D-DAY
BATTLEFIELD NORMANDY
Tour the beaches

There is a complete index at the bottom of this page.

(Click for Dutch version)

Uncertain and full of fear to a hazy horizon

'OPERATION OVERLORD'

The next pages are a tribute to the men and women
from all countries that gave their life for a fragile peace.

On Thuesday, June 6th, 1944 the Allied troops stormed the Normandy beaches to free Europe from the German occupation. Today a little has changed, especially in the American sector. But in the east, at the British and Canadian landing beaches is enough to find to bring you back to the horrors that took place in Normandy. On the coming pages you'll find a couple of routes that lead you along the beaches and that will bring you to the most important places, such as 'Pegasus Bridge' and then onwards to the British and Canadian sectors. Meanwhile we visit some museums (such as in and around Bayeux). We continue the route further to OMAHA Beach, UTAH Beach and the places to brings it all together; the wargraves. On this page (below) you'll find information on the airborne divisions, landing craft, gliders, blockhouses and bunkers and other obstacles to hinder the landing and the tools to clear these, such as Hobart's 'Funny's'. But also on other vehicles and the movie 'The Longest Day'. 'OK,...let's go,...'

You may start the tour at:
(click on the picture)

The most famous bridge in the whole of Normandy

Then further on through the eastern sector:

To the British/Canadian landingbeaches where we also pay a visit
to the decaying remnants of the 'Mulberry' harbour.

Meanwhile we visit some important museums,
such as in and around:


Next stop are the American sectors:


For what was needed to make the landing in Normandy a succes , have a look at:


Below you'll find a complete index
of the pages on the 'Battlefield Normandy'

Up-dated, July 2012

D-DAY:

  • Pegasus Bridge and the Batterie of Merville
  • The British and Canadian Sector: Ouistreham and Douvre, 'Sword' and Juno Beach (Up-date)
  • More on the British and Canadian Sectors: Arromanches, 'Juno' and 'Gold'
  • Bayeux, Port-en-Bessin, Batterie de Longues
  • OMAHA Beach, Colleville-sur-Mer and the American National Cemetery
  • Continue OMAHA Beach, Vierville-sur-Mer
  • Pointe du Hoc, Grandcamp-Maisy and La Cambe
  • Extra info on the new found bunker site Wn 83, and more objects (new)
  • UTAH Beach, Carentan and surroundings
  • Continue UTAH Beach, Ste-Mère-Eglise
  • The forgotten beach, the bay of the Seine river, Mont Canisy

    EXTRA & DETAILS:

  • The German defense of Omaha Beach (new)
  • The American landing at Omaha Beach (new)
  • Landingcraft; LST, LCT and LCI
  • Landingcraft; LCA, LCVP and the LCM
  • Landingcraft and amphibian vehicles DUKW and LVT
  • Hobart's Funnies, The Bailey bridge and the ALG
  • Obstacles to slow down the Allied invasion
  • Bunkers and Casemats
  • 20 Canadians murdered at the Abbaye d'Ardenne
  • Graignes and the 82nd Airborne Division
  • The cold statistics (new)
  • Questions and answers; Names, Footnotes, Abbreviations, etc.

    BREAKOUT OF NORMANDY:

  • Breakout to Carentan and Cherbourg
  • Towards Villers-Bocage (Wittmann) (new)
  • Short bio of Michael Wittmann (new)
  • Saint-Lo, Operation Cobra, Avranches
  • The 'Falaise Pocket'
  • Hawker Typhoon, the fighterbomber
  • A tour in the 'Falaise Pocket'

    THE PARATROOPER:

  • The Airborne Paratrooper, the history
  • 6th Airborne Divison, 'Pegasus'
  • 82nd Airborne Division, 'All American'
  • 101st Airborne Divison, 'Screaming Eagles'
  • The 'stencils' on the helmet of the 101st Airborne Division
  • Allied attack gliders

    THE MOVIE:

  • 'The Longest Day', the movie (updated, four pages!)

    ALLIED VEHICLES:

  • M3 and M5 Stuart tank (updated)
  • M4 Sherman tank (new, with four pages)
  • M7 Priest & Sexton (new)
  • M10 Wolverine and Achilles
  • M36 Jackson
  • Churchill tank
  • 'Special' Churchill's
  • The 88mm Flak

    THE AMERICAN CEMETERY AT MARGRATEN:

  • Margraten, an introduction
  • 'The Best Soil is Not Good Enough'
  • Medal of Honors: James Jr., Peters en Wetzel
  • Medal of Honors: Peterson, Will en Cole

    (More to follow)

    UNDER CONSTRUCTION

    For extra tips, links and a thanks to some people en sources, click 'HERE'.

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