5-158th GSAB Staff Ride 2014 MISSION STATEMENT: 5-158th AVN REGT conducts a staff ride to Normandy, France 27-30JAN14 IOT provide professional development for the leaders of the battalion. COMMANDER’S INTENT:
Points of Interest
Purpose: To provide professional development education to the leadership of the battalion, build camaraderie within the unit, and strengthen leadership capabilities as we prepare for future operations. COMMANDER’S ASSESSMENT:
Mont Saint Michel The Battle of the Hedgerows and the Capture of St Lô
Overall, the Staff Ride was truly an honorable operation. The trip provided a unique opportunity for 37 key leaders to personally experience sites pertinent to D-Day, the Normandy Campaign, and WWII. Walking in the shoes of our predecessors in arms, and paying our respects to them has instilled an unmatched level of pride.
Utah Beach Omaha Beach Bayeux Pegasus Bridge. Benouville St. Mere Eglise Liberty Hwy/Milestone 0 Pointe du Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery
SUMMARY: The “Mission Ready” Staff Ride to Normandy, France included visits to various sites related to the Normandy Campaign during WWII. Leaders conducted educational briefings at each site while an assigned local historian reinforced the education with first hand accounts and little known facts. Sites visited included Utah and Omaha Beach (where the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed on D-Day), St. Mere Eglise (the first French town freed by the 82nd), the John Steele Parachute Memorial, and Pointe du Hoc among others. The operation culminated with senior noncommissioned officers of the battalion lowering and folding two U.S. flags at the Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery.
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Mont Saint Michel
Situated in the middle of a bay, the Mont Saint-Michel welcomes nearly three and a half million people every year this includes visitors, pilgrims and tourists. At the entrance of this medieval town is the ancient Burgher’s Guardroom now the Tourist Office. After going through the Boulevard Gate and then the King’s Gate fortified with its portcullis, you will find the « Grande Rue » or main
street wih its museums, shops and houses dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The parish church consecrated to St-Pierre, the patron saint of anglers is a small edifice from the 15th and 16th centuries. Finally, we get to the “Grande Degre” or Grand Staircase whose majesty is a prelude to the “Marvel.” After admiring the Abbey church, you can enjoy the beautiful and matchless view over the bay when going down the ramparts path. The Mount consecrated to StMichel in 708 was one of the first
places of cult for the Archangel Michel with the Gargan’s Mount. The abbey presents a big panorama of the medieval architecture from the XI to the XVI century. The abbey is open every day except the 1st of January, the 1st of may and the 25th of December. - From 2 may to 31 august : 9 am to 7 pm, last admission at 6 pm. - From 1 september to 30 april : 9.30 am to 6 pm, last admission at 5 pm. Self guided tour or one hour guided tour ( with all reserve) Pets are not allowed in the abbey (allowed in the village). Tickets available at the entrance of the abbey only. Booking and information: Tel 02 33 89 80 00 Fax : 02 33 70 83 08 E-mail: abbaye.mont-saintmichel@monuments-nationaux.fr Website: http://mont-saintmichel.monuments-nationaux.fr Facebook:https:// www.facebook.com/pages/Abbaye
-du-Mont-SaintMichel/418468848224288
More Information at: http://whc.unesco.org
The Battle of the Hedgerows and the Capture of St Lô
The US Forces started to push south into the German front lines from Carentan on July 3rd and also started attacks to push forces into the German eastern flank over the River Bridge at Airel, about ten miles (16km) north of St Lô (see Map "XIX Corps west of the Vire 7-10 July 1944"). German’s held front line positions along the river and the US Armored Division assembled before the attacked kicked-off over the vital river bridge at Airel. The bridge was kept open by the
American Combat Engineers despite German efforts to destroy this bottleneck to the US advance route. The village of St Jean de Daye was a crucial crossroads, the tanks were able turn left to start the push south with the US VIII Corps coming down the on the western flank in support. Once this had started, when the right flank had pushed down to the north-western outskirts of the town, and with Hill 192 in American hands and the left flank secure, the 29th Division could finally finish the job that they had waited 3 weeks to doCapture St Lô itself. The town of St Lô in the west of the landing zones was as important to the Americans as the town of Caen was to the Anglo/Canadian Forces in the
east. Both towns were the main crossroad towns into Normandy through which all major roads led. Without these towns and the road, networks they give access to, the Allied Armies were going nowhere. The Germans recognized this and set up most of their armored forces around Caen where the open countryside better suited their armor protection and longer range of their guns. The forces used by the Germans for the defense of St Lô were the 3rd Parachute Division and the 352nd Infantry Division. The German Parachute divisions were the elite infantry units of the German Army, showing the importance the attached to the defense of St Lô. SS units were not used as all the SS formations were ar-
mored and the terrain around the town did not lend itself to armored warfare. Experts in camouflage and trained to operate in small groups or alone, the German Paratroopers used the hedgerow terrain expertly to their advantage and did everything in their power to exact a heavy price from the Americans for every meter of ground captured. More information: http:// www.battleofnormandytours.c om/st-locircthe-battle-of-thehedgerows.html
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Utah Beach Utah Beach was the furthest west of the five beaches designated for the D-Day landings in June 1944. Located at the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, General Dwight Eisenhower added to the original D-Day plan to ensure the early capture of the vital port of Cherbourg, at the north of the peninsula. Eisenhower realized that the Allied advance throughout Western Europe would require vast amounts of equipment and that the only major port that could handle this in the initial stages of the war was at Cherbourg. The target 'Utah Beach' was about three miles wide. Much of it consisted of sandy dunes and the German fortifications here were weak when compared those of Omaha Beach. The land behind the target beach was easily flooded by locks and it is assumed that the Germans believed that the area need not have too much defense as their main defense would be to flood the region when and if the Allies attacked there. There were only four main ways off the beach area and flooding would have severely restricted any form of movement, but especially that of vehicles. The nearest major town for the Allies was Carentan, to the south-west of the beach. Through Carentan ran a main road to the east to Bayeux, which would link the Allies who landed at Utah to the Allies at Omaha and to Gold, Juno and Sword. This same road ran north-west from Carentan to Valognes. Cher-
bourg was only 13 miles from Valognes. The landing at Utah was scheduled for 06.30 and the Allied force came from the US 4th Infantry Division. The plan for Utah included an airborne drop by the US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions at various points two to five miles inland of the beach. Those landing on the beach were to link up with the paratroopers as soon as was possible. The paratroopers dropped primarily to secure the main road from Valognes to Carentan and to cause general chaos as they dropped at night at 01.30. German commanders did not know if they were a decoy to a main attack elsewhere or the primary attack force in the area. For this reason, the Germans did not know what forces to deploy against the 82nd and 101st such chaos and uncertainty was perfect for the Allies and precisely why the paratroopers were dropped. The airborne drop worked well. The sea borne landing did not go to plan – though ironically, a battle against Nature was to be of great value to the Allies. Strong currents meant that the landing craft taken off their intended targets on the
beach. They landed on the beach, but 2000 meters away from their main landing target. Ironically, this was one of the lesser-defended areas along the entire beachfront and the casualties as the Americans came ashore were minimal when compared to Omaha. The most senior American commander on the beach, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt told his men that, “We’ll start the war from here!” and ordered an advance. By midday, the men of the US 4th Infantry had met up with the men from the 101st airborne unit. German opposition was swiftly defeated. By the end of the day, the Americans had advanced about four miles inland and they were about one mile from the 82nd at St. MèreEglise, some six miles north of Carentan. On the first full day of the landing at Utah, 20,000 men had been landed and 1,700 military vehicles. Casualties were less than 300 men. Though the war in the Cotentin Peninsula was not yet over, the achievements at Utah were immense, even if Nature had given a helping hand.
Utah Beach Museum (Musee du Debarquément Utah Beach) stands on the sandy dunes of a beautiful stretch of Normandy coastline. Today it is the place for windsurfers, walkers and people swimming in the clear waters. On June 6, 1944, it was a very different scene. At 10 minutes past midnight, Lieutenant Poole landed on Utah Beach, the first allied soldier to set foot on French soil. It was the start of Operation Overlord. The museum stands on the actual site where the American troops landed. It very effectively tells the story through different sections, starting chronologically with the German defenses and Rommel’s part in the building of the Atlantic Wall defense. The Germans had been here since 1941 and life was hard both for the occupiers, reduced to horsedrawn carriages as they had run out of equipment, and the inhabitants, who lived on the edge of starvation. There is a very good mix of films and objects, and a complete briefing room illustrating the allied strategy and the events of June 6th, 1944. Going to the upper level you get a fabulous view of the dunes. Also on show in a new hangarstyle, building is a huge Martin B-26-G bomber. Practical Information 50480 Sainte Marie du Mont Tel.: 00 33 (0)2 33 71 53 35 Open: Closed January and February More information: http:// www.historylearningsite.co.uk
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Omaha Beach
The US 1st Army, V Corps had the mission of securing the beachhead between Port-en-Bessin and the Vire River and to advance towards St. Lo. It was on this four and a half mile (7km) stretch of sand that the two American Assault Divisions accompanied by two Battalions of US Rangers and ten thousand US Army Combat Engineers landed in the face of withering fire on June 6th, 1944, D-Day. That fire was coming from the German defenders, shooting from their wellprotected positions in concrete bunkers that had been largely untouched by the pre-dawn D-Day bombardment, which had fallen as much as three miles (5km) off target. While the US High Command was considering a halt to further landings on the Omaha Beach altogether, the troops already on the beach, having suffered appalling casualties and their assault plan already in tatters, improvised themselves into ad hoc Combat Groups. By moving off the beach like this and helped by the direct fire of Navy Destroyers and Cruisers brought in to as close as 1000 yards off-shore, these impromptu patrols made their way inland and by midday several inland penetrations had been made. The beach remained a dangerous place until late afternoon when finally all of the heights overlooking the beach were cleared of German defenders and except for the occasional shots from isolated German soldiers missed in the clearing of the German positions; direct fire could no longer be called onto the US Ships and reinforcements landing on the beach. This isolated German fire on the beach remained un-cleared until June 8; however, and at nightfall on June 6 the Omaha Beach Head was by no means secure. Along the whole length of the Omaha invasion beach, the Americans had only pushed inland between one and two miles (1.5 to 3km) from the coast. The cost of this four and a half mile stretch of sand was over three thousand casualties, of whom more than eight hundred paid the ultimate price. The Battle Sites/Sights Come and see Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach where the famed landing Scene of the film “Saving Private Ryan� was set. The barbed wire and beach obstacles are long since removed, the defense ditches and trenches all filled in, but the bunkers built by the Germans are too big to get rid of and the bullet pock marks and shell
holes made in them on D-Day by the assaulting American forces are still there to be seen. This section of the beach on D-Day with the tattered remnants of several different units from the Navy, Rangers, Engineers, and Infantry formed ad hoc Battle Groups. Led principally by Colonel Canham and General Norman Cota of the 29th Division, managed to break through a weak spot in the German defenses at the tops of the bluffs and come down to take the main defenses on the beach from behind, and thus relieving pressure on the assaulting troops. WN 62 On this sector of Omaha Beach, Easy Red Sector, you can see where the battle hardened First Infantry Division suffered some 700 casualties on the beach on D-Day. In amongst the numerous and well preserved bunkers and pillboxes that made up this German defensive position known to the defenders as WN 62, you can see how the American Assault Forces were pinned down on the beach below the Axis forces, caught in a virtual shooting gallery for the German machine guns positioned on the heights above. These First Division Troops were unlucky indeed, having landed opposite the strongest German resistance point on the whole length of the Omaha-landing sector. Finally, by 2:30 pm, most of the Germans had withdrawn from the position and the beach had become free of direct German fire. However, these Germans had not withdrawn because they had been beaten, but because they had largely simply run out of ammunition. You will see where these German soldiers hid as they made their way inland, trying to link up with the German reinforcements they expected to be coming up to their rescue. The following morning, instead of the German Panzer counterattack that they had expected to find coming towards them, these retreating Germans discovered American Forces had already infiltrated past the German beach defenses and forced to surrender. WN65, Ruquet Valley The remarkable German defensives position of WN65 on the western side of the Ruquet valley this valley known on D-Day as Exit Easy 1. The bunker here still has its gun, put there by the Germans in 1943. It also still has the marks of the shots fired by Sgt Haas of the 467th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion that knocked out the gun in position. It was here that the Allied Supreme Commander, General Eisenhower, first came ashore shortly after the landings in June of 1944. More information: http://www.battleofnormandytours.com
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Bayeux
Once the ancient Gaul capital of the Bajocasses tribe, Bayeux has always played a key religious role in the area with the inauguration of Notre Dame Cathedral by William the Conqueror in 1077. Other fine architectural buildings include the Hôtel-Dieu, the Benedictine monastery and Ursuline convent. In more recent history, the town became the provisional capital of France in 1944 and this episode of the Second World War is remembered at the Général de Gaulle Memo-
rial. The old town has retained its Middle Age character, with the cathedral at its very heart, and the narrow streets invite the visitor to browse in the shops or to linger in the town’s many bistros. Bayeux’s museums are the place to take in the work of the town’s traditional artisans renowned for their skills in the areas of embroidery, lace and porcelain. What to see and do in Bayeux: ■The Tapestry: is a unique linen canvas with wool embroidery, which is an impressive 70 meters long and 50 centimeters high. Bishop Odon, the brother of William the Conqueror, commissioned it towards the end of 11th century to decorate the cathedral. The tapestry is one of a kind and this historical document tells the story of the conquest of England by William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, including famous scenes of the
Battle of Hastings. After plunging into the medieval world through film and displays, the visit ends in a darkened room with the tapestry itself. Audio guides are available in English for adults and children. ■Old Bayeux and the NotreDame Cathedral: the town centre has retained its medieval structure, around the magnificent cathedral, inaugurated by William the Conqueror in 1077. ■Conservatoire de la Dentelle : the Lace Conservatory’s role is to preserve and promote traditional lace-making skills which go back over 300 years (website in French) ■Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum: the museum retraces the key events that led to Bayeux becoming the first town in France to be liberated, on the morning of 7 th June 1944. ■General De Gaulle
Memorial: De Gaulle's headquarters of liberated France's first authority were in Bayeux. ■The Public Park with its "weeping beech", one of France's "Most Remarkable Trees" ■Le P'tit Train is the little train, which runs from April to the end of September and takes the visitor on a 35-minute journey through the old town and past the main sites. Starting point outside the Tourist Office. More Information: http://www.normandietourisme.fr
Pegasus Bridge. Benouville
Pegasus Bridge, originally known as Caen Canal Bridge, in Normandy, France, was a vital strategic position during Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France. On 6 June 1944, Allied forces landed on Normandy’s beaches, an event known as the Normandy Landings or “DDay”. Sword Beach was to be a landing point for British forces and, just to its east, was Pegasus
Bridge, a small crossing over the Caen Canal. In order to protect the soldiers who would land at Sword Beach from German attack, a unit of the British sixth Airborne Division, led by Major John Howard, was tasked with capturing Pegasus Bridge. They were also required to take the Merville gun battery in order to put it out of action. This would form part of Operation Tonga, in turn part of Operation Overlord. On 5 June 1944, under cover of darkness, Major Howard and his men landed in gliders near Pegasus Bridge and proceeded to capture it intact within the staggeringly short time of ten
minutes. This action was vitally important, preventing the possibility that German forces could attack the eastern flank of the soldiers arriving at Sword Beach. Airborne forces also successfully took the Merville gun battery and other bridges. However, these victories came with heavy losses of around 2,000 men in all. Caen Canal Bridge later renamed as Pegasus Bridge on 26 June 1944 after the winged horse emblem on the uniforms of the airborne division. The events at Pegasus Bridge and D-Day in
general also inspired the 1961 film, “The Longest Day”. Currently a new bridge stands where Pegasus Bridge once stood; the original is now on display at the Pegasus Bridge Museum (just next to the bridge itself). A plaque near the bridge details the events that occurred there. More information: http://www.historvius.com
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St. Mere Eglise
SAINTE MERE EGLISE, France -- It was the middle of the night and the town of Sainte Mere Eglise was on fire. Occupied by the Germans since June 18, 1940, the town had survived several allied air raids. A stray incendiary bomb from one of those raids had set a building near the town square on fire and it was spreading. The townspeople formed a chain to ferry water from the pump in the town square to the fire. At about 1:30 a.m. that day -June 6, 1944 -- the sky filled with hundreds of American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. Well lit by the flames beneath them, the paratroopers were easy targets for the startled German soldiers on the ground. One of those paratroopers was Pvt. John Steele of F Company, 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Steele was already a combat veteran, with combat jumps into Italy and Sicily under his belt prior to D-Day. During his landing, Steele's
parachute became caught in the steeple of the church in the middle of the town square. Shot through the foot, Steele hung there for two hours pretending to be dead before the Germans noticed him and cut him down. "There were some paratroopers who landed nearby, but they didn't help him because they thought he was dead. The Germans thought he was dead also, but they wanted whatever papers he had on him and that is when they discovered that he was alive," said Patrick Bunel, a curator at the Airborne Museum here. The German soldiers took him prisoner, but Steele was able to escape once tanks that had landed at Utah beach arrived. At approximately 4:30 a.m. Sainte Mere Eglise became the first town in France to be liberated. The fighting around the town continued until June 7, when the Germans were finally pushed back. Steele was awarded the Bronze Star for valor and the Purple Heart for his actions during the invasion. Today a uniformed mannequin hangs from a parachute and rigging on the steeple, in honor of Steele (who actually landed in back of the church), his fateful jump and the liberation of the town below. "When I first saw it (the mannequin), I didn't know that it had actually happened," said Pfc. Cory Peppeard of the 230th Military Police Company, 18th Military Police Brigade, one of hundreds of U.S. service members here to support this week's
65th anniversary commemoration of D-Day. "It's pretty impressive that he was able to survive that." Sainte Mere Eglise secured Steele a place in history as a Soldier in the division that helped to liberate the town, but also as the paratrooper who landed on the church. It was a scene that would be recreated 18 years later in the 1962 movie, "The Longest Day," in which Steele was portrayed by the actor Red Buttons. Steele regularly visited here before his death in 1969 from cancer. But he was not the only American the town remembers. Their actions here have also been captured in two stained glass windows in the church. One was designed in 1945 by a local artist named Paul Renaud, who was 14 years old when the paratroopers landed and 16 years old when he drew the sketch for a window made by Gabriel Loire in the village of Chartres. It depicts the Virgin Mary and child above a burning Sainte Mere Eglise with paratroopers and planes around her. An inscription below the figures reads: "This stained glass was completed with the participation of Paul Renaud and Sainte Mere, for the memory of those who, with their courage and sacrifice, liberated Sainte Mere Eglise and France". "My father worked with the parish to come up with an idea to replace the original window, which had been destroyed," said Henri Jean Renaud, whose
father was the mayor of Saint Mere Eglise at the time. Renaud was 10 years old when the paratroopers landed. A second window depicts Saint Michael, the patron saint of paratroopers. The 82nd Airborne Division, the lion of Normandy, the Sainte Mere Eglise insignia, and symbols for each of the combat jumps made by the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II are also represented in the window. The idea for the window began at the 25th anniversary of the jump and was donated by the veterans of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, in 1972. The same artist that made the first window also made the second. The inscription at the bottom reads: "To the memory of those who through their sacrifice liberated Sainte Mere Eglise." While the mannequin and windows are but inanimate objects, Renaud said, they help keep the memory of very real heroes alive. "We are really very devoted to the veterans," said Renaud. "For me, when they landed, they were like heroes in a movie. Now they are brothers." More information: http://www.army.mil
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Liberty Hwy/Milestone 0 Liberty Road is the commemorative way marking the victorious route of the Allied forces from D-Day in June 1944. It starts in Sainte-Mère-Église, in the Manche département in Basse-Normandie, France, travels across Northern France to Metz and then northwards to end in Bastogne, on the border of Luxembourg and Belgium. At each of the 1,146 kilometres, there is a stone marker or 'Borne'. The first lies outside the town hall in Sainte-MèreÉglise. HISTORY Soon after the end of the Second World War, Mr Guy de la Vasselais, French liaison officer to George S. Patton, suggested the idea of erecting a monument to commemorate the Liberation of France by the American Armies, and to honor the soldiers who sacrificed much in so doing: a monument that would symbolize the idea of Liberty. However he thought that a single monument would be inappropriate to express the immense gratitude of the French people toward their Liberators. He therefore suggested the installation of a distinctive marker placed at each kilometer interval along the roads followed by General Patton’s Third United States Army. Beginning at Utah Beach in Normandy and ending at Bastogne in Belgium, the Liberty Road goes through the cities of Saint Malo, Rennes, Angers, Le Mans, Chartres, Fontainebleau, Reims, Verdun and Metz, and then through the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Altogether the Monument consists of 1146 Milestones. The design of these Milestones, though simple, is
most symbolic: The Flaming Torch of the Statue of Liberty, emerging from the sea, is carried eastward. Along the circumference of the Milestone’s dome-shaped top, the 48 stars of the United States Flag remind us that brave men from each state of that great Nation took part in the Liberation of France. The “Liberty Highway” was officially opened on September 17, 1947 at Fontainebleau, by Mr Paul Ramadier, then President du Conseil, in the presence of Mr Jefferson Caffery, United States Ambassador to France and members of the American Legion. Many military and civilian dignitaries of the Allied Nations were also present at the ceremonies. Forty years later, the Liberty Monuments still stand proudly along those French roads. President Ronald Reagan, accompanied by many heads of State, came in 1984 to mark the 40th anniversary of D-Day. All stood to meditate at the site where the first American troops landed to restore Liberty to France. Since the dedication of the Liberty Highway in 1947, millions of visitors have come to visit these Monuments and to remember. ROUTE These are the towns, villages and notable places along the route: Sainte-Mère-Église (liberated during the nights of 5 and 6 June, it is the starting point marked by the first kilometre 'borne'. Utah Beach Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Manche is the town where the first German blockhouse was taken. Neuville-au-Plain was the first village liberated by the
U.S. paratroopers. Montebourg liberated on 19 June 1944. Cherbourg liberated on 26 June 1944. Carentan liberated on 12 June 1944. Pont-Hébert liberated on 17 July 1944. Saint-Lô liberated on 16 July 1944. General Patton launched his offensive towards Avranches, towards Brittany and towards the Loire. Marigny liberated on 25 July 1944. Coutances liberated on 28 July 1944. Lengronne liberated on 29 July 1944, a scene of a violent tank battle. Avranches liberated on 30 July 1944, subjected to a German counter-attack. It is known as the Breach of Avranches. Saint-Servan liberated on 17 August 1944, where the Germans occupied the powerfully armed city fortress. Saint-Malo liberated on 16 August 1944, which was completely destroyed (especially the part within the walls). Rennes liberated on 4 August 1944. Angers liberated on 10 August 1944. Le Mans liberated on 8 August 1944. Chartres liberated on 18 August 1944. Saint-Symphorien, Cher, almost midway between Sainte-Mère-Église and Bastogne, had the honour of receiving the first 'borne'. On 25 August 1946, its mayor, Guy de la Vas-
selais was the proposer of Liberty Road. Étampes liberated on 22 August 1944. Fontainebleau liberated on 23 August 1944. Épernay liberated on 28 August 1944. Reims liberated on 30 August 1944. The Germans signed an unconditional surrender, at what is now Grand Quartier Général Eisenhower. The Salle de la Reddition is the precise location. Valmy liberated on 30 August 1944. Verdun, Meuse, became in October 1944, one of the two largest American supply depots. Gravelotte liberated on 13 December 1944. Nancy liberated on 15 September 1944. Rozérieulles liberated on 20 November 1944 and noted as among the most stubborn German resistance. Metz liberated on 19 November 1944. Thionville liberated on 12 September 1944. Luxembourg City liberated on 10 September 1944. Arlon liberated on 10 September 1944. Bastogne, the end of the Voie de la Liberté, at 1,145 km from SainteMère-Église. It was liberated on 10 September 1944.
More information: http://en.wikipedia.org
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Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc is a prominent 100 ft (30 m) cliff overlooking the English Channel on the coast of Normandy in northern France. During World War II, it was the highest point between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The Germans fortified the area with concrete casements and gun pits. On D-Day (6 June 1944), the United States Army Ranger Assault Group successfully assaulted Point du Hoc after scaling the cliffs. Pointe du Hoc lies 4 mi (6.4 km) west of the center of Omaha Beach. As part of the Atlantic Wall fortifications, the Germans fortified the prominent clifftop location. The battery was initially built in 1943 to house six captured French First World War vintage GPF 155mm K418(f) cannons positioned in open concrete gun pits. The battery was occupied by the 2nd Battery of Army Coastal Artillery Regiment 1260 (2/HKAA.1260). To defend the promontory from attack elements of the 352nd Infantry Division were stationed at the battery. To provide increased defensive capability, the Germans began upgrading the battery in the spring of 1944 with fully enclosed H671 concrete casements. The plan was to build six casements but two were unfinished when the location was attacked. These casements were built over and in front of the circular gun pits that housed
the 155mm French cannons. Also built was a H636 observation bunker and L409a mounts for 20mm Flak 30 anti-aircraft cannon. The 155mm guns would have threatened the Allied landings on both Omaha and Utah beaches when finished, risking heavy casualties to the landing forces. The location was bombed in April 1944 and following this
shown that it was responsible for firing on the Allied beachheads until June 9, 1944. TIMELINE 6 June 1944 0639 – H-Hour - D, E and F companies of 2nd Ranger Battalion approach the Normandy coast in a flotilla of twelve craft. 0705 – Strong tides and navigation errors mean the initial assault arrives late and the 5th Ranger Battalion as well A and B companies from 2nd Battalion move to Omaha Beach instead.
the Germans removed the French 155mm cannons. During preparation, for Operation Overlord it was determined that Pointe du Hoc would still need to be attacked by ground forces to prevent the Germans using the casements for observation purposes. The U.S. 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions were given the task of assaulting the strong point early on D-Day. Elements of the 2nd Battalion went in to attack Pointe du Hoc but initial delays meant the remainder of the 2nd Battalion and the complete 5th Battalion landed at Omaha Beach as their secondary landing position. Though the Germans had removed the main armament from Pointe du Hoc, the beachheads were shelled from the nearby Maisy battery. The rediscovery of the battery at Maisy has
start engaging the Germans across the battery. Rangers discover the casemates are empty. 0815 – Approximately 35 Rangers achieving the secondary objective of building a roadblock.
0730 – Rangers fight their way up the cliff, reach the top, and
0900 – Six German guns are located and destroyed using thermite charges. For the rest of the day the Rangers repel several German counter-attacks. During the evening, one patrol from the Rangers that landed at Omaha beach made it through to join the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc. 7 June 1944 The Rangers continue to defend an ever-smaller area on Point du Hoc against German counter -attacks. Afternoon – A platoon of Rangers arrives on an LST, with wounded removed. 8 June 1944 Evening – The Rangers are relieved by troops arriving from Omaha beach. TODAY Pointe du Hoc now features a memorial and museum dedicated to the battle. Many of the original fortifications remain in place and the site is speckled with a number of bomb craters. On January 11, 1979, this 13hectare field transferred to American control, and the American Battle Monuments Commission made responsible for its maintenance. More information: http://en.wikipedia.org
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Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery HISTORY At the conclusion of the fighting in Normandy, there were more than ten American cemeteries on the battlefield, with hundreds of small burial grounds and isolated graves. The American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) repatriated at least 60% of these burials back to the United States, and concentrated the remaining casualties into two main cemeteries; one here in Normandy and another in Britain. To a size of 172.5 acres, the Normandy American Cemetery has 9,387 burials of women and US service men. Of this number, some 307 are unknowns, three are Medal of Honor recipients and four are women. In addition, there are 33 pairs of brothers buried side by side. It is the largest American Cemetery from WW2, but not the largest in Europe: that is the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery from WW1 with more than 14,000 burials. The main body of the cemetery is rectangular with the main paths laid out in the pattern of a Latin cross. On entering the cemetery, visit first the Visitors Building where veterans can sign the Veteran's Book, and all others the main Visitors Book. Here you can also trace US service members and women who are in the care of AMBC either in cemeteries or on memorials. You can also pick up a free leaflet about the cemetery. Then proceed to the Memorial,
- 2/Lt Preston Niland 22nd Infantry and Sgt Robert Niland 505th PIR. - Robert was killed on D Day and Preston on 7th June. A third brother was thought killed in the Pacific, so the fourth was allowed home. However, the brother in the Pacific actaully survived the war. It was their story, which inspired the scriptwriters for 'Saving Private Ryan'
Perish". The
the main feature of which is a 22-foot bronze statue "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves". Either side of this are huge wall maps showing the campaign in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO). Behind the statue is the Garden of the Missing, which commemorates a further 1,557 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who fell in Normandy and have no known grave. Those who remains have been found since the war are indicated with an asterisk. The service members commemorated here represent all but one of the 50 States. From here enter the main body of the cemetery and follow the path to The Chapel. This is built from limestone and the main inscription inside reads "I Give Unto Them Eternal Life and They Shall Never
cemetery borders on the left flank of Omaha Beach, and overlooks the sector where the 1st Division landed on D Day. There is a Viewing Platform with a useful map, and paths, which take you down the slopes and onto the beach although it is a long walk. On most days, the cemetery is open until 17.00. PERSONALITIES Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr- Recipient of the Medal of Honor (Block D : Row 28 : Graves 45 & 46) - 4th Division. - Died 12th July 1944 Nephew of the President and buried beside his brother Quentin, killed as a pilot in WW1. Two brothers who inspired 'Saving Private Ryan' (Block F : Row 15 : Graves 11 & 12)
Father and Son (Block E : Row 20 : Graves 19 & 20) - Colonel Ollie Reed, 115th Infantry, 30th July 1944. 1st Lieutenant Ollie Reed Jr., 163rd Infantry, 6th July 1944. Medal of Honor Recepiant: T/ Sgt Frank Peregory (Block G : Row 21 : Grave 7) - 116th Infantry, 29th Division. - Killed 14th June 1944. Awarded for Grandcamp Maisy 8th June 1944. Medal of Honor Recipiant: 1st Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr (Block I : Row 20 : Grave 12) - 16th Infantry, 1st Division. - Killed 6th June 1944. - Awarded for Omaha Beach, D Day. More information: Normandy American Cemetery "Omaha Beach" 14710 Colleville sur Mer France Tel: 02 31 51 62 00. Fax: 02 31 51 62 09 http://www.abmc.gov/
WO1 Melanie Johnson F Co. 5-158th GSAB Melanie.r.johnson23.mil
Mission Ready!