NORMANDY 

Normandy - Pointe du Hoc

Memorial sites
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D-Day beaches and War Memorial

Ste-Mere-Eglise

 Caen-Musée pour le Paix

 Pegasus Bridge
Benouville
Ranville

Continuing along the D 514 we arrive at one of the most beautiful natural sites of the coast of Normandy, a steep cliff, 35 meters high at certain spots, constantly under high speed winds, LA POINTE DU HOC. Heavy fighting took place here and the grounds remains emphatically pockmarked with bomb craters.
It was chosen by the Germans to settle heavy artillery, powerful canons that controlled Omaha beach and particularly well guarded. During three days Germans and American Rangers fought bitterly for its conquest. Let’s consider it as one of the most glorious and famous moments of the history of D-Day and the deliverance of Europe, starting the decay and fall of the barbarism of the Nazi regime.
The training for this landing exploit happened on a cliff site looking more less as the Pointe du Hoc but in England. 225 American rangers simulated the attacks, during several weeks, carrying all special equipment: throw-grapnels, folding scales and knotted ropes. But on June 6everything went wrong and surely nothing what they were trained for. Smog, then a navigation error obliged the troops to pass just in front of the enemy! Finally the men get foot on land and 5 min later the first ranger was at the top of the cliff. The others are knocked down on the pebbles by the intense fire of the German garrison. But the most difficult is still to accomplish: dislodge the enemy retreated in the reinforced concrete casemates which was done after 2 days of heavy combats. Once their mission accomplished, the rangers have only 90 valid men left!

Rommel at Pointe du Hoc

 The ruined bunkers have been left much as they were after US 2nd Rangersstormed the cliff to destroy a six-gun battery positioned there.
The site today is a perpetual concession owned by the U.S.A. and remained intact. A monument dedicated to the Rangers, battlefields where ruined and destroyed bunkers are mingling with shell craters, barbed wire, rocks, weeds and concrete peppered with bullets. A few bunkers, which remained intact, can be visited, as the main shooting headquarters. Superb panorama.
THE RANGERS MUSEUM at quai Crampon (facing the beach), at Grandcamp-Maisy tel 0231923351 open from April to November, every day except on Monday commemorates their achievement.
Explanation panels retrace the event. At the upper floor, a small-scale model of the Pointe du Hoc, showing the assault. Every 20 min, a documentary movie.
You can have a PROMENADE SUR LE SENTIER DU LITTORAL, a walk on the seaside path. Well indicated by arrows from the boardwalk of Grandcamp. In less than an hour you can walk to the Pointe du Hoc along the seashore.

Bibliography

A holiday history of France, by Ronald Hamilton (London-Hogarth press), Region Normandie, ses merveilles, ses cicatrices, by Louis Letellier (ed. Cloison, Rouen 1995), Holt’s battle field guides, Normandy Overlord by Holt, Tonie and Valmai (Sandwich, Kent), Routard 1998 (Hachette, Paris), La France des petits chemins: Normandie, by J. de la Valléé (ed. Cité presse, Paris 1998), Six armies in Normandy, by John Keegan, (paperback ed. Pimlico)- La Journée fut longue, by Patrick Dewaere (ed.Robin, Paris 1988)

Ouistreham

Arromanches artificial port

 Bayeux war memorials

 Omaha beach

Ponte du Hoc
     
 
Utah Beach