7. DDay Beaches Normandy Full Day Tour
Learn about the DDAY Highlights. This excursion explores the whole area of Pointe du Hoc and Omaha Beach, including the American Cemetery, and ends in Arromanches on Gold Beach. Pointe du Hoc : Located between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc is one of the key heritage sites along the D-Day Landing beaches in Normandy. Pointe du Hoc, a strategic element of the Atlantic Wall, was stormed by Colonel Rudder's Rangers on the morning of the 6th of June 1944 - D-Day. it proved to be one of the toughest battles to be fought during the Normandy Landings: of the 225 Rangers that began the assault, only 90 were still fit to continue their fight for France's Liberation. The scars of the battle can still be seen to this very day. During your visit, you will discover an artillery battery, complete with its firing command post, casemates, shelters. Omaha Beach : Omaha is the most famous of the five beaches of 6 June 1944. The U.S. divisions involved lost some 4700 men, who were either killed, wounded or missing. It was the highest rate of D-Day losses in any of the five landing zones, and soon the beach was dubbed ‘Bloody Omaha’. The two U.S. infantry divisions which landed from 06:30 onwards (the 1st Division on the eastern half of the beach and the 29th division on the western half) experienced critical moments. The first two assault waves were decimated within a few minutes. Normandy American Cemetery : The Normandy American Cemetery, sited on a bluff high above the coast, is one of the world’s best-known military memorials. These hallowed grounds preserve the remains of nearly 9,400 Americans who died during the Allied liberation of France. Three Medal of Honor recipients rest here. Arromanches : The port was meant to be temporary, lasting maybe three months. It served for some five months. The Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches-les-Bains became known as Port Winston, after British wartime leader Winston Churchill, who was closely involved in its conception. A staggering 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles and four million tonnes of supplies arrived via Port Winston. Despite all its somber reminders of the shattering war effort, Arromanches has a good deal of charm, offering wonderful beach and cliff walks. Wandering around the town, you can also spot some intriguing memorials.