Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, the beach was the easternmost landing site of the invasion. Sword was divided into several sectors, and each sector divided into beaches; thus the British 3rd Infantry Division, assigned to land on Sword, assaulted a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) stretch of Sword codenamed Queen Sector - Queen Red, White and Green beaches.
Among the five beaches of the operation, Sword is the nearest to Caen, being located around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the goal of the 3rd Infantry Division. The initial landings were achieved with low casualties, but the advance from the beach was met with traffic congestion, heavily defended areas behind the beachhead and was met by the only armoured counter-attack of the day, mounted by the 21st Panzer Division, that halted further progress towards Caen.
Then I drove to the Hillman Bunker near Colville-Montgomery to see the German bunker site.
Colleville-Montgomery, a name which it changed in memory of the Field Marshall, is a village on high ground behind Ouistreham, overlooking one of the D-Day Landing Beaches, Sword. One of a group of German strongpoints that were all D-Day targets, there was Hillman, Morris, Daimler and Humber. Hillman was a command and observation post up on the ridge behind the beaches, and had a great view of the landings on the beaches in front. To the Germans, it was Wn 17. Closer to the shore, and slightly to the north east of the position (looking toward the sea) were the gun positions that were 'Morris'.
Hillman was taken, as was Morris, and after the war the land owner presented the Hilllman site as a gift to the people of the town, and it is held in memory of the Suffolk Regiment, who liberated the community back on D-Day. Today the bunkers are still there, and the three main ones are kept locked up, but two of them open each week for guided tours.
Back at Hillman, we stood on the roadside, looking over to the east, and towards Ouistreham (North East) and Pegasus Bridge (South east). Apparently there was a machine gun position here that inflicted a number of casualties among the Norfolk Regiment as they advanced through open country toward the area of Pegasus Bridge, where they were to support the gliders that had landed there. Empty cartirdge cases have been found in the verge, where the machine gun position was at that time.
On my way back to Caen, I stopped to pay visit to the Pegasus Bridge site and museum plus have a lunch of fish & chips at the 3 Planes Cafe.
The taking of Pegasus Bridge in the early hours of D-Day was a major triumph for the Allies. The control of Pegasus Bridge gave the Allies the opportunity to disrupt the Germans ability to bring in re-enforcements to the Normandy beaches, especially those that the British and Canadians were landing at – Gold, Juno and Sword. Even the most basic of delays in getting German troops to the beaches would have been important and the capture of the bridge that guarded the main road to Ouistreham and then on to the beaches further west was of great importance to the Allies. Control of the road, also meant that the 6th Airborne Division, that had been dropped to the east of Caen, could be supplied by Allied troops that had landed at Sword Beach. Without any control of this road, the 6th Airborne would have been starved of vital equipment.
Another important point is the simple fact that the Allies were landed behind enemy lines. This almost certainly was enough to spread confusion among the German defenders.
The first British troops to land in Normandy during D-Day were the men of D Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (part of the 6th British Airborne Division) who landed at Ranville-Benouville in the early hours of June 6th. Troops led by Major John Howard – landed by Horsa glider – captured the Caen Canal Bridge, later renamed Pegasus Bridge in honour of the cap badge of the 6th Airborne Division.
The bridge was guarded by German machine gun posts but by using gliders, the British landed with a degree of surprise and the bridge was captured with relative ease after a 10 minute fire-fight. Howard had time to set up his defences for the expected German counter-attack which came at 02.10 – about 2 hours after their landing. However, reinforced by paratroopers, Howard and his men were able to resist an attack by the 21st Panzer Division. Control of the bridge – and the nearby Orne Bridge – and the swift taking of the D-Day beaches meant that the 6th Airborne Division could protect the eastern flank of the entire landings.
Enjoy the photos.
wondered why I was taking his photo.
Yes, I picked up another stranded British RAF pilot today muckin' about on the Pegasus Bridge. Stanley Nottingham, he.
On the morrow, Utah Beach and Cherbourg.
I is tired.........nite nite.
D.
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