Normandy D-Day Beaches

A highlight of our new walking holiday in Normandy is the chance to visit the region’s D-Day Landing Beaches and immerse yourself in their poignant past. But what story does each have to tell? Inntravel’s Adam Price takes us back to 1944 to explain…

Utah

The most westerly, and arguably least visited, of all the D-Day landing beaches, UTAH nevertheless played an important role in the Allied plan. Firstly it provided protection for the landings further east along the coast; secondly, it meant that American troops could advance up the Cotentin Peninsula to capture the deep-water port of Cherbourg.

Consisting of broad, sandy beaches with a low sea wall and sand dunes, the location was ideal for landing large numbers of troops and equipment. In the event a combination of bad weather and the smoke from the naval bombardment obscuring the beaches meant that the soldiers of the US 4th Division landed a mile south of where they were supposed to. Fortunately, the German defences were weaker here and the troops encountered only light opposition, allowing them to push inland and link up with US airborne troops who had parachuted in during the night of 5/6 June to capture the high ground and roads in the countryside behind the landing beaches.

How can I visit? Our Day 1 route leads you across Utah Beach – to the Utah Beach D-Day Landing Museum.

Omaha

‘Bloody Omaha’, as it became known, has come to symbolise America’s sacrifice on D-Day as a whole. This is due in part to the heavy casualties suffered by the assault troops here (more American soldiers died on OMAHA than on GOLD, JUNO and SWORD beaches combined) as well as the haunting images captured that day by the war photographer Robert Capa. In more recent years, it has also served as the setting for the opening of Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. Yet undoubtedly, the landings at OMAHA provided the high drama of the day for it was here that all the careful planning for D-Day went badly wrong.

The area designated for the landings here covered some 4.5 miles and its terrain was some of the most challenging faced by any of the amphibious assault troops. The majority of the coastline between Vierville-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer was dominated by steep bluffs and rocks, with only a few channels, or ‘draws’, giving access to the country beyond.

With the naval and aerial bombardments failing to destroy the German coastal defences and rough seas swamping most of the amphibious tanks and artillery-laden landing craft coming ashore, the soldiers of the veteran 1st Division and 29th Division, made up of National Guard units, were exposed to the withering machine gun fire as they struggled up the beaches. Only after fierce and bloody fighting were troops able to get ashore and establish a foothold on the bluffs overlooking the beaches, where they were to remain for the rest of the day.

How can I visit? Day 2 of our Normandy itinerary begins on Omaha Beach, where you can take in the imposing US Military Cemetery.

Gold

The most westerly of the landing beaches in the British and Canadian sector, like OMAHA it was one of the widest, covering some four miles and split into two separate zones. Unlike OMAHA, the terrain was flat, with only a low bank of sand dunes and coastal settlements to impede the assaulting troops.

The task of capturing GOLD beach that day, and the main Caen-Bayeux road beyond, was allotted to the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, a pre-war territorial division that had seen service in France in 1940, North Africa and Sicily. Supported by engineers and an array of specially modified tanks nicknamed 'Hobart's Funnies', the infantry made good progress and by nightfall some soldiers had reached the outskirts of Bayeux to the south, whilst to the west the Commandos had captured Port-en-Bessin.

To the west of GOLD, the beaches at Arromanches had been selected as the site for the artificial floating harbour codenamed 'Mulberry'. With a freight capacity equivalent to the port of Dover, it was built in the days immediately following the landings and was to serve a major resupply port for the allies until the end of the war in Europe.

How can I visit? Day 3 is dedicated to Gold Beach and its surroundings, including Arromanches-les-Bains and the remains of its colossal floating harbour.

Juno
The force that assembled for the D-Day landings was truly international in scope, with over thirteen nationalities represented on land, sea and in the air. Yet only one other nation, Canada, was given the main responsibility for a Landing Beach on D-Day itself – at JUNO, sandwiched between British forces landing at GOLD to the west and SWORD to the east.

Like all the Landing Sites, the beaches here were broad and flat, but the coastline itself was a mix of sand dunes and sea wall that was very high in some places. There were also many more buildings and settlements located right along the beach front, including the large villages of Courseulles-sur-Mer, St Aubin and Bernières-sur-Mer, many of which had been reinforced with concrete and made suitable for defence.

Despite heavy opposition and bloody fighting during the initial landings, especially in front of Courselles, the men of 3rd Canadian Division made excellent progress, advancing to the high ground beyond the coast and in some place up to seven miles inland.

How can I visit? Take in Juno and its Beach Centre – which honours the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives here during the war – on Day 4 of our Normandy walk.

Did you know? Our holiday also includes a visit to Pegasus Bridge, captured by British airborne troops – the first allied soldiers to land on D-Day. We also include a 2-night stay in the historic city of Bayeaux, with its cobbled stoned streets and magnificent Gothic cathedral, home to the famous medieval tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Explore the D-Day Beaches on a Self-Guided Walking Tour in Normandy