This tour brings you to Utah Beach. Along the way, you visit Carentan and Ste-Mère-Eglise. From Bayeux it's only a 30 minutes drive on the N 13. Leave the highway and head for the town of Carentan. You can stop at the monument near the townhall.

The Battle for Carentan

Only through a small corridor, from the north, the 101st Airborne Divison was able to attack Carentan. Their German counterparts were para's of the 6th Regiment. The bloody battles that were fought on close range to gain ground were fruitless. The American artillery started their first barrage of fire on Carentan on June the 7th. For three days shell's rained on the town. June 10 saw the heaviest shelling when, whitin 24 hours, 6000 shells hit Carentan. A new attack was undertaken the next day, which resulted in more casualties. But the German para's under command of Von der Heydte kept their positions. In the afternoon the town was bombarded with fosphorgrenates. Because of the fires that broke out, several civilians came out of their cellars to flee their town. The American's thought that Carentan was evacuated. With minutes to spare, they could call of the bombers that were on their way to level Carentan. That same night the German para's left the town. On 12 June, 1944 Carentan was cleared of the last resistance and called liberated. The next day the German's returned with units of a Panzer Division. The attack on Carentan drove the American paratrooper's back to the center of the town. But the attack was countered when American tanks showed up from Omaha Beach. To get Carentan and get hold of this important crossroad came at a great price, almost half of the 101st Airborne was lost.

Continue the route to the north and head for St. Côme-du Mont. After a mile you see in front of you a recently opened museum, 'Dead Man's Corner'. Because you are in the sector of the 101st Airborne Division landing zone, this museum is dedicated to these paratrooper's. For more on the dropping in this area see also 101st Airborne Division and on one of the pages on the cemetery of Margraten were the attack of Colonel Robert Cole is to be found.

As told before, the main target for the 101st was Carentan. The German defence was strong and the paratrooper's waited for support from tanks. According to the book 'Currahee' of Donald R. Burgett, who witness the whole affair; the first one that rumbled in for help came by the D 913, the only secure road from Exit 2, Utah Beach. It was an M5 Stuart. It hid behind the bocage and strolled up and down to give the impression that there was more than one tank. When it ran out of ammo it returned to the road to get back for new. Here it was hit by a shell from an 88mm. The crew died instantly and for days the commander hung out of the turret. To the American troops, this divided road became known as 'Dead Man's Corner'.

The paratrooper-museum. is an ongoing project and will be, according the owners, completed in 2007. The museum is located in a historic building. The German's used it as a headquarter and later as a first aid station. The interior is a very dramatic setting and feels if you are wandering through a giant plane. The 'sets' are of great workmanship. The items on show are neatly arranged and labeled in French and English. There are some original things that belonged to Major Dick Winters of 'Band of Brothers' TV-series fame. In the back of the museum is a large room with authentic wartime memorabilia.

Angoville-au-Plain

Leaving Carentan and heading for St-Marie du-Mont, you pass the village of Angoville-au-Plain. It’s located between St-Côme-du-Mont and Vierville on the D 913. Central in this small village is the little church. It was smack-dab in the middle of DZ-D, the most southern drop-zone of the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 501st PIR. Of the 101st Airbornes Division. The first 48 hours after the jump there was heavy fighting between the paratroopers and the German Fallshirmjäger.

In the 2nd Battalion were two medics active, Robert E. Wright en Kenneth J. Moore who used this church as first aid post. Days on end they had their own battle to save the lives of countless troopers and civilians. Three paratroopers died in the church. On a bench at the back of the church the blood of one of these unfortunate ones can still be found,… a grim reminder of a precious life that was lost here. The battle raged around the church and at one point Germans entered the church. But after a fast check they left it again. Wright en Moore welcomed everyone, as long they left their weapons outside. The church, one of the eldest in the surroundings was damaged during the battle and all the medieval windows were broken. Only in 2004 the restoration was commenced when enough money was collected. Two glass-in-lead windows are dedicated to the paratroopers, among one especially for the medics Wright en Moore.

To Ste-Marie-du-Mont

Head for St. Côme-du-Mont on the D 270 and go straight for Houesville, turn right towards La Croix-Pan (go underneath the N 13). Take the D 129. After a kilometer you find on a divided crossing the memorial for General Pratt, the first killed General on D-Day. More details on 101st Airborne Division. On this crossing, take the right lane and head for Hiesville and Vierville. Just as you leave Hiesville, you come across a large farm on the lefthand side. This is the place where the succesor of General Pratt, General Taylor, stayed for a week. To remember this a plaque is to be found on the right entrancecolumn.
After Vierville, make a left turn towards Ste-Marie-du-Mont, on the D 913.

The 101st consisted of 8451 men, but they were scattered during the jump over a large area. In the first hours there was coherend consilidation. Small groups fought with German's. In this sector fought the 506th PIR of the 101st Airborne Division (later made famous in the TV-series 'Band of Brothers').

Ste-Marie-du-Mont, Then and Now

The church in St-Marie-du-Mont had new glas installed after the war and the tower was restored. The town has little changed in 60 years. Many buildings and houses have a plaque with information to tell their history during the occupation and D-Day. Near the church is a surplusshop, ´La Boutique du Holdy´, with authentic wartime material from June 1944, opening hours vary, but at the end of the afternoon it is mostely open. Leave Ste-Marie-du-Mont eastwards to the coast on the D 913. This road is known as ´Exit 2´ (Exit 1 was at Pouppeville

JUNE 6, 1944, 06.30 HOURS OBJECT: UTAH BEACH

Just before you reach the museum on ´Exit 2´, there is a left-hand lane towards La Madelèine, where it is possible to visit a small chapel. This was ones the place where one of the first services after the landings was held by the Americans. After this visit head for the area with the museum on Utah Beach.

THE UTAH BEACH MUSEUM:

The museum is built around a former German bunker. It is worth the visit, even it is dated compared to some other museums. At the entrance to the beach stands a marker '00' (an identical one stands, with its 'zero' number, near the town hall in Ste-Mère-Eglise). Here starts the 4th Division Liberty Highway. It runs all the way through France into Holland. You will see these markers a lot in Normandy with the date and the progress made after D-Day. The restaurant across the road is built around a bunker as well. This one is completely restored and open for visitors (watch your head!).

The restaurant across UTAH Beach Museum, Then and Now

In the early hours of June 6th, 1944, Leutnant Artur Jahnke sent a German patrol out to find out what all the those planes in the sky were doing. An half an hour later the patrol returned and brought to the surprise of Jahnke 17 American prisoners with them! The Germans tried to interrogate the prisoners but the American paratroopers said nothing, and there was no time for further interrogation because the shelling started from the navy ships that lay in the waters of UTAH Beach. The bombardment destroyed the 50 mm, 75 mm and 88 mm guns around the fortifications. German troops that were not killed or wounded were wandering around dazed and confused.

Under the command of General Roosevelt the 4th Division stormed Utah Beach. Because of a small mistake and the tidal current, they landed a couple of kilometers more to the south. This was a fortunate 'mistake' because the defense was at this place very weak. Jahnke and his troops were quickly overrun and taken prisoner. At the end of the day there were already 23.000 man on the beaches and 1700 vehicles debarked.

TAKE THE COASTAL ROAD TO THE NORTH:

The next exit through the dunes from the beach is known as 'EXIT 3'. Around 07.30 hours a part of 502nd PIR (Parachute Infantry Regiment), 101st Airborne Division, under command of the 3rd Battalion lay in ambush at this point. At 09.30 hours a large group of Germans appeared who were retreating from the fighting on the beach. In the fight at this exit 75 Germans lost their lives. Utah Beach was also the sector where General Patton's 3rd Army landed. The dunes here are scattered with bunkers and blockhauses.

Behind Leclerc and his Free French Memorial (a few kilometers up north) you can find two big casemates 250 meters to the south and north (see below). For a comparison picture 'Then and Now' of the southern casemate, click 'here' ).

On the next page the tour continous to the north, to the Batterie of Crisbecq and Azeville and further to Ste-Mère-Eglise. Click on the picture below of a Dodge WC 52 and head that way!