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| source: Army Signal Corps Collection, U.S. National Archives |
During our trip to France, we spent almost an entire day driving along the Normandy coast to see important sites from the D-Day landing on June 6, 1944. We started out in Bayeaux, east of most of the landing areas, so we worked out way west. Here's a map of our tour:
Our first stop was Arromanches, where the Allies built a false harbor by floating concrete and steel barriers across the English channel. We could see part of the harbor still intact in the distance, and pieces had also washed up on the beach. The story behind the harbor's design and construction is really fascinating, and explained well
here.
Next, we drove to the tiny town of Longues-sur-Mer to see the Germany battery. It consists of 4 big guns protected by casemates (thick concrete 'caves') and set back about half a kilometer from the beach, with a sighting post on a cliff overlooking the water to send directions to the gunners.
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| beautiful poppy and goldenrod fields were all along the coast |
After picking up a baguette, Camembert, and Calvados in Port-en-Bessin, we drove further up the coast to Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. The first memorial is where 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions attacked and where the bloodiest fighting occurred.
The landing site is lovely beach in its own right, the kind of place that would be packed with families back in the US. Wide beaches and gently sloping hills (rather than cliffs) made this spot ideal for staging the landing. After reading the map, though, we realized that this area probably looked very different 70 years ago.
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| remains of German fortifications on the hill--most of the trenches have been erased by the sea |
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view from the beach, with some landmarks for scale
(approx.) distances measured from the hump of grass in the foreground
there's about 300 yards of sandy beach behind this point |
On a hill overlooking the beach, we wandered through the American cemetery. With white headstones as far as you can see, it feels a lot like the Arlington National Cemetery--our minds can actually begin to understand how many people died serving their country. The difference between this cemetery and the national cemetery, though, is that the dates of death on these graves occur within a span of only a few months.
The cemetery includes a really neat memorial with maps showing the operation in full, as well as a chapel with a beautiful mural on the ceiling. While we were there, we realized that most of the people visiting the cemetery had not fought there--most of the soldiers who fought in the war are now either dead or in their late 90s. For something that so prominent in our history, it seems strange that it was so long ago. I'm very glad that the Library of Congress is dedicated to
preserving veterans' stories.
Last, we stopped at Pont du Hoc, where Army Rangers scaled the cliffs to dismantle huge German gun emplacements at the top. The story behind it reveals a lot about the determination and bravery of the troops, but the sad ending is that the guns had been moved several days prior to the attack. This area includes a huge number of guns, though, so it was clear why this point was deemed so important. Here we saw the most evidence of Allied bombs, with 10-20 foot deep craters pocking the entire area.
We have been inside bunkers in the US, but almost none of them were ever attacked. Walking through the bunkers at Pont du Hoc, we realized that men had died in these damp rooms, the charring on the ceiling a reminder of the flamethrowers that were used to clear bunkers of German soldiers.
We (especially J) had read about and seen videos and movies about D-Day, but it was really a life experience to visit in person. Being in the places we had heard so much about really brought history to life, and it was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
P.S. This has been somewhat of a somber post, but next up on the trip is our visit to the romantic Mont St. Michel and the outrageous chateaus in the Loire Valley. More soon!
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