Normandy's D-day Beaches - Haute Normadie, France
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ToRo61
N 49° 23.849 W 000° 59.368
30U E 645877 N 5473586
The Normandy landings (codenamed Operation Neptune) were the landing operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II.
Waymark Code: WMM90X
Location: Normandie, France
Date Posted: 08/13/2014
Views: 36
The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war.
The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France starting at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks.
On the Normandy coast are many places to visit - eg. D-day Museum in Arromanches (
visit link) , a cliff and visitor center in Pointe du Hoc (
visit link) , Ouistreham Grand Bunker Museum (
visit link) , Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer (
visit link) etc. The gallery of this waymark contains a photos from these sites.
The many places and memorials are open to the public, an admission to the museums is usually charged.