normandy

[polo59]

what are the five d-day beaches of normandy

[Octavius]

UTAH BEACH, OMAHA BEACH, GOLD BEACH, JUNO BEACH, SWORD BEACH

 

Omaha Beach was the most intensely fought after beach on D-Day on June 6th 1944. Omaha Beach was six miles wide - the largest of all the five beaches. The whole of the beach at Omaha was overlooked by cliffs which made attacking the area very difficult. The Americans were given the task of doing just this - as portrayed in the film Saving Private Ryan.

 

 

[simms]

If you visit Omaha Beach (well worth) you'll see the true sacrifice made there - low sandy cliffs sloping gently outwards in a series of natural defensive embankments. Don't forget tho that the whole arena was pretty grim: at Sword they had to run up a long level beach with no possibility of cover. And the terrain inland was perfect for ambush and very difficult to deploy tanks in. Go to the museum at Arromanches if you ever get the opportunity.