Point du Hoc is located between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. One takes Road 514 in the direction of Cherbourg and St Mere Eglise. After a few miles, take Road 514a out to Point du Hoc. There is a parking lot to leave your car with a short walk to the site. The area is just the same as D-Day with bomb craters and destroyed defensive positions. The Germans had built a number of casements holding large caliber artillery that could shell both landing beaches (Utah & Omaha). German commanders knew that the Allied air force would subject the redoubt to massive bombing raids. Just prior to the invasion, the German army removed the guns back to the safety of apple orchards and used large wooden poles placed in the casements to fool Allied intelligence.
U.S. Rangers were assigned the task of assaulting the cliff at Point du Hoc to destroy the guns. After suffering significant casualties, the Rangers reached the top of the 100' cliff and found out that the guns had been removed. The Rangers searched further and found the guns. They destroyed the guns with Thermite grenades that fused the operating mechanisms. The commander of the Rangers was Lt. Col. James E. Rudder from Texas. After the war, he would serve as the president of Texas A&M and would preside over a major transformation of that university. The following are personal pictures:
Picture of the Cliff at Point du Hoc
German Bunker
Bomb Marked Landscapes
I am starting the tour of Normandy at Omaha Beach and the American cemetery at St. Laurent sur Mer. The cemetery is located only a few miles from Bayeux. Purchase a good Michelin map to assist in your travel. If still available, I recommend Michelin Map 102 which is a historical map with the name of "Battle of Normandy." You might check online to see if one is for sale.
The cemetery is open all year except for Christmas and New Years day. Hours during the summer run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the winter, the closing hour is 5 p.m. I recommend starting your visit at the Interpretation Center. The Center presents oral histories by WWII veterans who participated in the landing along with artifacts given to the Center. There is no charge for admission but visitors must go through a security check.
The cemetery is the resting place for 9,387 military personnel. One notable person buried here is General Teddy Roosevelt,Jr., son of President Teddy Roosevelt. Only a minority of these individuals were killed on D-Day with the rest killed in subsequent fighting in the Normandy Region.
For additional help, please google "American Battle Monuments Commission" which directs you to other American cemeteries in Europe
Pictures of the Cemetery
A small part of the impressive memorial at the start of the Cemetery.
Overlook of Omaha Beach
You can walk down to the beach and look back toward the bluff and see the challenge faced by the soldiers during the invasion. The German defenders had preplanned the fire zone with their machine guns. Their MG-42 machine gun had an extremely high rate of fire posing a real danger to the invading troops.
Row upon Row of White Crosses and Stars of David
Normandy is a picturesque part of France. The countryside is made up of many small villages and farms. The terrain is generally flat and is laced with many waterways. Over the centuries, local farmers planted hedges to separate their fields. This part of Normandy was called the bocage country (Basse-Normandie). The primary farm products of this region are apples (juice made into cider and further distilled into Calvados) and dairy products (camenbert and other cheeses). A great stopping point for tourists is the dairy cooperative at Isigny sur Mer). After a presentation by plant officials, you can purchase a soft-service ice cream cone at the cooperative store.
The sea coast from Quistreham to St. Mere-Eglise is generally comprised of flat sandy beaches with significant cliffs at Pointe du Hoc. Other cities and villages will be mentioned in subsequent postings.
You can travel to Normandy by train or rent a car in Paris for the approximate three hour drive over toll road #
13. If you are going by train, you go to Gare St. Lazare in Paris and later disembark at Bayeux. A car can be rented in Bayeux. I highly recommend a rental car to fully enjoy your tour.
Check with a recent travel guide for accommodations. You should allow yourself at least three or four days to appreciate the visit.
