At the heart of world destiny, June 6, 1944
Americans, British, Canadians, no less than twelve nationalities, or more than 150 men, took part in Operation Neptune deployed on the beaches of Cotentin and Calvados. After four years of occupation, this much-hoped-for D-Day would mark the start of the Battle of Normandy and put an end, after tough fighting, to the Second World War.
At dawn on June 6, 1944, American troops landed on the Normandy coast to liberate France from German occupation. By landing, the Allies had a clear objective: to seize the deep-water port of Cherbourg, in order to quickly intensify the landings of men and materials.
This operation, called “Overlord”, remains to this day the most gigantic in History.
For several weeks, Hitler himself has been expecting this Landing but… not here! He is convinced that everything will be played out north of the Seine, at the narrowest point of the Channel, and that he will be able to easily put the Allies out of the game, and thus devote himself to the other end of Europe, to crush the Red Army…
Certainly, impressive fortifications dot the entire coastline. The Cotentin hinterland was even flooded by the Germans from January 1944 and protected against possible landings by stakes, trenches and mines.
But, due to this poor forecast from their staff at the landing site, the German forces based in Manche and Calvados were in fact neither the most numerous nor the most alert.
In addition, the bad weather during the first days of June seemed to rule out any attempt at landing. So much so that the German commander, Marshal Rommel, took the liberty of a car trip to Germany to celebrate... his wife's birthday. The party will be short-lived. The weather will suddenly become milder again during the night of June 5 to 6.
Warned of this lull on June 5 at 4:15 a.m., General Eisenhower took a few minutes of reflection and decided to initiate the Overlord assault. It was then that a gigantic airborne operation began. On June 6, 3 divisions of paratroopers were dropped behind the German lines to clear Utah Beach and take Sainte-Mère-Église.
Some of them fell by mistake into the heart of the village where they were machine-gunned by the Germans. More generally, due in particular to the wind, many gliders and parachutists land quite far from their objectives. But this involuntary disorder also favored the disorganization of the German garrisons.
Finally, at 6:30 a.m., five divisions began to land on the five beaches that would mark history. From west to east: Utah and Omaha Beach, Gold, Juno and Sword.
The men try as best they can to progress on these beaches watered by the incessant fire of the Germans perched on top of the blockhouses, themselves shelled by the Allied battleships facing them offshore. German resistance was particularly tough in Omaha.
But at the end of this “longest day”, the Allies managed to set foot on French soil. From there, they will succeed in establishing a bridgehead on the coast and deploy all the logistics necessary for the victorious offensive which will liberate Europe.
Still, the toll is terrible: these heroic actions cost the lives of 10 Allied soldiers, while the massive bombings caused the deaths of nearly 000 civilians.
01
Utah beach
By sea, Utah Beach (code name given by the Allies to Madeleine Beach, in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont) was chosen to land 25 men, 000 combat vehicles and more than 1 tons of material.
On June 6, 1944, at precisely 6:30 a.m., after a long stormy crossing caused by the storm that raged in the Channel Sea for three days, the first warships reached Utah Beach.
02
THE LANDING MUSEUM, UTAH BEACH-SAINTE-MARIE-DU-MONT
Located on Utah Beach where American troops landed, the museum presents, through an educational tour, numerous testimonies and objects illustrating D-Day, including an authentic B26 Marauder bomber. Thanks to the Utah Inside application, the museum visit is offered in 9 languages and allows access to a space never before visited for a unique showcase of the collections in Europe.
03
SAINTE-MÈRE-EGLISE
The regiments of the 82nd Airborne commanded by General Ridgway and the 101st Airborne of General Taylor were parachuted successively between Sainte-Mère-Eglise and Carentan with the aim of liberating the Cotentin as far as Cherbourg, to make the junction with Omaha Beach, on the coasts of Calvados.
Sainte Mère Eglise was released quickly in the morning. At a place called La Fière, the 82nd Division captured the Merderet bridge after a fierce 4-day battle repelling several counterattacks.
04
The Fière bridge
The Fière Bridge was a vital point for Allied liberation plans. It is here that after the Landing, the troops were to begin their march towards the west to cut the Cotentin peninsula in two and retake Cherbourg. At the very end of the afternoon, on June 6, the Germans attacked the bridge, but despite their armored vehicles, they came up against the American defenses. Led by Lieutenant Dolan, the 1st battalion of the 505th of the 82nd division suffered the blows but ultimately retained the building, essential for the future.
05
AIRBORNE MUSEUM
Near the village church of Sainte-Mère Eglise, the Airborne Museum retraces the events of June 6, 1944 for American paratroopers. Enter history with “Operation Neptune” and experience the day of June 6 in total immersion on the heights of Sainte-Mère-Eglise with the 82nd and 101st American airborne divisions.
06
Carentan
During the liberation, Carentan was the scene of a deadly battle led by the 101st Airborne. On June 12, after 6 days of intense fighting, a bayonet charge ordered by Lieutenant-Colonel Cole avoided the bombardment of the city. Carentan, located in the heart of the flooded marshes, was crucial in forming a united front between Utah Beach and Omaha Beach.
07
NORMANDY VICTORY MUSEUM
This museum offers a tour of 27 very realistic scenes on the theme of the battle of the hedges which extends chronologically from the occupation to Operation Cobra. Many authentic historical objects and vehicles. A museum to see with the family where you are allowed to handle certain elements.
08
The Atlantic Wall
Saint-Marcouf, Crisbecq, Azeville, Morsalines or even Néville-sur-mer. These coastal towns have in common the fact that they house the remains of German batteries on their territory, some of which were the subject of decisive battles during the Second World War. They can be the subject of a circuit in their own right.
09
The Azzeville Battery
It is one of the first constructions of the Atlantic Wall in France. Equipped with four powerful casemates equipped with Schneider cannons, it covered part of the Manche coastline from inland. The 350 meters of underground passages can be visited independently thanks to an audio-guided tour.
10
The Crisbecq battery
Also called the Saint-Marcouf battery, it was the first to open fire during Operation Overlord, thus marking, at exactly 5:52 a.m., the start of the landing of allied forces on the Normandy coast.
11
The Liberation Museum
A tactile panorama from the Fort du Roule in Cherbourg
The museum, located in Fort du Roule, located at the top of the Roule mountain, with a unique point of view over Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, its ports and its harbor, offers a new multimedia device: “Cherbourg 1944-1945, Harbor of Liberty.
Using a tablet, you will discover the liberation of the city from the German yoke and the reconstruction of the port of Cherbourg.
12
Cherbourg
After the landing on the east coast of Cotentin, the first objective of the Allies was the liberation of Cherbourg, a strategic deep-water port. The latter was also the largest port in the world for transporting shipments of equipment from England and the United States to the troops fighting for the liberation of France.
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Listen to the interview with Pierre Simon in podcast who talks about this crucial period in Cotentin and his attachment to the territory.
D-day museums
World War II Museum
D-Day Experience
Musée de la Libération
Batterie de Crisbecq
Batterie d’Azeville
Hangar à Dirigeables
The online media Epicurieux hosted by Jamy Gourmaud (former host of “C’est pas Sorcerer”) and Bruno Maltor from the blog Vous Tour du Monde in partnership with Normandie Tourisme followed in the footsteps of the landing and the Battle of Normandy which marked the landscapes and inhabitants of Normandy.