

As you move down the path, you will reach a second orientation table, which describes the artificial harbour built to supply the American beachheads. The structure, Mulberry A, was used until June 20, when it was wrecked in a storm.

Once the beach was secure, the U.S. Navy was able to ground its Landing Ship, Tanks (LSTs) and begin unloading vehicles and men to reinforce the assault.

After you reach the beach, turn around and look back up the bluff. This gives you some perspective for what the landing infantry faced. Now imagine the space between the shingle beach and the bluffs crossed with barbed wire and minefields (both real and fake), all shrouded with smoke and visible machine-gun tracer fire. Add to this the sound of battle: artillery explosions, small arms fire and the screams of the wounded. It is little wonder that many of the American infantrymen who made it onto the beach froze behind whatever shelter they could find, praying to stay alive. This also makes the desperate bravery of the soldiers who attacked the bluff even more impressive.

When you have seen enough, take the climb back up to the parking area.

Leaving the parking area, turn west on the D514 then on to the D517 Beach Road. This road parallels the Dog Red, White, and Green sectors of Omaha Beach. Set your GPS destination as Omaha Beach Memorial Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer. Make a short stop at this memorial, which is in the landing area designated “Dog Red.”

Nearby is the Omaha Musée Map which is a cluttered private collection of  artifacts with limited descriptions.  Omaha Musée  Rank 2

Next set your GPS to National Guard Memorial Vierville-sur-Mer” Map Rank 8

The landings in the sectors near the town of Vierville-sur-Mere were every bit as dramatic as those near the cemetery. Company B of the 743rd Tank Battalion led the assault on Dog Green, followed by six boat sections of LCAs from the 116th RCT, followed by a command boat and three LCMs carrying units of engineers. The original plan was for the tanks, fitted with flotation devices, to be launched offshore. However, rough weather made this impossible and the LCTs attempted to beach themselves to allow offloading. Only eight of sixteen tanks made it to shore. Several of the LCAs ferrying troops to shore were struck by artillery fire and several grounded on an offshore sandbar. The heavily-laden infantryman struggling off the boat ramps were hit by machine-gun fire, and many died from gunfire and by drowning only a few feet from the ramps.

Farther west in Charlie Sector, sections of Company C 2nd Ranger Battalion landed at 06:45 and took heavy fire. One of the LCAs was hit, killing a dozen men and the company commander. By the time survivors reached the bluffs, over half of the Rangers were casualties. This is the assault depicted in the opening combat scenes of the movie Saving Private Ryan.

Some boat sections landing on Dog White, Dog Red and Easy Green sectors made it to shore without significant casualties, but others took heavy fire and suffered heavy losses. By 07:30, the command boat had made it to the beach at Dog White where Brigadier-General Norman “Dutch” Cota and Colonel Charles Canham assumed command. They directed men from the 5th Ranger Battalion and Company C to blow gaps through the beach wire and seawall. These troops made it across 130 metres to the bluffs, which they then scaled. By 08:30, American soldiers had suppressed German fire from the crest.

The Monument at Vierville-sur-Mere commemorates National Guard members who fought in France in both world wars. This is on top of a German bunker that housed an 88 mm gun and features a statue of a guardsman dragging a wounded soldier from the surf.

If you turn your back to the ocean and look inland from this point, you will see hills on each side of the road in front of you (the D517). On D-Day, there were defensive batteries on both hills. On the left (east) side was WN 71, which housed an observation post, machine-gun positions, a mortar in a concrete emplacement and a pillbox all protected by a minefield and barbed wire. On the right (west) side was WN 72 containing an 88mm gun emplacement and machine-gun positions. There are no remnants of these structures left to see.   

In Vierville-sur-Mere there is also a raised pier over the former site of Mulberry A. From this pier you will have an excellent view of the Charlie and Dog Green sectors as well the German fortifications that protected this beach. Throughout this area you’ll find several memorials and plaques to the soldiers who participated in the D-Day landings.

From Vierville, make your way via the D517 to the D514 toward Pointe du Hoc and Grandcamp-Maisy. Set your GPS destination to Pointe du Hoc. Map At this point, the D517 turns inland, and as you pass you can see a Mulberry floating causeway display on the west side of the D517. Map Just after turning west onto the D514 from the D517, you pass the Château de Vierville, which dates from the seventeenth century. Before D-Day, this building served as housing for German officers and barracks for workers building the beach defences. On D-Day, parts of the chateau were destroyed by bombardment from the U.S.S. Texas. The park near the château was the scene of serious fighting on D-Day +1 (June 7), and after that the property was used for U.S. military purposes, including a hospital.

Pointe du Hoc was the D-Day objective for companies E and F of the Second Ranger Battalion. At Pointe du Hoc there is parking, restrooms and observation platforms. This is an interesting site as it still has shell craters and gives a better idea of what the landscape was in this area at the time the D-Day landings. From the observation platform at the top of the cliff, you can view the beach where the Ranger companies landed on D-Day. There is also a Ranger memorial located on a former German blockhouse at the tip of the pointe. Map

The Rangers landing on this beach had to scale the facing cliff to attack the German positions overlooking Pointe du Hoc. The Ranger flotilla consisted of ten boats and navigated toward the wrong beach several kilometres west toward Pointe Percée rather than Pointe du Hoc. This mistake was discovered, and the Ranger commander, Colonel James E. Rudder, managed to get the boats turned in the right direction. The initial navigational error left the boats open to German fire from the bluffs and delayed the landing by forty minutes. As result, supporting bombing raids that should have immediately preceded the assault occurred far in advance. One of the LCAs, an amphibious truck (DUKW), and a supply boat were sunk before reaching the beach at Pointe du Hoc. The Rangers who made it to land fired rocket-propelled grappling hooks up the cliff face, only some of which made secure holds. The Rangers scaled the cliff using the ropes available while under heavy fire. They scaled the heights and forced the defenders to retreat. This success was bittersweet though as the objective of this assault was to capture German howitzers that were thought to be installed on the pointe. To the surprise of the Rangers, no such guns were in the casements, although they were later located at a position farther inland and put out of commission.  

Despite capturing the heights, the Rangers’ position was precarious. The force was left exposed to German counter-attack, and the Rangers started to take casualties. After some delay, a message was relayed using a naval signal lamp and a naval force was able to move inshore and provide fire support for the Rangers. By the time this Ranger force was relieved on D-Day +2, more than half of the two hundred Rangers were casualties.

At this point, you may have had enough for one day. However, if you are up to it you can add on two more stops. These stops are for historical interest only, and there is not much to see in these locations other than what we have listed here:

1.       The quay at Grandcamp-Maisy. Set GPS destination as Port de Grandcamp-Maisy. This town became a port for the landings. At the northeast corner of the quay is a memorial to French squadrons who flew missions with British Bomber Command and who participated in the bombing of German gun emplacements in this area during the D-Day assault. On your way to Grandcamp-Maisy from Point du Hoc you pass a memorial to Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Frank Peregory and a “World Peace Statue” at the outskirts of Grandcamp-Maisy. Map

2. If you still have the energy for further exploration, you can leave Grandcamp-Maisy and take the D514 to Isigny and Brévands. Isigny was liberated on 9 June 1944 by the 29th Division, and there is a stained-glass commemoration of this in the town church (1 Rue Victor Hugo). Rank 2. At the village of Brévands on the D444 is another commemorative church window. It was at Brévands that American forces from Utah and Omaha beaches finally met up after the landings. Map Rank 1

 If your GPS says that you can get to Bayeux before 5:15 p.m., I suggest topping off the day with a  visit to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, which is open until 6:30 pm. By visiting the tapestry museum late, you should miss the bus tour crowds. bayeuxmuseum.com

The tapestry was created after William the Conqueror took over England in 1066 and chronicles the invasion and conquest in pictures. It is one of the greatest masterpieces of medieval European art. Much of its history and symbolism are still shrouded in mystery with facts being disputed. It is not actually a tapestry at all but an embroidered linen cloth, 50 cm wide and currently weighing 350 kilograms. An impressive fact is its length of 68 m. Allow one hour to visit (although the audio guide only requires twenty minutes).

 Now have a good dinner and return to your lodgings.

DAY TWO – UTAH

If you did not get to the Bayeux Tapestry Museum yesterday, or were too tired, start Day 2 there. The tapestry museum opens early (9:oo or 9:30 a.m. depending on the time of year) and does not take long to visit. It is also open before the other first destination for this day, the Musée Mémorial Bataille de Normandie. If you get to the tapestry museum early you can beat the tour bus crowds.

Day 1 started with a visit to the Omaha Beach sites. Before visiting Utah Beach, start Day 2 with a visit to the Musée Mémorial Bataille de Normandie in Bayeux. This museum covers the run-up to D-Day—both the Allied preparation and the German construction of the Atlantic Wall—the military forces and commanders (American, British, French and German) and there is a large display for the D-Day attack plan. You might ask “Why didn’t we start here yesterday?” Well, you certainly could have, and if you want to modify the Day 1 itinerary, go ahead. However, we think seeing the battleground first gives better perspective to the static displays in the museum. Also, the focus of this museum is the period after the D-Day landings, and it is a good medium for putting the landings into perspective. As we have a busy itinerary today, try to be at the museum early. Allow 1.5 hours. Map bayeux museum Rank 8

Now grab a café noisette (a coffee with milk the colour of a hazelnut), hop in your vehicle and set the GPS destination as Ste-Marie-du-Mont, which is about a forty-minute drive on the N13. Map

On the way to Carentan, assuming you are travelling on the N13, you will pass the La Cambe German war cemetery. There are 21,222 burials at La Cambe, with 207 belonging to unknown soldiers. German military cemeteries are very different from the American and Commonwealth cemeteries. Markers are made from grey schist and do not mark individual’s graves. Burial locations are marked by plaques on the ground. The majority of the German war dead buried at La Cambe fell between 6 June and 20 August 1944, and their ages range from sixteen to seventy-two. Two notable burials at La Cambe are SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Diekmann, the most senior officer at the massacre in Oradour-sur-Glane, killed in Normandy on 29 June 1944, and SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain) Michael Wittmann, a top tank ace of the war. Wittmann was credited with the destruction of 138 tanks and 132 anti-tank guns along with an unknown number of other armoured vehicles. His remains are buried in Block 47, Row 3, Grave 120. Wittmann, along with his crew, was killed on 8 August 1944 in a fight with a group of Canadian tanks. The remains of Wittmann and his crew were discovered in 1983 and reinterred together at La Cambe. If you want to stop here, remember to program La Cambe German war cemetery into your navigation system so you do not miss the entrance. Map

You will also pass near Carentan. Rank 1 Map At Carentan there is a memorial in front of the Mairie to the 101st Airborne, but the memorial itself is not very interesting. Map There is nothing much else to see in Carentan, so unless you really want to see the Airborne plaque, keep going.  The town is historically significant though. The Battle of Carentan was fought between Airborne forces and the Wehrmacht between 6-13 June in and around Carentan. Heavy casualties suffered by the Airborne resulted in a portion of the Carentan-Sainte-Mére-Église highway earning the nickname “Purple Heart Lane”.

portion of the Carentan-Sainte-Mére-Église highway earning the nickname “Purple Heart Lane.”

Just past Carentan you will cross the River Douve. As you cross, look to the right (northeast). You should see La Barquette, or Carentan lock, which after D-Day became known as “Hell’s Corner.” This lock was one of the objectives of the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) of the American 101st Airborne during the Allied landings on 6 June 1944. The Americans wanted to capture the lock so the Germans could not release water to flood the surrounding fields. Unfortunately, the Germans had already done that before D-Day, but the Americans were unaware of this. About 150 American paratroopers under the command of Colonel Howard R. “Skeets” Johnson arrived at La Barquette at the first light of dawn on 6 June. Johnson ordered fifty soldiers to cross the lock and occupy the south shore while the other paratroopers established a defensive position on the north shore. Eventually, this American force grew to about 250 men. While the paratroopers were sporadically fired on, their position was secure.

On the morning of 7 June, Germans from the 6th German Parachute Regiment were retreating towards Carentan through the flooded marshes. They did not know that the Americans were at La Barquette. Johnson organized an ambush, and during the fight that ensued the Germans suffered severe losses: 150 casualties (killed or wounded) and 350 prisoners. Only twenty or so managed to escape the ambush. The Americans suffered ten killed and thirty wounded. They dubbed this place ”Hell’s Corner.”

From Carenten navigate to the D913 in the direction of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont Map and La Madeleine (east). This road bisects two parachute drop zones (DZs): C and D.

If you are interested, about one kilometre before Sainte-Marie-du-Mont  there is a turn off to a stone commemorating the A16 airfield used by the 36th fighter group, the 9th Air Force. Map This fighter group flew in close support of ground troops using P-47s.

Passing through Sainte-Marie-du-Mont there are numerous signs (in French) posted around the village describing D-Day events that occurred there. Stop in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont to stretch your legs and stroll to the grounds around the Église Notre-Dame de Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and the château. Map Note that the church walls are still pockmarked with bullets scars. In 1944 the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont was occupied by about sixty enemy soldiers of the 191 Artillery-Regiment. The Germans used the church tower as an observation post and on a clear day they could see all the way to the sea. Far away from an expected invasion near Calais, they could not know the village was at the southern edge of D-Day’s DZ C. A third of the paratroopers designated for DZ C were dropped outside of the zone. Some of these landed in and around Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and were soon engaged in fights with the surprised enemy. Two paratroopers, Sergeant David “Buck” Rogers and Major Isaac Cole fought their way to take the prime position at the top of the church steeple. Unfortunately for them, by mid-morning the church tower was under “friendly” fire from the U.S. troops who assumed the Germans still occupied the. There were skirmishes across the village until early afternoon when Sherman tanks of the 70th Tank Battalion and troops from the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 8th Infantry Regiment (4th Infantry Division) started arriving from Utah Beach. With their help, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont was finally liberated. Also located at the Sainte-Marie-du-Mont town square is the Musée de l’Occupation (Museum of the Occupation), which focuses on life under Nazi occupation. During the four years of occupation, the museum was used as a German garrison, and one of the interesting features of the museum is a mural painted on the walls of the old German restroom. Map Rank 5

After a good stretch and perhaps a bite to eat in one of the cafés in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, program the navigation system to La Madeleine.

Between Ste-Marie-du-Mont  and La Madeleine there is a monument to Lieutenant Dick Winters and Easy Company who were made famous by the 2001 television series Band of Brothers. Map  This series is recommended viewing preparation for your D-Day visit. If you wish to visit the area where the fighting serialized in Band of Brothers took place you can visit the site near Breécourt Manor, but really all you’ll see is a plaque and a field.

 Between Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and La Madeleine was the Brécourt manor farm and in its fields No.6 Battery of the 90th Artillery regiment, with four 105mm Howitzers. The guns were firing onto the causeway at Utah Beach which led to the village, causing significant damage and injury to Americans disembarking the beach.

1st Lt. Winters, whose superior was killed at the beach landing, oversaw E ‘Easy’ Company.  He was ordered to take a group of his men to Brécourt and neutralize what was thought to be a single Howitzer and machine gun nest. Around 8.30am he gathered a team of 12 men from ‘Easy’ and other companies and headed for Brécourt.

Their reconnaissance revealed four Howitzers in a line hidden by hedgerow, linked by trenches and covered by machine gun MG42 ‘nests’.  Winter’s force faced a platoon of about 50 trained German troops defending the guns and gun crews.

Lt. Winters strategically placed his men around the German encampment; two 30 caliber machine guns with two men to each, one man up a tree, others on the ground.  Men crept towards the first machine gun nest as their comrades began firing to distract the enemy. When close enough, they threw in grenades.  Once machine gun nests were knocked out, the Americans attacked the howitzers. Despite being out gunned and outmanned, Lt. Winters and his force out manoeuvred the German defenders and succeeded in neutralizing the enemy position.  An unexpected bonus was that Winters also found in the Battery a map detailing all German defences in the Utah Beach area.

For his action Lt. Winters was awarded with the Distinguished Service Cross and 13 of his men also received awards for bravery. The strategy Lt Winters successfully used, for a small force to overwhelm a much larger one, is still taught in military schools today.

La Madeleine was close to the Utah Beach “Tare Green” and “Uncle Red” landing areas. There are several parking lots in the area, and you will likely have to make a short hike to the monuments and museum area. Your destination is the Musée du Debarquement d’Utah Beach.This museum tells the story of the day from preparation to completion and success. It also contains a collection of objects and vehicles relating to landings including an authentic American B-26 Marauder bomber. There is also a short film and temporary exhibitions that change regularly. We highly recommend a visit to this museum. Utah Museum  Rank 9

Just outside of the museum is a pub named the Roosevelt (after the Medal of Honor winner not the President) where you may wish to take a refreshment break. Service and quality can vary here depending on time of year and how busy they are (see my notes about nourishment).

After touring the museum, make a quick visit to the beach area. Preparations for landing at Utah Beach were more successful here than at Omaha Beach, as pre-invasion bombardment neutralized the German defences along this sector of Utah Beach. The landing force at Utah Beach included thirty-two tanks meant to land ahead of the 2nd Battalion of the 8th RCT closely followed by the 1st Battalion along with naval and combat engineers to provide demolition. The landing did not go according to plan. Tidal currents played havoc with landing timetables and locations. Brigadier-General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the eldest son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, in command of the beach, landed in one of the first boats south of the intended landing site. He is alleged to have said “We’ll start the war from right here,” and ordered the landing to take place at the beach in front of La Madeleine. Roosevelt, at age 56, is thought to be the eldest American to land on D-Day, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts in the invasion. Roosevelt died of a heart attack in July 1944.

The plan of attack called for the landing force to capture roads/causeways that led inland from Utah Beach. Concurrently, airborne troops were to secure the upland exits of these routes. The route designated Causeway #2 roughly follows the access road to La Madeleine. Unlike at Omaha, the landing at Utah Beach progressed relatively well with sappers and naval artillery clearing obstructions and allowing troops to move inland.

There are several monuments near the museum and you can find a list of these here: Utah Monuments

The Musée du Debarquement d’Utah Beach and surrounding sites will take most of the rest of your time this day, but if you wish to you can visit several sites near La Madeleine:

In the Chapelle de la Madeleine, there are impressive stained glass windows and photographs. Map Rank 4

On the D421, there is a monument to the 2nd French Armoured Division. An American M-4 Sherman tank and an M35 2.5-tonne truck flank the memorial. On the way there you pass several beach access points and former bunkers. Map 

Further on the D421 is Ravenoville-Plage. If you continue north on this road you can visit the German fortifications at Marcouf-Crisbecq-Azeville. If you turn east to the D15 you can visit Sainte-Mère Église.

The Marcouf-Crisbecq Coastal Batteries Map consisted of four 210mm guns, which, despite having hundreds of bombs dropped on them before D-Day, survived and were able to fire on Allied ships offshore. Historians suspect these guns sank the destroyer Cory and damaged several other ships. Counter-battery from naval ships eventually silenced these guns, but the complex did not surrender until 12 June when captured by American troops. In one of the remaining bunkers today, there is a small museum and information centre. Is also affords a good view back toward Utah Beach. Nearby is the Batterie d’Azeville. German troops manning this complex held the position for two days after D-Day. The fortification was finally captured when Private Ralph Riley of the 22nd Infantry used a flamethrower to ignite ammunition inside the bunker. Riley was awarded the Silver Star for his actions. Map Rank 6

From Azeville, you can drive to Ste-Mére Église. Rank 6. The small town is famous today because it was at the centre of D-Day drop zones for the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions. These troops jumped from some 816 C-47 aircraft, a hundred of which were towing gliders. Thirteen thousand four hundred American paratroopers dropped or landed in the Cotentin area in the early hours of 6 June. Only one regiment, the 505th, landed on or near its assigned drop zone. Anti-aircraft fire and cloud cover disrupted the formations of drop aircraft, and as a result paratroopers were dropped in the wrong areas with different units intermingling. At Sainte-Mére Église we see a good example of the confusion surrounding the paratroop drop. There was a house fire burning in the town square that night, likely caused by a flak shell. Firefighting was in progress when a stick of paratroopers started landing in the square. All the paratroopers were shot or captured except for Private John Steele whose parachute snagged on the church steeple. Steele saw what was happening below and decided to play dead. This worked for a time but eventually he was taken prisoner. During the summer, a dummy paratrooper hangs from chute today in the same spot where Steele apparently landed. While this site is a bit kitschy, you should take note of the pockmarks remaining in the stone of the chapel caused by bullet fire. Map Rank 6  

While Steele was hanging from the steeple in Sainte-Mére Église, north of the town Colonel Benjamin Vandervoort (who had broken his ankle in the drop) was in command of the Second Battalion of the 505th PR. He assembled a force and moved to attack the town. Vandervoort’s force joined that of Colonel Edward Krause who had already stormed into the town with about 150 paratroopers. This combined force took and held Ste-Mére Église.

In Ste-Mére Église we suggest visiting the church to view to stained-glass windows commemorating the airdrop. The first of these features St. Michael surrounded by various military insignia and stylized parachutes. The second window shows the Virgin Mary with paratroopers descending around her. East of the church you will find the Airborne Museum. This is a great museum to visit as it allows you to walk through the body of a WWII glider. Airborne Museum  Rank 8

There are a few other monuments and plaques in Ste-Mére Église, and if you wander around the town square you will find most of these.

You have now seen most of the major Utah Beach sites. There are, however, several other airborne sites near Ste-Mére Église. Rather than send you wandering around the countryside, your time is better spent returning to your lodgings in Bayeux. If you see a sign for something that interests you en route, stop.

DAY THREE: GOLD, JUNO AND SWORD

Having explored the American beaches to the south of Bayeux, we now turn our attention north to the British and Canadian sectors.

All the British and Canadian landing beaches are conveniently located along the D514 between Port-en-Bessin and Riva-Bella. The principal sites along this route are the Longues Battery, museums at Arromaches, Vierville and Orne Canal, Pegasus Bridge, Rainville Commonwealth Cemetery and the Merville Battery.

You can obtain a downloadable tourist map of the area here: Tourist Map

Port-en-Bessin Map marks the edge of Gold Beach which was the D-Day objective of the 50th Northumberland Division. Overlooking the harbor here are the remains of an eighteenth-centur fort.  Map

Continuing on the D5144 for about 5 km you reach the turnoff for the Longues-sur-Mer Battery. Map The battery at Longues-sur-Mer, which was built on a clifftop overlooking the English Channel, included a range-finding post and four casemates each housing a 150mm gun. The battery was repeatedly bombed before D-Day but nevertheless managed to return fire at the invasion fleet on D-Day. These guns were eventually put out of action by fire from HMS Ajax and the Free French cruiser Georges Leygues. Rank 6

From Longues Battery travel to Arromanches-les-Bains. This site was designated as the location for Mulberry B, one of the two artificial ports for use in offloading materials and supplies to reinforce the invasion. Remains of this Mulberry are still visible. Rank 7

Just as there is a Musée du Debarquement at Utah Beach, there is also a Musée du Debarquement in Arromanches.. Map . We recommend a visit to this museum. The museum overlooks the area where Mulberry B was constructed and will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about this artificial harbour. Rank 8. On the hill above the museum there is an excellent viewing platform and section of the Mulberry frame. While it is possible to hike from the museum to an orientation platform, we are going to save our energy and instead drive a little farther up the D514 and park nearby. Map You will know you are at the right place because of the top of the bluff the Sherman tank is displayed near a former German radar station. This radar station or Stützpunkt, today houses a 360° cinema and shows a twenty-minute film every thirty minutes. It is notable that the area around this radar station, including nearby bunkers, were put out of commission by fire from HMS Belfast, which is now a floating museum on the Thames near the Tower of London. Musee Arromanches

The next stop on this tour is a short distance away at the beach at Asnelles. You pass several monuments and plaques on the way. Map You will arrive at the remains of a massive blockhouse (WN-37) on the Boulevard of Asnelles.  In 1944, this bunker housed an 88mm cannon focused on the beach for frontal defence. The monument is dedicated to the 231 Infantry Brigade of the 50th British Division, which consisted of the Devonshire, 1st Hampshire and 1st Dorset regiments. This section of beach was designated as Jig Green sector. The gun in this bunker is credited for knocking out six British tanks. The British forces had a difficult time landing here. In addition to fire from the gun in this bunker, the Hampshires were exposed to fire from another German gun to the East (WN-36). As well, high seas messed with the landing timetable such that engineers and infantry landed before tanks, contrary to plan. Several of the tanks that landed were unable to find traction in the sand and clay on the beach. Despite inadequate tank support, the British soldiers eventually neutralized fire from the bunkers and the Hampshires and other British soldiers were able to fight their way off the beach assisted by specialized armoured vehicles used to open beach exits. While at this site, you should take note of the small turreted gun pit at the east of the parking area. This is a “Tobruk,” and hundreds of these types of installations were scattered along the invasion beaches. Rank 7

If you feel like a scroll, you can walk about eight hundred metres west along the Boulevard de la Mer to the next German bunker (WN-38). Map

On returning to your vehicle you have a choice: you can continue on the D514 toward La Rivière or make a detour to General Montgomery’s post-landing tactical headquarters at Château de Creullet. Map Montgomery met with Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Smuts at the château on 12 June and then with King George VI on 16 June. The château was also the broadcast centre for the BBC after the landings, and it was from here that the first news of the Normandy Invasion was transmitted. Today, the château operates as an event centre, and it is possible to stroll the grounds. Rank  5. 

Continuing to La Riviére, you pass the eastern edge of Gold Beach. As you pass through town, you can see a Sexton self-propelled gun and a few other artifacts next to the pharmacy. Map Make your way to the D112 and head to the Musée America Gold Beach in Ver-sur-Mer ,Map  (Rank 7), which tells the story of the 69th Brigade of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, led by Major-General Douglas Alexander Graham and supported by the 79th (Armoured) Division. It contains detailed models of the defences and of the Allied landing ground nearby. The museum is also devoted to the aviation pioneers of the North Atlantic route and the first official airmail delivery between the USA and France. The museum is compact, so you only need to budget about an hour to visit. Gold Beach Musee

Return now to La Rivière and continue along the D514 in the direction of Courseulles-sur-Mer. There are several surviving gun emplacements on the beach (for example here: Map Bunker 33a), and you pass by the beach sectors designated King Red and King Green.

JUNO BEACH

The job of taking Juno Beach was assigned to the 3rd Canadian Division commanded by Major-General R.F.L Keller. The landing sites here were sprinkled with mines and steel beach defences, and an offshore reef presented a significant hazard to landing craft. Rough seas and weather muddled schedules and caused vessels to drift off course.

Of the first twenty-five landing craft in the first wave, twenty were damaged or destroyed. To get anywhere near the beach it was necessary to force-run the vessels over underwater mines and steel spike barriers. This was done while under steady artillery and mortar attack. No tanks reached the beach before the infantry, and so the troops made their assault without close support. Making matters worse was that the Canadians landed during an incoming tide, and as Juno is quite a comparatively narrow beach, they had to contend with a shrinking beach to land on. German defensive fire did not begin until the landing craft dropped their ramps.

Despite the difficulties, the Canadians managed to take the fight off the beach into the coastal villages and eventually capture their main post-landing objective of the Carpiquet Airfield. With the airfield in Canadian control, the Allies obtained the ability to land men and supplies by air to reinforce the Normandy bridgehead. Canadian forces continued to push forward and in fact advanced more than eleven kilometers inland, more than any other force landing on D-Day. This advance allowed them to cut off the Caen-Bayeax highway and link up with the British on their right flank. In the days to come, the Canadian bridgehead would endure numerous German counter-attacks by panzer divisions seeking to retake control of the area north and east of Caen. The Canadians suffered 961 casualties on D-Day.

A good starting point for Juno Beach is at Juno Beach Memorial/Cross of Lorraine, accessed from the intersection of the D514 and D112C. There is a parking lot at the beach, and you will know you are at the right spot when you see the parked Churchill AVRE tank. Map This is the location where General Smuts, Field Marshal Alan Brook and Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived on 12 June 1944 to tour the beachhead and meet with General Montgomery. Four days later, King George VI also landed here. The tank on display was abandoned in a flooded culvert on D-Day and later covered over as part of roadway construction. In 1974, it was dug out and positioned in its present site. There is a large Cross of Lorraine nearby that commemorates Charles de Gaulle’s arrival in France on 16 June. This location corresponds with the Beach Sector Mike Red, assigned for attack to the Winnipeg Rifles.

Return to your vehicle and backtrack to the 514. Then turn left (west) on the 514 toward Courseulles-sur-Mer. Watch for the signs for the Juno Beach Centre, which is your next destination. Courseulles-sur-Mer was one of the most heavily-defended German positions faced by the Canadians on D-Day. The Germans used an 88mm, two 75mm and two 50mm guns in addition to twelve concrete machine-gun posts and several mortar pits. It took most of the day to clear Courseulles-sur-Mer of defenders. The Juno Beach Centre details the Canadian war effort and the Canadian landing at Juno. Like most Canadian visitor centres, young, earnest and mostly bilingual (French-English) Canadian students are available to conduct tours. Juno Beach Centre  Rank 6

After visiting the centre, go for a short drive to the other side of the harbour (or if you prefer you can walk—it is about a kilometre round trip). Return to your vehicle and again backtrack to the 514. Then turn left (west) on the 514 toward Courseulles-sur-Mer and cross over the Seulles River (via a loop around the harbour, the Quai Est). Stay on this road (which changes from Quai Est to Quai des Allies), keeping the river on your left. The road veers left and becomes Avenue de la Combattante near the beach. At the turn, there is a Sherman DD tank. This vehicle belonged to the 1st Canadian Hussars and was one of five tanks that foundered and sank on the way to the beach on D-Day. This vehicle was recovered from underwater in 1971, and it is interesting as it has the lip and stanchions, which would have held the canvas dam intended to keep the tank afloat as it propelled itself to shore attached around it. Clearly, that did not happen on D-Day. Park near this tank.

You are now at the junction of Nan Green Sector to the east (assigned to the Regina Rifles) and Mike Red to the west (assigned to the Winnipeg Rifles). A memorial to the men of the Regina Rifles who did not survive the war is nearby. Also close by are memorials to the 1st Canadian Scottish Regiment and to the French destroyer la Combattante lost at sea on 23 April 1945. Farther to the west is a memorial featuring a bright wooden dagger commemorating the “Little Black Devils”—the Winnipeg Rifles. Map The tourism office is located a short distance inland on Place du 6 Juin. If you like, you can leave your vehicle parked and walk back (inland direction) along Quai Est to Quai des Allies where you pass by several restaurants and vendor stalls. You might consider pausing here for a snack or to purchase some fresh fish if you have cooking facilities.

The next destination is Bernières-sur-Mer, three km farther along the D514. Set your GPS destination as Place du 6 Juin, Berniéres-sur-Mer. Map Park in the square, or if it is full, on one of the adjacent side streets. There is access to the beach from the Place du 6 Juin, and there you will find a Canadian monument. This sector of the beach was designated Nan White Sector and assigned to the 8th Canadian Brigade (La Chadière and the Queen’s Own Rifles regiments). As in other beach sectors on D-Day, weather and waves wreaked havoc on landing schedules, and the Queen’s Own Rifles ended up making shore before the support tanks, originally intended to land first. Assault companies landed late and some 180 metres east of their designated area. Despite some casualties, the Canadian troops, assisted by close fire from a navy flak ship, overran the German defences. The Queen’s Own Rifles, supported by Fort Garry Horse tanks, blew a gap in the seawall and pushed through to rout the German defenders all before 9:00 a.m. As a result, the La Chadiére were able to land about fifteen minutes later mostly unmolested. The French Canadians of the La Chadiére received a joyous welcome from the locals. From Berniéres-sur-Mer, the La Chadiére led the advance inland to Bény-sur-Mer. There is a Canadian War Cemetery located near Bény-sur-Mer.  Map   

There are no significant museums in Berniéres-sur-Mer, but there are several memorials and plaques. Rather than list these, we will suggest you wander around the Place de 6 Juin for a few minutes. If there is a particular memorial you are looking for, ask for directions at the tourist office to the west of Place de 6 Juin. You can also obtain a tourist map of the area there. Tourist Office

From Berniéres-sur-Mer head toward St-Aubin-sur-Mer. Set your GPS destination as 26 Rue de Verdun St-Aubin-sur-Mer, and this should get you to the site of a German blockhouse (which contains a 50mm anti-tank gun) and a memorial to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. This site is roughly at the junction of Juno and Sword beaches. This area was secured by the 41st and 48th Royal Marine Commando. On D-Day, the beaches in this area were secured but not considered main landing beaches as they were too narrow. Troops of the Canadian 8th Brigade landing here faced stiff resistance and suffered many casualties from fire from a concrete bunker armed with an anti-tank gun, 81mm mortars and machine guns. It was not until an AVRE tank arrived at 11:30 to bombard the defenders that the German guns were silenced. Map 

SWORD BEACH

Sword Beach stretches roughly eight kilometres from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to Ouistreham.

The Allied forces most heavily involved in the assault here were the British 3rd Infantry Division. This was where Brigadier Lord Lovat landed with a brigade of Special Forces soldiers who later linked up with troops holding Pegasus Bridge. Symbolically, the British were accompanied by a small unit of Free French commandos, led by French war hero Philippe Kieffer. The French lost 177 men on Sword Beach.

The British of the 8th Brigade (belonging to the 3rd Infantry Division) and the Commandos (numbers 4, 6, 8, 10, 41 and 45) of the 1st Special Service Brigade (including Commando No.4 with the 177 French marines, commanded by Commandant Kieffer) were assigned to the assault on Sword Beach. These forces were under command of the 1st Corps led by the British lieutenant-general John Crocker. The battleships HMS Ramillies and Warspite and the monitor Roberts as well several cruisers and destroyers supported the landing. This heavy naval support was deemed necessary by Overlord planners due to the many German batteries in the area.

The beach was divided into four main areas from the west to the east: “Oboe,” “Peter,” “Queen” and “Roger.” The men of the 716th German Infantry Division, composed of twenty-nine companies and armed with five hundred machine guns, fifty mortars and ninety guns of various calibers defended the beach. 1.5-metre waves tossed the landing craft about so that many soldiers were sea-sick, but unlike on other beaches, DD tanks did manage to land ahead of the troops. The 1st Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment and 2nd East Yorkshires were the first infantry to land on Sword Beach near Collevilette and were immediately pressed to attack German positions. Once defensive fire was suppressed, flail tanks and sappers moved in to clear paths through the minefields, and the 2nd East Yorkshires moved inland to attack other German strongpoints.

There are few significant sites along Sword Beach. As part of the tour we will continue to drive along the D514 beach road. It is initially called Rue Pasteur (the local name of the road changes frequently), but we will always remain on the D514 in the direction of Colleville-Plage. You pass several memorials along this route, which you can choose to stop at or pass by at your option—just watch for signs. The more notable of these are:

a. At Luc-sur-Mer is strongpoint Le-Petit-Enfer (WN-24). The French 46th Marine Commando captured this on June 7. Map

b. There is a Churchill tank at the roundabout marking the edge of Lion-sur-Mer. The beach area between the Churchill tank and your next destination of Riva-Bella was the sector designated “Queen.” Map

c.      c. At Hermanville-sur-Mer, there is the Monument to Lost Naval Personnel of D-Day . The beach area in front of you here was “Queen White.” Map

d.      The Piper Bill Millen Memorial Map and WN18. Bill Millin was the personal piper of Lord Lovat Fraser whose Commando Brigade landed on Sword Beach on D-Day. Although not officially allowed, Piper Bill Millin marched up and down the beach during the landings and then later as they moved inland. This is also the former location of German position WN -18 and the landing area of 1st Special Service Brigade was just to the west (your left facing the water). This unit’s D-Day objective was to destroy the strong point at Riva-Bella and then link up with glider troops holding the Orne River and Canal.

e. After peeking at the Piper Bill Millin Memorial, turn south onto Avenue du 4ème Commando and drive to the statue of Montgomery at the intersection of D514 and Avenue du 4ème Commando. Map

f. Riva-Bella Casino: The Germans destroyed the original casino to construct a strongpoint (WN-10). The strongpoint, however, kept the “casino” name and was captured by French commandos. Across the street from the casino is the small Museum Commando No. 4. You can probably get through this museum in 30-40 minutes, if interested. Rank 6. A memorial to the French commandos is about 250 metres farther west of the casino. The memorial is a steel sculpture representing the bow of a ship striking the German defences. Map

g. A bit farther along (in the direction of the car ferry), is Le Grand Bunker (Musée du Mur de l’Atlantique).This five-floor privately-run museum depicts the operations of the Command and Control Bunker for the anti-aircraft batteries in the Ousitreham Estuary area. The Germans used this concrete tower as the local headquarters, and it has been restored inside to the same condition it was in 1944. It is a good effort with some interesting artifacts, but it becomes more amateurish as you climb the floors. There is a viewing platform on the roof, which is only accessible by climbing a ladder. Not a good choice for people with accessibility issues. Map Bunker Museum Rank 4.

h.      If you keep travelling east, you reach the Orne River, the end of Sword Beach and an area where the 1st British Commandos staged a raid on September 28, 1941. There is no monument to this worth visiting.

You now turn inland to explore the British drop zones.

The next stop is Strongpoint Hillman, about a fifteen-minute drive away. Set your navigation destination as Site fortifié Hillman. Rank 5. In the early afternoon of D-Day, the Suffolks began their attack on Hillman, which was a regimental command post made up of eighteen concrete bunkers connected by trenches protected by two belts of barbed wire and minefields. While access to the site and most of the bunkers is possible all year round (it is, in effect, an “open air museum”), the friends of the site open up the main bunker to show displays of artifacts and photographs every Tuesday in July and August from 15:00. There is usually a “living history” event at the site around 6 June every year. Map  Information about both Morris and Hillman sites can be found here Hillman.

While Morris was captured quite quickly by the 8th Infantry Brigade, Hillman proved to be a more difficult assault. In part this was because the designated British forward observation officer had been killed and, as a result, supporting naval gunfire did not materialize. As well, military intelligence had significantly underestimated the strength of the Hillman position. The 1st Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment was unable to effectively attack Hillman until tank support arrived from the Staffordshire Yeomanry. Still, the Germans put up stiff resistance and Hillman was not finally taken until 6:00 p.m.

Next, set your navigation destination as Pegasus Bridge. Map Pegasus was the name given to a bridge over the Caen Canal near the town of Ouistreham. This was an important objective of the British 6th Airborne on 5-6 June 1944. It was given the permanent name of Pegasus Bridge in honour of the operation.

Taking Pegasus Bridge was essential for the Allies and a major success. By controlling this swing bridge, the Allies were able to hamper the  Germans’ ability to bring in reinforcements to the Normandy beaches, and control of the road meant that the 6th Airborne Division, that had been dropped to the east of Caen, could be supplied from Sword Beach. Without control of this road, the 6th Airborne would have been starved of vital equipment. The first British troops to land in Normandy were D Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (part of the 6th British Airborne Division) who landed at Ranville-Benouville in the early hours of 6 June. Major John Howard led these troops. The bridge was guarded by German machine-gun posts. British forces landed by using gliders and with enough degree of surprise that the bridge was captured with relative ease after a ten-minute firefight. Howard set up his defences for the expected German counter-attack, which came about two hours after their landing. Reinforced by paratroopers, Howard and his men were able to resist an attack by the 21st Panzer Division and hold control of this bridge as well as the nearby Orne Bridge. This captured Caen Canal Bridge was renamed Pegasus Bridge in honour of the cap badge of the 6th Airborne Division. Also participating in the action at Pegasus Bridge were soldiers of 6th Commando. Three Troop of this unit included Belgians, Norwegians, Dutch and Poles, and 10 Troop was made up almost entirely of German Jewish refugees.

The Musée Memorial Pegasus at Ranville-Bénouville  Map is dedicated to the men of the British 6th Airborne Division. Through the use of historic objects and photos the museum tells the story of the 6th Airborne Divisions missions during the battle for Normandy, with a particular focus on the capture of Bénouville Bridge. Musee Pegasus Rank 7

In 1994, due to the widening of the canal, the original bridge was replaced by a larger one that bears a close resemblance to the original. The original bridge can be found on the grounds of the museumalong with a Bailey bridge and a full-sized replica of a Horsa glider as used in operation Dead Stick for the assault on the bridge.

By this point in the day you have seen a lot and may be tired out. However, if time and energy permit, there are two more nearby sites worth visiting.

Ranville Commonwealth Cemetery is near Pegasus Bridge. Map Many of the 6th Airborne Division’s casualties are buried in Ranville and the adjoining churchyard. The cemetery contains 2,235 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, ninety-seven of them unidentified. There are also 330 German graves and a few burials of other nationalities. The churchyard contains forty-seven Commonwealth burials, one of which is unidentified and one that is a German grave. Allow fifteen minutes to visit.

About a fifteen minute drive from Pegasus Bridge is Merville Battery. Map The Merville Battery housed four 100mm caliber guns (the Allies thought it had 150mm guns), within firing distance of Sword Beach. This was a danger to the forces that were to land at Sword Beach and their supporting fleet. Thus, the 9th Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Terence Otway, were tasked with capturing and disabling Merville Gun Battery on 6 June 1944 before the landings took place. This assault did not go as planned. Only 150 of the 750 troops who were supposed to arrive reached the site after troops were dropped in incorrect locations up to ten miles from the intended drop zone. Very few supplies reached these troops. Despite these problems, Otway and his men managed to improvise a new plan and successfully neutralized the Merville Gun Battery just hours before the Normandy landings began. German troops managed to retake the fortification in the afternoon, but it now had only two working guns and posed a much smaller threat to troops landing at Sword Beach. The Allies recaptured it once again on 7 June. The Musée de la Batterie de Merville, tells the history of the battery, and there is a C-47 aircraft and a British field artillery piece on the grounds. Allow one hour to visit. Batterie Merville Rank 7

While British forces were successful in taking Sword Beach and the Orne River crossings on D-Day, the British 3rd Infantry was unsuccessful in taking its objective of the city of Caen on the first day. This was probably because General Montgomery had not committed sufficient men and equipment to carry out what was a very ambitious objective. This was particularly the case as the Germans soon moved the 21st Panzer Division into a position to defend the approaches to Caen. Caen would then become the setting for intense fighting in the days after D-Day.

As 6 June ended, it was clear that the Allies had secured the landing beaches and could now rush more men and equipment into Normandy. But what about the German counter-attack? Despite the defensive fortifications and planning undertaken by Field Marshal Rommel in the months prior to D-Day, no significant German counter-attack happened on D-Day. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, German Command was fragmented. Rommel had not been given direct command over the 21st Panzer Division, SS Hitlerjugend Division or the Panzer Lehr Division, and German headquarters dithered on deciding when and where to send these divisions to attack. This gave the Allies time to consolidate their position and prepare for any counter-attack. Second, the Allies had air superiority and dominance. Allied bombers and fighter-bombers were successful in destroying bridges across the Seine, thereby denying reinforcement routes to the Germans. This same air superiority made it possible to harass any German units found in the open.

The Allies were now ashore, and the panzer divisions would never be able to dislodge them. However, the fighting that was to come in the days and months following the landing would be intense.

This completes our tour of the significant D-Day landing sites. While these sites are the major tourist attractions in this part of Normandy, there are many other non-military related attractions in the area.

And let us not forget that these are BEACHES! Wind surfing, paragliding, fishing and resorts abound.

There are weekly markets in the area:

Bernières-sur-Mer: Wednesday morning at Place de l’Église Marché de la Plage and Saturday morning all year at Rue Victor Tesnière.

Courseulles-sur-Mer: Thursday and Friday morning at Place du Marché/Rue de la Mer and Sunday morning in July and August on the docks.

Douvres-la-Délivrande: Marché des Saveurs is on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Place Lelièvre (city centre). Marché Saint-Rémi is on Saturday morning at Près de l’Église Saint-Rémi.

Langrune-sur-Mer: Friday morning all year and Monday morning during high season at Avenue de la Libération on the Place du Marché.

Luc-sur-Mer: Saturday morning all year. Wednesday and Saturday morning during high season at the Boulevard de la République.

Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer: Sunday morning all year, Thursday mornings in July and August at the Place de la Gare.

 TOURS

There are a plethora of tour companies in the area, and if you cannot drive yourself or want more support, an internet search will offer you many options.

Other Sites in Normandy

Honfleur is a quaint enclosed port town and worth a visit. It was not bombed in WWII, so it is quite well preserved. The town has a long maritime history, enjoying its location where the Seine River meets the English Channel. It is from here that Samuel de Champlain sailed from in 1608 to North America when he came upon the St. Lawrence River and founded Quebec City. The town has been popular with artists as well, and Impressionists such as Eugène Boudin and Claude Monet painted scenes from the area.

The top sites in Honfleur are:

Église Sainte-Catherine:This church replaced an early church destroyed in the Hundred Year’s War. This is the largest wooden church in France and  is half-timbered inside and out. It features twin naves, tall oak pillars, and a ceiling intended to look like the hull of a ship. Strangely, the bell tower for this church is not part of the main church but located  across the square instead. Map Rank 6

Le Vieux Bassin: The old harbour is lined with shops and houses and is full of pretty boats. It is still possible to see the small Honfleur fishing fleet setting out in the early morning, and of course you can take advantage of fresh catch in local eateries. Map Rank 7

Greniers à Sel: In the late sixteenth century, salt for preserving fish was an essential commodity, so three large salt stores were constructed in the main street. Two of these remain today, and the buildings are now used for exhibitions and concerts. Map Rank 6

 ROUEN

Rouen is an ancient city that mixes Gothic architecture, half-timbered houses, impressive churches and modern vivacity. During its two-thousand-year history, Rouen was a regional capital during Roman times, and for a long time the second largest city in France after Paris. For centuries, Rouen had the last bridge across the Siene before the Atlantic Ocean and, as such, was a centre of trade and commerce, particularly the wool trade. Its focal point is the Place du Vieux Marché (Old Market) where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. Not surprisingly, the market square features a church built to honour the Maid of Orleans, as well as several attractive buildings.

Half of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing in WWII, but the historic core survived and is an enjoyable area to stroll.

The jewel of central Rouen is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen. Map This majestic cathedral took four hundred years to construct, and it alone is worth the visit to Rouen. The façade is simply amazing and has captured the attention of artists forever. In fact, Monet painted canvases of the west façade thirty times in two years to capture it in different weather conditions and lighting. If you look around the exterior of the cathedral, you can see bomb damage left from WWII. Rank 10

 Le Gros-Horloge, is a Gothic belfry housing an ornate clock face and the city bells. Visitors can climb up inside for a great view of the city. Map Rank 8

 BAYEUX

Bayeux is a charming cathedral town known the world over for its famous tapestry.

Only six miles from the D-Day beaches, it was the first city liberated after the landings. Incredibly, the town was spared the bombs of WWII thanks in part to a local chaplain who made sure that Allied Bomber Command knew it was not a German headquarters and therefore of no strategic importance.

La Cathédrale de Bayeux dates to the days of William the Conqueror (consecrated in 1077). Much altered since then, it is now a combination of Romanesque style in the eleventh-century crypt and Gothic style in the thirteenth-century nave. It was also the home of the Bayeux Tapestry from the eleventh to eighteenth centuries. Map Rank 7

 Speaking of the Bayeaux Tapestry, it is now kept in the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux. The Bayeux Tapestry is not actually a tapestry at all, but an embroidered seventy-metre-long strip of linen. It is an outstanding work of art that tells the story of the Norman conquest of England in 1066 in a series of about fifty scenes. It is clearly one of the most important documents of European history. Peak season crowds to see it can be huge. Rank 9

The Musée Baron Gerard (also known as the Musée d’art et d’histoire Baron Gérard or MAHB) is housed in the bishop’s palace beneath the cathedral and displays a fine collection of Bayeux porcelain and lace, plus ceramics from Rouen, vintage pharmaceutical jars, 16th- to 19th-century furniture and paintings by local artists. Take note of the magnificent plane tree out front—dubbed the Tree of Liberty, it was planted in 1797 Map Baron Gerard Rank 6

 Jardin Public de Bayeux Map - Once a centre for horticultural teaching, Jardin Public de Bayeux today serves as one of the city's principal green spaces with an array of historical flora. Visit the garden, founded in 1859, and explore its 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) of lush greenery, including four hundred varieties of trees including a weeping European beech that was named a national monument (1932) and a “remarkable tree of France” (2000). It is open daily without charge. Rank 8

Église Saint-Patrice de Bayeux is a patchwork of constructions from the 12th to 19th centuries.Map Rank 6  

ÉTRETAT

The former fishing village and popular nineteenth-century seaside resort of Étretat is quite possibly one of France’s most fetching coastal towns.Map Located on the Alabaster Coast, the nearby white cliff formations are marvellous. The town is full of charm and great for exploring and shopping. The pebble beach is a perfect spot for a little picnic with delicacies from the wooden covered market. The cliff tops are fantastic spots for walkers or golfers to enjoy the view. Curving along the beach is a restaurant-lined esplanade that is delightful for a dusk stroll. At La Falaise d'Amont Map and Falaise d'Aval Map cliffs have been hollowed out by the sea to form dramatic arches. La Falaise d’Amont’s natural archway has been likened to an elephant dipping its trunk into the water, and when the tide is out you can walk along the beach almost to the foot of the arch. From the clifftop of Falaise d’Aval, you can admire the aiguille (needle) of rock coming up out of the water. Nearby, you can enjoy sweeping views out to sea at Notre-Dame de la Garde. Map

GIVERNY

Giverny is famous for Monet’s house and gardens including the water-lily pond featured in his beautiful works of art. An hour from Paris, this is an essential stop for art lovers, particularly in May and June when the rhododendrons flower around the lily pond and the wisteria hang over the Japanese bridge.  . At the wonderful Musée des Impressionnismes, you can learn about Impressionism and post-Impressionism. Map Rank 9

The hills around Giverny filled with poppies, daisies, and wildflowers.

 LE HAVRE

Founded in 1517 to replace the silted-up ports of Honfleur, Harfleur, and Caudebec, Le Havre is now the second largest port in France Map. As most of the city was destroyed by Allied bombings in WWII, there is not much of the historic architecture left. The city was rebuilt after the war and is considered an outstanding example of urban planning and architecture and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Le Harve has a reputation as being boring, but there are a few worthwhile attractions here. The Musée d’art moderne André Malraux is a clever building that is made from glass and metal that offers views of the port through a concrete sculpture known as “The Eye.” The collection spans five centuries of art history and is home to France’s second-largest collection of Impressionist paintings. .Map Rank 7

Rising high over the town, the spire of Églis Saint-Joseph is hard to miss and has long been used as a lighthouse to navigate into the harbour safely. Although the exterior is unadorned, the interior is brilliantly lit through thousands of stained-glass windows.Map Rank 7

 MONT ST. MICHEL

Mont Ste Michel

The monumental Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey is one of the best known and most visited sites in Normandy—about three million visitors per year. This striking Gothic abbey is visible from all around the bay and seems to erupt from the sea. The Grande Rue runs through the fortified Porte du Roy and winds steeply uphill with its portcullis still visible. This narrow-cobbled street was the original route used by pilgrims in the twelfth century and is still the route visitors use today. It is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants, but if you ignore the visual noise you can still spot hidden gems if you look up at the details of the buildings around you. The ramparts were built to repel the English during the Hundred Years’ War, and the abbot’s soldiers also lived in the Tour de l’Arcade. There are lovely views of the bay from the ramparts.. Map