Visit D-Day Beaches in Normandy

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To this day, the invasion at Normandy was the single largest amphibious invasion in history with more than 130,000 allied troops landing at the 5 different beach heads (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword) along the coast.

The allied invasion was a collection of smaller operations involving numerous allied countries. Gold, Sword and Juno beaches were invaded by primarily British and Canadian combat units with some French and Australian men as well. A total of around 83,000 troops were sent to these areas of Normandy.

The U.S. First Army contingent totaled around 73,000 men which included just over 15,000 airborne division personnel. About 34,000 were sent to Omaha beach and 23,000 to Utah beach while Ranger battalions attacked/scaled Pointe du Hoc and parachuters were dropped inland at places like Sainte-Mère-Église.

For more details regarding the invasion plan, please read and visit the Wikipedia article shown below. This map photo was taken at the American cemetery which overlooks Omaha beach.

As you can see from the above map, Utah Beach was the westernmost beach in the allied attack plan. Although strong currents had pushed the 4th infantry division of the U.S. out of their intended landing position, the group had the least number of casualties out of all the beach invasions along the Normandy coast with 197 deaths out of the 23,000 troops that landed. There was little German resistance at the location where they invaded so they were able to quickly move inland unlike Omaha beach.

The museum and visitor center at Utah beach holds many artifacts from WWII and is well worth a visit if time permits.

Although Pointe Du Hoc is shown in the 'Saving Private Ryan' movie, it wasn't until I visited the area that I truly understood the challenges that the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion faced. German forces had massive concrete guns that were able to fire to both Utah and Omaha beaches from their cliff-top locations. This made it a primary target in the U.S. battle plan. The 2nd Ranger Battalion scaled the 100 foot cliffs using rope ladders while under heavy fire from the enemy and although they accomplished their goal capturing the area for the allieds in a 2 day battle, they paid a heavy price losing nearly 60% of their men.

Today, you can still see the huge bomb craters left behind by allied airplanes dropping so many bombs on the area. In addition, many of the concrete fortifications still remain.

Visiting Omaha Beach gave me a much clearer understanding of just why so many American lives were lost during the battle for that particular beach. Flanked on both ends by rocky outcrops, the Omaha's white sand beach is gently sloping well out into the water leaving areas quite exposed during low tide. German forces would have had an excellent view from the higher sand dunes and hilltop bunkers above the beach from which to pick off allied forces.

German forces were well-trained and the beach was well defended with not only the Panzer IV turrets, but also by mines and obstacles strategically placed throughout the ocean, beach and sand. Very little went according to plan which led to heavy allied casualties. Ten of the landing craft were swamped with water due to rough seas before even reaching the beach and many of the soldiers suffered from violent fits of seasickness. Of the 16 tanks that landed, only two survived on the beach. Most of the infantry landings were well east of their planned targets complicating matters further. Within the first few hours of the operation, nearly 5,000 American soldiers died. Due to the heroic efforts of small infantry groups, the Allies were able to penetrate German defenses and take the beach on day three of the battle. For more a more detailed description of the invasion, visit the Wikipedia page outlined below.

When visiting Omaha Beach, be sure to stop by one of the two museums that houses artifacts and gives detailed histories of the events on D-Day. We stopped at the one that is about 1 mile inland from the beach and it was quite interesting.

Check out these beach candle favors.

The U.S. managed cemetery covers 172 acres in a serene setting overlooking Omaha beach and the sea. Over 9,000 American soldiers are marked with white marble crosses and Jewish Star of David pieces placed against the backdrop of immaculately maintained green lawns. Near the entrance to the cemetery, a semi-circular wall displays the names of over 1500 Americans that lost their lives in WWII who could not be identified or located.

It was a truly moving experience that should not be missed during any visit to Normandy. The sheer magnitude of grave markers brought tears to my eyes and sadness to my heart. This is the cemetery featured at the end of the movie 'Saving Private Ryan'. The grounds also include a reflecting pool, memorial candle chapel and bronze statues.

According to the American Battle Monuments Commission (click here for website), the cemetery is open to the public daily except on December 25 and January 1. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 15 to September 15, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. It is open on host country holidays. When the cemetery is open to the public, staff members are on duty in the Visitor Center to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites.

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