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Normandy Sightseeing Tours
The difference of experience
NORMANDY D-DAY LANDING BEACHES
Whether you are a history buff and have been thinking of coming to Normandy for years or only since you have recently seen some war movies, your dream is coming here to reality!
During the tour, you will indeed step on this historical beach where so many died. You will see German bunkers and monuments everywhere.
And you will be able to pay your tribute to the fallen.
Your local tour guide will remind you of what was at stake in June 1944 and of the incredible planning needed for Operation Overlord to be a success. You will also be told about the extraordinary courage of the first 156.000 soldiers who landed on D-dayand the terrible sacrifice that went on during that entire summer. You will learn about the French Resistance and the German occupation during the four years before D-day.
Being there, you will understand better this invasion along 50 miles of the Normandy coast and its scale. It may also be an eye-opener on how grateful the French still are today, almost 70 years later!
Time has come for you to be there, on these battlefields, like on a pilgrimage. What an experience!
OMAHA BEACH :
The most famous and most difficult of the five D-day beaches. It took the highest casualties, due in particular to its topography : it was the only beach with high ground just beyond.
The impossible task here was to get off the beach as quickly as possible in order to reach the top of the bluff, when the only four exit roads were still blocked off by the German defenders. The air-bombing and naval bombardment that were supposed to disorganize them, almost completely missed.
Standing there and seeing this beach (4 miles long) all at once, when realizing about the big tides and discovering the German fortifications and gun emplacements, will leave you amazed at the extraordinary courage and sacrifice needed.
You will understand why the 1st and 29th Infantry>Divisions suffered more than 3 800 casualties (dead, wounded or missing) to make this battle a victory.
They had to jump out of their Landing Craft and wade their way out of the cold water, past the terrible beach obstacles, as graphically depicted in “Saving Private Ryan”.
POINTE DU HOC :
One of the largest German coastal batteries with six guns. Being of 6-inch caliber and of a range of about 10 miles, these cannons would be a threat to both Omaha and Utah beaches (i.e the whole American sector).
Because neither the air- nor the naval bombardment would be enough to be sure all guns were destroyed before the invasion started, the task was given to Lt. Col. Rudder and the 225 U.S Rangers of the 2ndbattalion to finish the job on D-day.
Mission seemed impossible : after landing on the small rocky beach, they had to scale the cliff, a sheer wall of about 100 feet (with their rope ladders and grappling hooks) and find and destroy the guns. Mission was accomplished though, by 1st Sgt.
Lomell and S/Sgt Kuhn in about two hours, but the surviving Rangers still had to hold their ground in face of the German counter-attacks until relieved on June 8… Total casualties resulted very high.
Thanks to the first help of a group of locals to make this incredible site a place of memory, it has been well preserved since, with its monuments and a number of bunkers and also bomb craters all over this 30-acre battlefield. One can still enter some of these bunkers (both above ground and underground) especially the Observation and Command Post, newly-reopened after 10 years.
AMERICAN CEMETERY :
The Normandy American Cemetery is the final resting place for 9.387 Americans. It covers 172 acres and is an actual battleground as it overlooks the “Easy Red” sector of Omaha Beach.
Soldiers of all ranks (private to general) honored here were buried after the war was over (close to where they died during the summer of 1944) on their families’ request.
Soldiers all equal in death and their graves in no particular order, they are all marked with the same beautiful Italian white marble headstones.
Only around 300 soldiers remained buried here in unidentified graves, but over 1.500 M.I.A’s are listed on the Wall of Missing.
Even though the story behind each grave is a sad one and the sacrifice of all deserves to be recognized, some of them are better known, such as the three Medal-of-Honor recipients or the three Generals (including General Th. Roosevelt Jr).
Also the two Niland brothers, base of Saving Private “Ryan”, or the Ollie Reed father & son. And more recent 1Lt. Billie D. Harris, whose wife Peggy first visited the grave inApril 2006!
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE :
Strategically situated on the main N13 highway to Cherbourg and only a few miles away from the coast, this farming community became the very center of the huge airborne operation (with 15.000 U.S paratroopers) that started during the night before D-day.
In order to stop the German counter-attacks from the north, the village was planned to be taken rapidly by the nearby-dropped 505th P.I.R.
But some of these soldiers had the misfortune to end up here, right on the town full of Germans.
John Steele the most famous of them (because depicted in “The Longest Day”) survived the war and returned here several times to look at the charming old church and its belltower where he had remained hanging for about two hours.
When they came back, all the veterans were moved on discovering the memorial stained-glass window of “Virgin Mary surrounded by paratroopers”.
UTAH BEACH :
Closest to the Germans around Cherbourg and quite separated from the other beaches, it could have been a disaster. But Utah was rather lightly defended and had the great priviledge to be protected by the American paratroopers (who had been in the area for several hours already).
As they jumped out of their Landing Craft at La Madeleine, the first soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division were led by General Th Roosevelt Jr.
Mission was accomplished rapidly to get across the flooded area behind the sand dunes, on the causeways, to reinforce the paratroopers and the German counter-attack from the north was overall under control.
On the first day, 23.000 landed here and casualties remained low under 200. Unfortunately, the following battles, on the way to Cherbourg, were very costly.
LA CAMBE GERMAN CEMETERY :
Originally started (after the village of La Cambe was liberated on June 8) as an American cemetery in 1944 (for both Americans and Germans), after the war this cemetery became the largest German one in Normandy with over 21.000 buried here.
It covers more than 15 acres and is surrounded by over 1.200 maples part of the Garden of Peace. The center is in the form of a 20-feet mound (where 300 are buried) topped by a big black stone cross and two statues. It is maintained by the “German War Graves Commission”.
LONGUES GUN BATTERY :
Located on top of a 200-feet-high cliff, this site offers a magnificent view over the English Channel, toward both Gold and Omaha beaches.
This battery (built in 1943-44) consisted in four 6-inch guns sheltered in bunkers, covering a range of 12 miles both east and west.
So it was declared a strategic target for the massive pre-D-day air bombardment, which resulted mostly incapable of destroying the fortifications.
Even though the bomb craters have now been filled in, this coastal battery is the only one in France that has kept its big guns since 1944.
The German battery was successfully attacked on the second day and captured by the British Devonshire Regiment.
ARROMANCHES :
Charming beach community and quiet fishing village before the war, things rapidly changed when the Germans started building many bunkers and defenses, due to its strategic location at the end of the cliff.
A couple of miles away from Gold beach, it was spared of destruction and rapidly taken in order to start the construction of the Mulberry harbor.
First time in history, this most incredible feat of engineering was first inspired by Churchill with the vital task of replacing the enemy-held ports of Cherbourg and Le Havre in order to resupply our troops.
Everything was constructed ahead of time in England, all different parts were towed across the Channel (Phoenix caissons, floating docks and pontoon bridges) … and put together in about 10 days!
GOLD BEACH :
Covering an area around St Come, Le Hamel, Asnelles and Ver/mer, the beach has retained German bunkers and is full of monuments honoring the heroic actions of the British soldiers of the 50th Division who landed here after 07:25 a.m on June 6 under command of General Graham.
In addition to connecting with Canadian Juno and American Omaha and taking nearby Arromanches, their vital task was to reach the N13 road and liberate Bayeux.
One of the most famous heroes who fought around this area is Stanley Hollis (Green Howards)who was the only one awarded the Victoria Cross on D-Day!
BERNIERES / ST-AUBIN :
On this eastern side of Juno Beach, two other infantry regiments attacked : the Queen’s Own Rifles and the North Shore.
At Bernières, where La Chaudière Regiment later landed, is located the main monument close to the famous big Norman house that is in so many D-day pictures, and which still permanently flies a Canadian flag.
The German resistance in this area and then the counter-attack from the south caused the slow progression inland toward Caen and stopped the troops from reaching the Carpiquet airfield.
SWORD BEACH :
Being the eastern-most of the five beaches, the plan was not only to reinforce rapidly the British paratroopers on the other side of the Orne River, but also to make their way toward their main objective : Caen.
28.000 British soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division of General Rennie landed around Hermanville and Colleville (with 177 Kieffer’s Free French troops).
Unfortunately the Germans resisted too strongly and kept them from liberating the city on D-day.
In the beach community of Ouistréham at the end of the Caen Canal, one can still discover the five-storey Grand Bunker observation post and the Casino that had been fortified (now rebuilt).
PEGASUS BRIDGE :
In order to secure the eastern flank of the Normandy invasion, General Gale’s 6th Airborne Division was to stop the German counter-attacks from the east.
These could be relieved during the day by the troops from the nearest beach only if the bridges over the Canal and over the River Orne were BOTH under control.
Therefore, six gliders and less than 200 men were to secure them during the night.
Major Howard’s glider hit the ground at 00:16 a.m and stopped 47 yards away from objective!
In about 20 minutes, this bridge became the first Allied objective taken on D-day. Around noon, reinforcements from Sword Beach (with Lord Lovat and his bagpiper Bill Millin) were arriving. Mission accomplished !
THE ABBEY D’ARDENNE :
Beautiful Norman abbey from the 12th century, privately owned and partly used as a farm at the time by the Vico family (the father Roland and his sons Jacques and Jean-Marie were activeResistants). Unfortunately taken over on June 7 by Colonel Kurt Meyer’s 25th Regiment of the 12th SS Hitler’s Youth Panzer Division, as church towers were an excellent vantage point.
A number of their Canadian prisoners were brought here and executed on June 7th and 8th in the back garden.
The abbey was only liberated on July 8 as the Canadians were reaching the city of Caen.
In 1945 Meyer was tried by Canadian Military Court and found guilty of war crimes.
BAYEUX COMMONWEALTH CEMETERY :
Largest British WW2 cemetery in France, it was built in Bayeux, the first French townof importance to be liberated after D-day.
Beautifully laid out with planted flowers in front of each limestone headstone, the cemetery gives the opportunity to reflect on the story behind each of them by reading the very personal and touching epitaphs chosen by the relatives.
It now holds 4.648 graves, for over 4.000 British soldiers and over 400 Germans.
The monument that stands across the street bears the names of 1.808 Commonwealth soldiers reported Missing in Action.
Incidentally, the inscription on the top reminds the visitors of the other famous cross-Channel invasion of 1066!
SAINTE MARIE DU MONT :
te Marie “Of The Hill” stands on the edge of the plateau and overlooks the Douve river mouth.
The tall bell tower of the beautiful medieval church offered an incredible observation post to the Germans.
Four miles away from Utah beach and located on the main exit road from it, the village was a top priority for the 101st Airborne to capture during the night.
General Taylor himself and his men managed to stop the German counter-attacks from the south.
MERVILLE BATTERY and MUSEUM :
Close to the coast, this German battery with four big gun emplacements, was thought to be a threat to Sword Beach.
It was decided to attack this defensive position during the night before D-day by British paratroopers of the 9th Battalion under the command of Lt Col. Otway. Well protected behind barbed wire, anti-tank ditch and land mines, the battery was to be bombarded first, then attacked by a diversion, before the main assault would start at 04:30 a.m with 700 men.
But nothing really happened the way it had been planned … Nevertheless, these men went above and beyond the call of duty, with only about 150 troopers (the others had fallen too far away due to bad weather).
Well preserved since, the battery is a real museum where bunkers are open and houses several exhibits as well as a sound-and-light show, and a C-47 airplane is presented.
