Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc was 2 miles from our B&B. It is where the Rangers landed on D-Day and it is the Western edge of Omaha Beach. The Rangers had to scale the cliffs, jump over the top, and fight their way through the various fortifications. They were isolated there for two days before the infantry troops that landed could relieve them. It was one of the most heavily defended parts of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. The allies had heavily bombed the area. One historian said that the amount of bombs dropped prior to the landing
was equivalent to the firepower of the atom bomb. The huge craters are from the bombings and you can see the concrete fortifications throughout. By disabling the guns, the Rangers prevented the Germans from being able to fire on both OMAHA and UTAH beaches.



FYI: Pointe du Hoc is also synonymous with rain. It rained (poured) both times we went! We got a brief lovely period of sun about 20 minutes that allowed me to take these lovely pictures!


This brief history of Pointe Du Hoc has been provided by my sister Elizabeth

Arromanches and the Mulberry Harbors

During the invasion of Normandy in 1944 the allied forces needed a way to get supplies and troops moving inland once they had taken the beach, post d-day. The set up a series of floating harbors and bridges called "Mulberries". Most of them dont exist anymore but near Arrowmanches on the french cost between Omaha and Gold beaches you can still see them at low tide, they are now sunk into the floor of the channel. It was really neat!





We also went to the 360 museum at Arromanches which was a film shown in a circular theater about what the soldiers landing in Normandy would have experienced on that day. It was a really cool experience, although it made me a little but dizzy!

France......In stages.

I think that I am going to do all of the pictures from France this past weekend in groups of places not of days. That will be the most cohesive I think. So we'll get right to it.
We were staying in a little town on the French cost called Grandcamp Maisy. It it between Omaha and Utah beaches if you are familiar with your d-day geography. So here it goes!





It has rained all day and we were afraid that that sun was never going to come out, fortunately it did for our evening walk! It was beautiful. I dont have many pictures of Grandcamp so i wont post anymore. On to the next part of the trip!