Day Seven - No Blue Bayeux on Gail's Birthday

Astride the Les Moulins Draw

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Just a few hundred yards up the road into Les Moulins and off the beach was the Omaha Beach Museum. Of course, it was closed. At least we got nice and close to a Sherman tank and Rommel Asparagus.

Invasion Beach or Not, This is a Cool House

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If I ever win the lottery this wil be one of my twenty homes I'll own in Europe. I'm a big fan of the eyebrow window.

On to Vierville

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It was just a brief 5 minute ride along the beach road to Vierville. Directly in front of the pass between the beach bluffs was Dog Green sector. This was the scene of yet more disasters as it was well-fortified by the Germans. Almost every company involved on Omaha Beach landed well off their intended spot. After suffering severe early casualties once the troops regrouped and gathered what little resources and weaponry that made it onshore intact, they battled their way off the beaches, climbed the high dunes and drove the Germans back. Because the Germans had been caught by surprise they had few reserve troops in the area to mount a counterattack and drive the Americans back into the sea.

Thank God for the National Guard and Reserves

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And thank God I never got called up during my 6 year stint.

German or Russian?

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Behind the iron bars and set deep inside a lonely bunker on the only street corner in Vierwille sits this artillery piece. But is it a Russian 75 or German 88? And who really cares?

Vierville Blockhouse Monument

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The whole old German bunker has been restored and turned into a memorial to the Reserves and National Guard units that served that fateful day. Pennsylvania troops played a huge part not only as National Guard participants on Omaha Beach but also serving with the airborne troops dropped the night before.

Another Sign to Read

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Well I guess I have my answer - it's a German 88mm. Next question is "is this the actual gun that was in this bunker that day? And if so, why is it still intact?" Seriously, I really need to do this trip traveling with a bunch of other dudes that are WWII nerds. There's so much more I'd like to see and learn about.

Eavesdropping on the Paying Public's Tour

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While I walked along the concrete boardwalk (?) in Vierville I stopped to watch and listen to a very knowledgeable guide explaining the events of June 6, 1944. I was hoping they'd invite me down to listen since the assembled ladyfolks were very disinterested. Here the guide is showing the intended landing zones with the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc in the area where he drew a cross. I think the dad was into this, but after a few minutes even his son seemed bored.

Still More Fortifications Along the Beach

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Unfortunately none of these structures were marked. In fact, they were a little neglected so I'm not really sure if they are actual WWII artifacts or more modern replicas. It was along this beach in front of the D1 Draw that the German defenses kept the Americans pinned down on the beach most of the morning. While these soldiers kept the Germans occupied, other American units made their way up the beach on their right flank, overcame the Germans on the heights above then swung around and knocked-out these beach bunkers from the rear.

Life's a Beach in Normandy

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I'm not exactly a beach person, but I have to say I'd probably enjoy having to laze around on this beach far more than any of those in New Jersey. The sand does not stick to your shoes, it's easy to walk across, the waves are just as high as those at the Shore and those annoying New Jerseyites aren't sleeping off their hangovers on the beach. A might bit cold even in Summer though.

More German Defenses

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I continued up the beachside road and up a gentle incline where the road ended. It doesn't take a military tactician to understand that what stood on those hills was of significant military value. With no place else to land but on the broad beach fronting Vierville, the Germans knew that holding these heights would severely deter the Allies's advance. Therefore the bunker built into the hillside and the clear lines of fire from the clifftops.

Imagine Facing This...

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...knowing you have to battle through machine gun and anti-tank fire before climbing up to the top to eliminate the Germans firing down at you.

The Other Mulberry

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The artificial harbor built by the Brits in our home base of Arromanches-sur-mer is the better known, but there was a second Mulberry system set-up on Omaha Beach shortly after the Americans landed. Just like Port Winston the American harbor named "Mulberry A" was constructed of floating pontoons covered by 6 miles of metal roadway. It never made it into full operation because a major storm two weeks after D-Day scuttled it. Parts of it were sent over to build-up Port Winston. A few of the caissons and pontoons still remain on the Omaha Beach site.

Fast Forward Twenty Minutes

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Our final scheduled D-Day site was another one of my favorite vignettes from the invasion story: the cliffs of Pointe-du-Hoc. They are located just a short distance NW of Omaha Beach and were the scene of some of the most daring and heroic actions of the day. Huge German naval guns were mounted upon these heights. The Allies feared that the guns could come to bear on the hundreds of Ally ships supporting the soldiers clamboring up the beaches. With ranges of over ten miles, they could wreak havoc on the entire Navy. The US Army Rangers were given the task of making a commando-like raid miles away from the main American forces at Omaha. Not only did they have to brave the gunfire on their landing craft, but once landed on the narrow beach still under incessant German sharpshooters perched high above, they then had to scale the sheer walls to get up to the battery of cannon. Using huge ladders and grappling hooks they had to hoist themselves to the top all the while dealing with the gunfire above. Blow up the picture to read the detailed explanation.

Mr. Know-It-All Was Mistaken

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The site at Pointe-du-Hoc might be the most "commercialized" of all the D-Day sites. There were well-posted signs showing the way and a nice big macadam parking lot. A Visitor's Center was under construction and trailer served as a temporary restroom and information site. That was the first place I headed to once we parked. After seeing a couple of other sightseers try the trailer toilet doors and not get inside, I relegated myself to my own act of bravery by holding it in. Naturally Cassie remained in the car while the three of us headed-up the handicap accessible blacktop path into the fortifications. When we encountered this depression in the ground I told the ladies that this was the remains of German earthenwork fortifications. Further reading back here in the States revealed it to be one of thousands of craters carved out by the constant Allied bombing prior to and during the invasion.

Into the Wind Tunnel

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The path to the German's battlements traversed around and through a series of hedge rows that kept us shielded from the stiff breeze we encountered in the parking lot. In fact, the sun was now so bright that we were actually feeling a tad warm. Rounding the edge of the hedgerow we came to this open area on top of the seaside cliffs. As soon as we came out from the protection of the shrubbery we were slammed by gale force winds. Or were they "Gail" force winds?

Quite a Lovely Day Nevertheless

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At this very moment the wacky fickle Norman weather was suddenly in our favor. It was an absolutely stunning view we saw as we walked along the gravel path through the numerous bomb craters and concrete bunker remains.

More and More Bomb Craters

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Even though it was now sunny and somewhat warm despite the zephyr blowing our hats and hoods off of our heads, we had to be carefully skirt our way around huge deep puddles on the path. Weeks of rain had rendered the official thoroughfare across the entrenchments impassable. Battling the wind and the mini-lakes had us struggling as we made our way closer to the cliff's edge.

Atop the Gun Bunker

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Gail and her mother were sprinting at this point as they raced to see the view from above the main gun position. I nearly lost my fancy chapeau a couple of times as the wind became even brisker the closer we got to the Channel.

Another One of Those Norman Seaside Thingies

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I don't know what these solitary rock outcroppings are called by geologists, but my Michelin guide calls them "needle rocks". I suppose they are all temporal things since erosion will eventually destroy all of them over time. No doubt there is some bleeding heart French group somewhere protesting to protect them despite their limited period of existence. They'll soon be telling us that too many humans bathing in the Channel have raised the water level and therefore the needle rocks and the bugs living on them are threatened.