Gold Beach
Encyclopedia
Gold Beach was the code name
of one of the D-Day
landing beaches that Allied forces
used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II
.
Gold Beach lay in the area assigned to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division commanded by Major General Douglas Alexander Graham, and the 8th Armoured Brigade, part of Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey
's British 2nd Army. Gold Beach had three main assault sectors – these were designated (from west to east):
Item, Jig (split into sections Green and Red), and King (also in two sections named Green and Red). A fourth, named How, was not used as a landing area.
The beach was to be assaulted by the 50th Division between Le Hamel
and Ver sur Mer. Attached to them were elements of 79th (Armoured) Division. The 231st Infantry Brigade would come ashore on Jig Sector at Le Hamel/Asnelles and the 69th Brigade at King Sector in front of Ver sur Mer. No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
, attached to the 50th Division for the landing, was assigned to Item sector.
between Arromanches (crucial for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbour
) and Ver-sur-Mer, then head south towards Route Nationale 13 (RN 13), reaching Bayeux
and cutting the road to Caen
.
The 231st and 69th Infantry Brigades were to be first ashore and establish a beachhead. The follow-up 56th and 151st Infantry Brigades would aim to push south-west towards RN 13 supported by the tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade.
To the west, 47 Commando's mission was to capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with American forces landing on Omaha Beach
.
50th Division was also tasked with meeting the Canadian troops coming ashore on Juno Beach
.
Attached
Beach Parties
The central stretch of the beach was marshy and defended only by No. 3 Company of the 441st East Battalion, composed mainly of Russian conscripts. Crew-served weapons in this sector were mainly 50 mm guns in concrete emplacements and 75 mm guns inside pillboxes.
Facing the British in the western area of the beach were units of the veteran 1st Battalion of the 916th Infantry Regiment of the 352nd Division. The units facing the eastern and western areas of the beach were concentrated in fortified beach houses along the coast at Le Hamel and La Rivière
. The houses proved to be highly vulnerable to both naval and aerial bombardment.
Several artillery batteries were to the rear at Mont-Fleury, Ryes, Marefontaine, Creully and Crepon, covering the beach.
An observation post for four 155 mm guns was positioned on the top of the cliffs at Longues-sur-Mer
. These guns were located a further half mile (800 m) inland.
Kampfgruppe Meyer, the 352nd division's reserve based at Bayeux, had been in an ideal position to counterattack the landings early on June 6. However, the presence of paratroopers of the US 101st Airborne Division
near the Vire estuary, led General Kraiss, the Commander of the 352nd division, to perceive this threat as more important and ordered the reserve to this location. This tactical error meant several hours were spent retracing the 30 or so kilometres back towards the real threat at Gold Beach. The ability to counter-attack had been lost.
Prior to the landings, German defensive positions were attacked by medium and heavy bombers; the bombardment was continued by the 6 inch (15 cm) and 8 inch (20 cm) guns of the accompanying cruisers,(see 'Naval support' section below).
A decision was taken not to launch the amphibious DD tank
s from their landing craft tank
(LCTs) but to run them directly onto the beach. The first wave, carried in LCA
s, came in under heavy fire from the German defenders and suffered casualties. The 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment lost its Commanding Officer and Second-in-Command within minutes of landing. Following the Hampshires were the Commandos of the 4th Special Service Brigade
. They too suffered badly during the run-in and only one of their allotted landing craft actually reached the shore.
The decision to land the tanks directly on to the beach proved correct as there was no German armour in the area. Once ashore the tanks provided close support to the infantry and most of the initial German resistance was quickly overcome. Many of the German strong points had been neutralised by the naval bombardment earlier in the morning; La Rivièra held out the longest, but by 1000 hrs it had been captured.
and the special tanks of the Westminster Dragoons
. In this sector the defence was weak and the coastal strong points were easily knocked out before the troops pushed inland to tackle the German artillery batteries.
The attack on Le Hamel was slow and British forces took a number of casualties. The intervention of the 147th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, enabled the strong point to be neutralised and the village fell at approximately 1600 hrs.
The 69th brigade then continued its southward advance though Creully
and Crépon
. At 1600 hrs a German counter-attack was launched but failed to break the British lines.
. Here they dug in on ‘Hill 72’. Port-en-Bessin did not fall into British hands until June 8, following heavy fighting.
. These vehicles, such as the Sherman flail tank
, proved essential on D-Day. They cleared minefields, laid fascines (to bridge ditches) and trackway across soft sand to assist in exiting the beaches.
, HMS Argonaut
, HMS Emerald
, HMS Orion
, the battleship HMS Warspite
and the Free French Navy cruiser Georges Leygues
.
.
07.25 – The 231st and 69th Assault Brigades hit the beach. DD (swimming) tanks and beach clearance groups, delayed by bad weather, are landed directly on to the beach.
07.45 – Troops make slow progress against raking fire, but three beach exits are cleared within the hour.
08.20 – Follow-up battalions and No. 47 Royal Marine Commando land.
09.30 – Les Roquettes is captured.
09.50 – Stiff resistance at Le Hamel. Commandos head for Port-en-Besin to link with American forces. CSM Stan Hollis, 6th Green Howards, performs acts of bravery at Crépon for which he is later awarded the Victoria Cross.
10.50 – Reserve brigades begin to land; seven beach exits have been secured.
16.00 – Le Hamel is finally captured. 231st Brigade moves on to Arromanches. 69th Brigade encounters resistance in Villers le Sec/Bazenville area.
20.30 – 56th and 151st Brigades reach the outskirts of Bayeux and the Caen-Bayeux road.
21.00 – Arromanches is captured.
23.59 – A large bridgehead has been established, six miles wide and deep, linking up with the Canadians at Juno Beach. 47 Royal Marine Commando are ready to take Port-en-Bessin on the following day.
By midnight on June 6, the 50th Division had landed 25,000 men with approximately 400 casualties. They had penetrated 10 km (6.2 mi) inland and met up with the Canadians coming from Juno Beach at Tierceville. The 56th, 69th and 151st Brigades had dug in on a line between Vaux-sur-Aure and Coulombs. During the evening, patrols of the 2nd Gloucestershires reach the outer suburbs of Bayeux. To the west, Arromanches is reached at 2000 hrs and cleared an hour later. The link-up with the American troops cannot be made.
Men of the 47th Royal Marine Commando, after a day-long progression into enemy territory, had dug in on Hill 72 south of the Longues-sur-Mer battery.
Their objective, Port-en-Bessin, did not fall until June 8.
was launched to drive further inland and later to attempt to capture Caen
in the Battle for Caen
.
to be bestowed for actions on D-Day.
(Gold Beach).
Code name
A code name or cryptonym is a word or name used clandestinely to refer to another name or word. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage...
of one of the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landing beaches that Allied forces
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Gold Beach lay in the area assigned to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division commanded by Major General Douglas Alexander Graham, and the 8th Armoured Brigade, part of Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey
Miles Dempsey
General Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, GBE, KCB, DSO, MC was commander of the British Second Army during the D-Day landings in the Second World War...
's British 2nd Army. Gold Beach had three main assault sectors – these were designated (from west to east):
Item, Jig (split into sections Green and Red), and King (also in two sections named Green and Red). A fourth, named How, was not used as a landing area.
The beach was to be assaulted by the 50th Division between Le Hamel
Asnelles
Asnelles is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
and Ver sur Mer. Attached to them were elements of 79th (Armoured) Division. The 231st Infantry Brigade would come ashore on Jig Sector at Le Hamel/Asnelles and the 69th Brigade at King Sector in front of Ver sur Mer. No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 47 (Royal Marine) Commando
No. 47 Commando was a battalion size formation in the British Commandos, formed in August 1943 during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade and served North West Europe and took part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend, Antwerp and the...
, attached to the 50th Division for the landing, was assigned to Item sector.
Objectives
The primary D–Day objectives for the 50th Infantry Division were to establish a beachheadBeachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
between Arromanches (crucial for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbour
Mulberry harbour
A Mulberry harbour was a British type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy....
) and Ver-sur-Mer, then head south towards Route Nationale 13 (RN 13), reaching Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
and cutting the road to Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
.
The 231st and 69th Infantry Brigades were to be first ashore and establish a beachhead. The follow-up 56th and 151st Infantry Brigades would aim to push south-west towards RN 13 supported by the tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade.
To the west, 47 Commando's mission was to capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with American forces landing on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
.
50th Division was also tasked with meeting the Canadian troops coming ashore on Juno Beach
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
.
British forces - 50 Division Group
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division-
- 69th Infantry Brigade
- 151st Infantry Brigade
- 231st Infantry Brigade
- 56th Infantry Brigade
- Divisional Troops
- 61st Reconnaissance RegimentReconnaissance CorpsThe Reconnaissance Corps or simply Recce Corps was a short-lived elite corps of the British Army whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions from the Far East to Europe during the Second World War. It was formed from Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Groups on 14 January 1941...
, Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army... - 233rd, 295th and 505th Field Companies, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 235th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
- 2nd Battalion, Cheshire RegimentCheshire RegimentThe Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
(Machine Gun) - 74th and 124th Field Regiments RA
- 86th, 90th and 174th Field Regiments RA detached from Corps Troops (self-propelled guns)
- 102nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Northumberland HussarsNorthumberland HussarsThe Northumberland Hussars is a Squadron of The Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured Squadron of the British Territorial Army. It is part of a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment, equipped with the FV107 Scimitar and FV103 Spartan type armoured reconnaissance vehicles...
RA - 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
- 61st Reconnaissance Regiment
Attached
- 8th Armoured Brigade
- No. 47 (Royal Marine) CommandoNo. 47 (Royal Marine) CommandoNo. 47 Commando was a battalion size formation in the British Commandos, formed in August 1943 during the Second World War. The Commando was assigned to the 4th Special Service Brigade and served North West Europe and took part in the Normandy Landings, operations around Ostend, Antwerp and the...
- 1 Royal Marine Armoured Support RegimentGHQ Liaison RegimentGHQ Liaison RegimentGHQ Liaison Regiment was a special reconnaissance unit first formed in 1939 during the early stages of World War II and based at Pembroke Lodge, a Georgian house in Richmond Park, London.- History :...
Beach Parties
- 2nd Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment
- 6th Battalion, Border RegimentBorder RegimentThe Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th Regiment of Foot and the 55th Regiment of Foot....
German forces
- 716th Static Infantry Division - Generalmajor Wilhelm Richter
- 726th Grenadier Regiment
- 736th Grenadier Regiment
- 716th Pioneer (Engineer) Battalion
- 716th Anti-Tank Company
- 1716th Artillery Regiment
- 352nd Infantry Division - Generalleutnant Dietrich KraissDietrich KraissDietrich Kraiss was a German Generalleutnant during World War II, awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.Kraiss was born in Stuttgart...
- 1st Battalion, 914th Grenadier Regiment
German defences
Facing the British in the eastern area of the beach were elements of the German 716th Static Infantry Division (No. 4 company of East Battalion 441 and No. 7 Company of the 736th Infantry Regiment).The central stretch of the beach was marshy and defended only by No. 3 Company of the 441st East Battalion, composed mainly of Russian conscripts. Crew-served weapons in this sector were mainly 50 mm guns in concrete emplacements and 75 mm guns inside pillboxes.
Facing the British in the western area of the beach were units of the veteran 1st Battalion of the 916th Infantry Regiment of the 352nd Division. The units facing the eastern and western areas of the beach were concentrated in fortified beach houses along the coast at Le Hamel and La Rivière
La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur
-References:*...
. The houses proved to be highly vulnerable to both naval and aerial bombardment.
Several artillery batteries were to the rear at Mont-Fleury, Ryes, Marefontaine, Creully and Crepon, covering the beach.
An observation post for four 155 mm guns was positioned on the top of the cliffs at Longues-sur-Mer
Longues-sur-Mer
Longues-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The Longues-sur-Mer battery is nearby, part of the Atlantic Wall costal fortifications.-Population:-External links:* *...
. These guns were located a further half mile (800 m) inland.
Kampfgruppe Meyer, the 352nd division's reserve based at Bayeux, had been in an ideal position to counterattack the landings early on June 6. However, the presence of paratroopers of the US 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
near the Vire estuary, led General Kraiss, the Commander of the 352nd division, to perceive this threat as more important and ordered the reserve to this location. This tactical error meant several hours were spent retracing the 30 or so kilometres back towards the real threat at Gold Beach. The ability to counter-attack had been lost.
Initial assault
King Sector (La Rivière/Ver sur Mer)
H-Hour for the landing at Gold Beach was set at 0725 hrs on King sector (50 minutes later than in the American sector to allow for the difference in the west to east tidal surge). The British were aware that the beach was littered with defences – anti-tank obstacles and mines – which were to be dealt with by engineers in the first wave. However, due to a strong north-westerly wind, sea levels along the coast were higher than had been anticipated. This higher tide covered many of the mines and other obstacles. Those engineers that did reach the obstacles soon came under enemy fire which prevented them from being cleared.A decision was taken not to launch the amphibious DD tank
DD tank
DD tanks , were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War...
s from their landing craft tank
Landing craft tank
The Landing Craft, Tank was an amphibious assault ship for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the British Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of versions. Initially known as the "Tank Landing Craft" by the British, they later...
(LCTs) but to run them directly onto the beach. The first wave, carried in LCA
Landing Craft Assault
The Landing Craft Assault was a British landing craft used extensively in World War II. Its primary purpose was to ferry troops from transport ships to attack enemy-held shores. The craft derived from a prototype designed by John I. Thornycroft Ltd. During the war it was manufactured throughout...
s, came in under heavy fire from the German defenders and suffered casualties. The 1st Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment lost its Commanding Officer and Second-in-Command within minutes of landing. Following the Hampshires were the Commandos of the 4th Special Service Brigade
4th Special Service Brigade
The 4th Special Service Brigade was created in March 1944 from units of the Royal Marines. Due to the success of the Army Commandos’ operations in Norway, the Channel Islands, St...
. They too suffered badly during the run-in and only one of their allotted landing craft actually reached the shore.
The decision to land the tanks directly on to the beach proved correct as there was no German armour in the area. Once ashore the tanks provided close support to the infantry and most of the initial German resistance was quickly overcome. Many of the German strong points had been neutralised by the naval bombardment earlier in the morning; La Rivièra held out the longest, but by 1000 hrs it had been captured.
Jig Sector (Le Hamel/Asnelles)
Men of the 6th Green Howards came ashore supported by DD tanks of the 4th/7th Dragoons4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1992.It was formed in India in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards , as the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards; it gained the distinction Royal in 1935...
and the special tanks of the Westminster Dragoons
Westminster Dragoons
The Westminster Dragoons are central London’s only Territorial Army cavalry unit. One of the Royal Yeomanry's five squadrons, their current role is to support the Formation Reconnaissance Regiments and the Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment on operations by providing...
. In this sector the defence was weak and the coastal strong points were easily knocked out before the troops pushed inland to tackle the German artillery batteries.
The attack on Le Hamel was slow and British forces took a number of casualties. The intervention of the 147th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, enabled the strong point to be neutralised and the village fell at approximately 1600 hrs.
The 69th brigade then continued its southward advance though Creully
Creully
Creully is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.The town square is named after Canadian Lieutenant Bill McCormick of the 1st Hussars Canadian Armoured Regiment . Lt...
and Crépon
Crépon
Crépon is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:-Architecture:Historic architecture :* Parish church, Saint-Médard-et-Saint-Gildard, 12th-14th century...
. At 1600 hrs a German counter-attack was launched but failed to break the British lines.
Item Sector
No 47 (RM) Commando, the last commando unit to land, came ashore on Gold Beach east of Le Hamel in Item sector. Their task was to immediately push inland, then turn right (west) and cross 10 miles (16.1 km) of enemy held territory in order to seize and hold the coastal harbour of Port-en-Bessin. This small port was significant as it was to be the only permanent harbour for supplies to be brought in including fuel by underwater pipe from tankers moored offshore. After landing, 47 Commando moved south of Arromanches and pushed west to within a mile of Port-en-Bessin where they were halted just to the south of the Longues-sur-Mer batteryLongues-sur-Mer battery
The Longues-sur-Mer battery was a World War II artillery battery constructed by the Wehrmacht near the French village of Longues-sur-Mer in Normandy. It formed a part of Germany's Atlantic Wall coastal fortifications....
. Here they dug in on ‘Hill 72’. Port-en-Bessin did not fall into British hands until June 8, following heavy fighting.
Beachhead
Despite fierce opposition initially, British forces broke through the German defences with relatively few casualties. They also had the assistance of the 79th (Armoured) Division, equipped with Hobart's FunniesHobart's Funnies
Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom's 79th Armoured Division or by specialists from the Royal Engineers. They were designed in light of problems that more standard tanks experienced during the Dieppe Raid, so that the new...
. These vehicles, such as the Sherman flail tank
Mine flail
A mine flail is a vehicle-mounted device that makes a safe path through a mine-field by deliberately detonating land mines in front of the vehicle that carries it. They were first used by the British during World War II....
, proved essential on D-Day. They cleared minefields, laid fascines (to bridge ditches) and trackway across soft sand to assist in exiting the beaches.
Naval support
Hundreds of vessels made up Force 'G' that was to assault Gold Beach. Amongst these were the British cruisers HMS AjaxHMS Ajax (22)
HMS Ajax was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the British Royal Navy during World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the Siege of Tobruk. This ship was the eighth in the Royal...
, HMS Argonaut
HMS Argonaut (61)
HMS Argonaut was a Dido class cruiser-References:***...
, HMS Emerald
HMS Emerald (D66)
HMS Emerald was an Emerald-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong , with the keel being laid down on 23 September 1918...
, HMS Orion
HMS Orion (85)
HMS Orion was a Leander class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II.She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others.-History:...
, the battleship HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1913)
HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. During World War II Warspite gained the nickname "The Grand Old Lady" after a comment made by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham in 1943....
and the Free French Navy cruiser Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
.
German defences inland
Considerable opposition from inland enemy batteries and mortars hampered the landings, but by 1000 hrs, La Rivière was captured and a couple hours later, Le Hamel fell. The Royal Marine Commandos were able to reach within a mile (1.6 km) of Port-en-Bessin after finding that the Loungue-Sur-Mer battery had been put out of action by HMS AjaxHMS Ajax (22)
HMS Ajax was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the British Royal Navy during World War II. She became famous for her part in the Battle of the River Plate, the Battle of Crete, the Battle of Malta and as a supply escort in the Siege of Tobruk. This ship was the eighth in the Royal...
.
Gold Beach timeline
07.45 – Troops make slow progress against raking fire, but three beach exits are cleared within the hour.
08.20 – Follow-up battalions and No. 47 Royal Marine Commando land.
09.30 – Les Roquettes is captured.
09.50 – Stiff resistance at Le Hamel. Commandos head for Port-en-Besin to link with American forces. CSM Stan Hollis, 6th Green Howards, performs acts of bravery at Crépon for which he is later awarded the Victoria Cross.
10.50 – Reserve brigades begin to land; seven beach exits have been secured.
16.00 – Le Hamel is finally captured. 231st Brigade moves on to Arromanches. 69th Brigade encounters resistance in Villers le Sec/Bazenville area.
20.30 – 56th and 151st Brigades reach the outskirts of Bayeux and the Caen-Bayeux road.
21.00 – Arromanches is captured.
23.59 – A large bridgehead has been established, six miles wide and deep, linking up with the Canadians at Juno Beach. 47 Royal Marine Commando are ready to take Port-en-Bessin on the following day.
By midnight on June 6, the 50th Division had landed 25,000 men with approximately 400 casualties. They had penetrated 10 km (6.2 mi) inland and met up with the Canadians coming from Juno Beach at Tierceville. The 56th, 69th and 151st Brigades had dug in on a line between Vaux-sur-Aure and Coulombs. During the evening, patrols of the 2nd Gloucestershires reach the outer suburbs of Bayeux. To the west, Arromanches is reached at 2000 hrs and cleared an hour later. The link-up with the American troops cannot be made.
Men of the 47th Royal Marine Commando, after a day-long progression into enemy territory, had dug in on Hill 72 south of the Longues-sur-Mer battery.
Their objective, Port-en-Bessin, did not fall until June 8.
Aftermath
Following the landing Operation PerchOperation Perch
Operation Perch was a British offensive of the Second World War which took place between 7 and 14 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to encircle and seize the German occupied city of Caen, which was a major Allied objective in the early stages of the invasion of...
was launched to drive further inland and later to attempt to capture Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
in the Battle for Caen
Battle for Caen
The Battle for Caen from June-August 1944 was a battle between Allied and German forces during the Battle of Normandy....
.
Stanley Hollis VC
It was during the assault on the beach and clearing the Mount Fleury battery that CSM Stanley Hollis's actions enabled D Company to open the main beach exit. Later that day his bravery at Crepon saved the lives of several of his men and he was awarded the only Victoria CrossVictoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
to be bestowed for actions on D-Day.
See also
- Arromanches-les-BainsArromanches-les-BainsArromanches-les-Bains is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France....
- Sword BeachSword BeachSword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
- Utah BeachUtah BeachUtah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
- Omaha BeachOmaha BeachOmaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
- Juno BeachJuno BeachJuno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
Gallery
Some pictures of modern day Arromanches-les-BainsArromanches-les-Bains
Arromanches-les-Bains is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France....
(Gold Beach).