Normandy's D-Day Invasion Beaches

On this historic date, the Allied Countries invaded the northern coast of France to begin the final push to end Nazi Germany's control of the European mainland. As German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had predicted on April 22, 1941 about this inevitable Allied invasion, ". . .For the Allies, as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day."

Operation Overlord

The Code Name for the Invasion

My goal was to primarily tour the western half of the 75 mile wide D-Day beaches, i.e., the areas code named Omaha and Utah Beaches, where most of the American forces landed.

Arromanches, France

Overnight home of Port Winston

This was ground zero on D-Day and my first stop.

On June 7, 1944, after the brutal first day of fighting, 17 old ships sailed 90 miles across the English Channel to this harbor. Their crews then placed each boat's bow facing the next boat's stern forming a sea barrier after these same crews sank all 17 ships.

WWII Wreckage at Arromanches

After sinking the ships, the Allies then used 500 tugboats to tow 115 football field sized cement blocks called Mulberries across the English Channel as well. These were also sunk and thus a four mile long breakwater was created a mile and a half off shore.

By June 12th, 54,000 vehicles, 326,000 troops and 110,000 tons of goods had safely crossed the English Channel.

The British were responsible for this incredible piece of engineering and they called it Port Winston after British P.M.  Winston Churchill.

Eleven months later, Hitler was dead and the war in Europe was over.

WWII Normandy American Cemetery

Located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, 9,387 American Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the fateful days of the invasion are buried here.

The Graves are simple,

the men in them are not

What were their individual stories?

"The Spirit of American Youth"

Near this statue are the names of another 1,557 American soldiers whose remains were never found.

The Invasion Battle Map 

Close up of the Omaha Beach

portion of the map

Omaha Beach

Open, long and with no cover to speak of, many were lost here. Remember, a German machine gun on this bluff could fire 1,200 rounds per minute!

So peaceful on this day, nothing like the carnage on D-Day during the six hours it took to secure this beach from the Germans.

Standing on Sacred Ground

at Omaha Beach

German Gun Battery at

Longues-sur-Mer

A total of four of these still exist here about 300 yards from the beach. They are the only ones of their kind still in existence along the Normandy coast. These guns were accurate for a range of 12 miles.

Observation Bunker

This bunker was on the coast and used to direct the firing from the big guns farther back.

A War Memorial at
Vierville-sur-Mer

Lots of open beach to cross at
Vierville-sur-Mer as well

The very steep bluffs at
Pointe du Hoc looking West

Point du Hoc bluffs looking East

American Rangers were given the task of scaling these bluffs on D-Day. They even brought ladders borrowed from the London Fire Department to help them get started.

The Germans most heavily fortified defenses were located here. Only about 1/3 of the Rangers survived the attack on D-Day.

Bomb craters at Pointe du Hoc

Because of the defenses here, the Allies had bombed this area very, very intensely. The craters from these bombing raids were never filled in or leveled out creating this surreal lunar landscape.

The Ranger Dagger

Planted firmly in the ground, this huge cement dagger is a memorial to Rangers who fought and died here.

Utah Beach

Our first two beaches offered landing problems due to first open beaches and then steep cliffs. At Utah Beach, the problem was marsh land as soon as you crossed the narrow beach.

Many paratroopers landed inland of Utah Beach to both support the men landing by sea.

American Navy Monument

The Western end of Utah Beach

American Forces are still appreciated
to this day in Normandy

Ste. Mere Eglise

This was the first village liberated by the American troops.

Note the parachute snagged on the top of the steeple with an American paratrooper hung up way above the ground. This really happened here. The man was Private John Steele.

The grim German Military Cemetery

This was the site of the American Military Museum before it was moved to its current location near Omaha Beach.

A total of 21,000 German soldiers are buried here.

A lot of men died as a result

of D-Day, he was one of them

This was a very solemn, inspirational and uplifting weekend for me. 

Rouen, France

Two weeks ago I ventured north via France's high-speed TGV train to Normandy primarily to visit the historic World War II Invasion beaches that I have seen so many times in the movies and, of course, the History Channel.

My first stop was the 2,000 year old city of Rouen full of Gothic architecture, half-timbered houses and good food.

Rouen was a regional capital in Roman times, the Normans made it their capital in the ninth century and William the Conqueror called Rouen home before going to England.

During WWII, about 50% of Rouen was destroyed by Allied bombing raids.

The "Attic" room in Rouen's

Hotel Le Morand 

A charming and clean establishment, watch out for the low doorway . . .

And the slanted ceiling

This picture was taken from the bath room back towards my bed. A middle of the night head banging accident was just waiting to happen.

Note the three steps leading up to the low doorway.

 Rouen's City Hall . . .

It still proudly shows off

its WWII bombing pockmarks

The Gros Horloge 

Up and running since 1528, it sits above an arch on the city's former city hall. The clocks twin brother sits on the back side of this archway.

Note that it only has an hour hand. Back in the days of the  Renaissance, that was precise enough time for the French.

Come to think of it, that still is precise enough time for the French.

That reminds me,

I need to buy some Advil 

Eglise Jeanne d'Arc

This church's Scandinavian based architectural style reflects Normandy's Nordic roots. Viking raiders settled into this area after pillaging it for centuries.

Opened in 1979, it honors St. Joan of Arc who was burned at the stake in Rouen in 1431, a casualty of the Hundred Years War which actually lasted 117 years. She would be canonized in 1920 by the Roman Catholic Church.

Note the tall cross to the left center of the picture . . .

It marks the exact spot where

St. Joan of Arc was executed 

St. Joan of Arc in "Flames" 

A random bishop

A Rouen Florist Shop

Time for a cafe? 

Or perhaps something stronger

Lonely Rue St. Romain

Blue

Aître St. Maclou

The Plague Cemetery

In the Middle Ages, the Plague hit Rouen very hard as approximately two-thirds of its population died. Dealing with so many corpses was a daunting task to say the least.

This square was a mass grave where bodies were disposed. The bodies were dumped in the middle of where these trees now stand and then bathed in liquid lime to speed up the decomposition process.

Today, this square houses an art school.

Ghoulish Carvings

These carvings were added to the courtyard's surrounding buildings in the 1560s. They all vary to some degree but skulls, crossbones and grave digger's tools are incorporated into most of them.

Smoke Break at one of Rouen's

traditional China shops

Rouen's Cathédrale Notre-Dame

This Gothic façade was painted over 30 times by Claude Monet.

The Cathédrale's massive interior 

I lit two for Kevin and Jacob

St. Agatha

Patron Saint of Catania, Italy

Yes, the are ripping off her breasts for the Faith.

The Cathédrale's

Stairway to Heaven

This tomb houses the heart

of Richard the Lionheart

King of England and

12th Duke of Normandy  

The rest of Richard's body is entombed in the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud in the Loire region.

One of the Cathédrale's

Rosette Windows

X marks the spot for

St. Andrew

Weathered but still watchful

A very interesting Gothic

Cathedral indeed! 

The Gothic Palace of Justice 

Palace of Justice Gargoyles

Ruins of a "minor" church

Rouen at night

That is the river Seine as it divides Rouen in two distinct parts.

Nice Ferris Wheel

Half -timbered houses are big here

Is that house bulging? 

The Big Yellow House

It is really crooked!

How would Brian FitzGerald deal with this problem?

Statues are big in Rouen 

Dashing

 Rollo

First Duke of Normandy

Napoleon Bonaparte

Emperor of France

St. Ouen Church

A St. Ouen gargoyle

Keeping guard over St. Ouen's

renovation project

To pass the time while I awaited my new computer, I decided to take up painting with water colors. Here are my first two rough drawings that I made when I returned to Lyon.

Rouen Bistros

Rouen's Gros Horloge

Or maybe it was just a camera setting.

Hail and Farewell Rouen!