Because of the highly intricate Allied deception

plans, Hitler and his staff believed that the

Allies would be attacking at the Pas-de-Calais.
In the early morning of June 6, thousands of
Allied paratroopers landed behind enemy lines, Interesting
securing key roads and bridges on the flanks of
the invasion area. As the sun rose on the
Normandy coastline, the Allies began their
Information
amphibious landings, traveling to the beaches
in small landing craft lowered from the decks of
regarding Schools
larger ships anchored in the Channel. The
attack on four of the beaches went according to
visiting the Area
plan. But at Omaha Beach (see large map),
between Utah and Gold, the bravery and
determination of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division
was tested in one of the fiercest battles of the
war.

D-Day
The selection of a site for the largest
Surrounded at both ends by cliffs that rose wall-
like from the sea, Omaha was only four miles
amphibious landing in history was one of long. To repel the Allies at the water’s edge, the Caen Memorial
A brief History
the biggest decisions of World War II. Germans built a fortress atop the cliffs at Pointe
Allied planners needed a sheltered The Caen Memorial is a stark rectangular structure
du Hoc overlooking Omaha from the west.
location with flat, firm beaches and within They dug trenches and guns into the 150-foot located 10 minutes from the Pegasus Bridge and 15
range of friendly fighter planes based in minutes from the D-Day beaches.Inside, the main
bluffs lining the beach and along five ravines
England. Most important was a reasonable leading off it. As Allied troops waded into the exhibits include: spectacular video presentations of D-
expectation of achieving the element of Day or Jour J (showing the events from Allied and
surf, many were cut down as the doors of their
surprise. Five beaches, code-named Utah, landing craft opened. The survivors had to cross German perspectives on a split-screen); models of
Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, on the bunkers, battleships and battlefields; artifacts from the
more than 300 yards across a tidal flat strewn
northern coast of Normandy, France, met with man-made obstacles. Winds and currents French Resistance; and a tribute to the Holocaust.
all the criteria and were chosen as invasion pushed landing craft into clumps as the men Bayeux
sites. moved ashore. As a result, soldiers ran onto the
beach in groups and became easy targets. Of The famous Bayeux Tapestry is situated within the
On the evening of June 5, 1944, more than the more than 9,000 Allied casualties on D-Day, Cathedral Notre-Dame; outstanding with rounded arches
150,000 men, a fleet of 5,000 ships and Omaha accounted for about one-third. Allied decorated with Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon designs.
landing craft, 50,000 vehicles, and 11,000 planners had hoped that the forces at Omaha Places to see must be The Musée Mémorial de la Bataille
planes sat in southern England, poised to would advance 5 to 10 miles after 24 hours of de Normandie 1944, Musée Diocésain d'Art Religieux.  
attack secretly across the English Channel fighting. Stiff German resistance, however, Bayeux is a pretty town with cobbled streets and historic
along the Normandy coast of France. This stopped the invaders cold on the beach. houses, abundant cafés and restaurants.  Just outside
force was the largest armada in history Progress inland was excruciatingly slow and you could also visit Arromanches-les-Bains, A mulberry
and represented years of training, painful. The Allied forces reached their first day Harbour made in England and floated across the Channel
planning, and supplying. goal (dotted blue line on the large map) only - at Arromanches there is a superb 360-degree cinema
after more than two days of bloody fighting. depicting the events.
Although many died, the Allies eventually took
control of the beach and fought their way
inland.
dicated to the archangel St Michael, and the village that grew up in the shadow of its great walls. Built between the 11th and 16th centuries, the abbey is a technical and artistic tour de force, having had to adapt to the problems pos

own is characterized by its jetties and inner harbours. In the past, famous painters such as Seurat have sought to capture the very special atmosphere which reigns over this port town. Visit the D-Day wreckages museum

TheBeaches
The Beaches From Sword to Utah

Sword Utah

The easternmost beach of the five landing areas of the Normandy he westernmost beach of the five landing areas of the
Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted on June 6, 1944 (D-Day of Normandy Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted on June 6,
the invasion), by units of the British 3rd Division, with French and 1944 (D-Day of the invasion), by elements of the U.S. 4th
British commandos attached. Shortly after midnight on D-Day Infantry Division and was taken with relatively few casualties.
morning, elements of the 6th Airborne Division, in a daring glider- In the predawn hours of D-Day, units of the 82nd and 101st
borne assault, seized bridges inland from the beach and also airborne divisions were airdropped inland from the landing
silenced artillery pieces that threatened the seaborne landing beach. They suffered many casualties from drowning and
forces. enemy fire but succeeded in their aim of isolating the seaborne
invasion force from defending German units.
Juno
Ohama
The second beach from the east among the five landing areas of the
Normandy Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted on June 6, 1944 second beach from the west among the five landing areas of
(D-Day of the invasion), by units of the Canadian 3rd Infantry the Normandy Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted on
Division, who took heavy casualties in the first wave but by the end June 6, 1944 (D-Day of the invasion), by units of the U.S. 29th
of the day succeeded in wresting control of the area from defending and 1st infantry divisions, many of whose soldiers were
German troops drowned during the approach from ships offshore or were
killed by defending fire from German troops placed on heights
Gold
surrounding the beach.
the centre beach of the five designated landing areas of the
Normandy Invasion of World War II. It was assaulted and taken from
defending German troops on June 6, 1944 (D-Day of the invasion),
by units of the British 50th Infantry Division.