D-Day: the 6th of June 1944 marked the beginning of the end of WW2 when the Allies invaded Normandy, penetrating Hitler’s Fortress Europe. The American 1st Army were designated the beaches codenamed Utah and Omaha.
Utah Beach, from Pouppeville and La Madeleine is 3 miles long and assigned to 7 Corps, where casualties were the lightest of all the landings. Omaha Beach from Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes and Vierville-sur-Mer is 6 miles long and was the responsibility of 5 Corps. The task of taking out the guns threatening Omaha and Utah Beaches at Pointe du Hoc was given to the elite US Rangers. Sea transport was provided by the US Navy and elements of the Royal Navy.
The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were responsible for securing the inland routes to the beachheads from possible German counter attack.
Just weeks before D-Day, ‘Utah’ appeared as an answer to a crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph. Utah was the codename for one of the invasion beaches. On 22 May, ‘Omaha’ popped up as a crossword answer. ‘Overlord’ appeared on 27 May, and ‘Neptune’ (code word for the naval aspect of the invasion) on 1 June. MI5 cleared the compiler of wrong-doing but, to this day, there has been no satisfactory explanation.
The 82nd Airborne Division received heavy losses in Normandy. Up to 16 percent of the troops were killed that day. The main reason for their premature deaths were the buckled chute harnesses, which were difficult to remove after landing. The extra time it took to disengage from their parachutes was long enough for them to get shot and killed. After D-Day, the American troops started using quick-release buckles invented by the British.
The first U.S. soldier that died on D-Day was twenty-eight year old Lt. Robert Mathias of the 82nd Airborne Division. He sustained a bullet wound in the chest right before he jumped out of his aircraft. He commanded his men to follow his lead as he jumped from the plane and died mid-air.
Itinerary
Below is an example itinerary. As each tour is bespoke, you will receive confirmation of your personal itinerary with your booking confirmation.
- Omaha beach
- Normandy American Cemetery
and Memorial
- Point de Hoc
- Utah Beach Museum
- Dead Man’s Corner Museum
- Airboune Museum, St Mere Eglise
- La Cambe German Military Cemetery
What they said…
