Today was our all day tour of Normandy. We met our guide and group at the train station in Caen and drove to our first stop - the World War II museum (Le Memorial de Caen). From there we headed to the coast for stops at Point du Hoc, Utah beach, Omaha beach, the American Military Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, and the artificial harbor at Arronmanches-Les-Bains which also featured a 360 degree movie projected on nine screens. A fitting conclusion and recap of a historically informative day.
Our guide took us through the museum stopping along the way to share highlights, insights, and anecdotal facts. The architectural design is a downward spiral which gets darker as the storm clouds of war descend on Europe.
The chronology starts on November 11, 1918, the day the WWI armistice was signed at Versailles. An armistice is a cessation of hostilities, not an all out surrender by either side. However the harsh conditions imposed on Germany resulted in a collapsing economy, mass unemployment and runaway inflation. The German people suffered through starvation, hardships and humiliation. This led the German people to support Adolf Hitler and the national socialists (Nazi party) who promised to "Make Germany Great Again! "
So the end of The Great War set Europe on a path to WWII and the devastation and death that ensued.
A quick breakfast at the train station. There was no time to eat before our 1 1/2 hour drive to Caen and 9 AM meeting time.
Our meeting spot. Took some searching to find it but made it there in time.
First stop.
Although the van sped through town to get us here at the scheduled time, we learned that some of the other members were on a delayed train from Paris.
Oh well, time for another coffee.
Papa urn, Mama urn, Baby urn.
In the entrance hall was a British Hawker fighter bomber.
It all started in 1918 with 10 million killed and a pledge that the "Great War" was the "war to end all wars"
How did that work out?
Our guide
There were numerous maps along the way depicting the changing lines of sovereignty from the demise of Austria-Hungary to the German occupation of most of Europe.
Often overlooked, the Spanish civil war was the start of hostilities and Germany's assistance in support of Franco's fascist regime.
This is a photo of the total destruction of Guernica which inspired Picasso's famous painting.
Hard to follow the lecture and take photos along the way.
This one caught my eye, but don't know how it fit into the road to war.
Gave up taking pictures in the museum but Kim found a few interesting items in the gift shop.
Never knew that coffee was a fighting beverage but who could disagree.
Chocolate definitely is, and a lot more.
Notice the special 75th anniversary edition.
A bit weird and probably not a big seller. We passed.
Our first stop along the coast was Pointe Du Hoc
This is where Rommel installed his six gun batteries to fortify his Atlantic Wall.
Unlike others in Hitler's high command, as well as Hitler himself, he believed that the invasion would come in Normandy, not Calais, which was the obvious choice.
The allies decided to send a team of rangers to destroy the guns which were ideally placed to defend the coastline.
The gun batteries and machine gun nests are still in place along the cliffs.
Which provided a commanding view of approaching ships.
Knowing that the destruction of these guns was critical the area was heavily bombarded by offshore artillery and aerial bombs.
The landscape still shows the craters that the exploding shells created.
An ominous sign plus wire fencing keeps adventuresome tourist from wandering too close to the cliffs.
An almost intact gun emplacement.
But scanning the horizon was more effective at the end of the point where a spotter was in radio communications with the batteries to relay target information.
So the observer could see all the way to the next point on both sides. Notice that the cliffs go straight down to the water so landing here was not likely.
Interspersed between the guns were bunkers for sleeping quarters, housekeeping and a logistical communications center.
A plaque commemorating the 2nd Ranger Bn that came ashore before the landing to destroy the guns.
They scaled the rocky cliffs only to find out that due to insufficient funds the Germans never completed the six emplacements that Rommel wanted. The guns had been relocated inland.
These massive concrete structures were well built.
Notice the re-bar so they were made to last, and so they did.
What the Germans saw sans tourists.
And what the rangers saw upon reaching the top sans Kim.
The guns were installed in the circular pad.
To offload tanks and vehicles from the ships the allies brought portable roadways that were floated from ship to shore.
Notice the raindrops in the photo which were not just for the visual effect; it was still raining.
Burying the dead was carried out very quickly for sanitary reasons and minimizing the demoralizing effect on arriving soldiers.
After the war these disparate cemeteries were consolidated into a more lasting resting place.
Omaha Beach Memorial
Flat sandy beach which afforded several roadways or passages for the troops to advance uphill and inland.
A more modern Omaha beach memorial.
Even our guide did not know its significance.
A British bike tour
chanting on the beach in pouring rain.
Some times rain gear is not enough.
Entering the American cemetery you first encounter this amphitheater with sculpture where many of the 75th anniversary and past commemorations have been held.
Looking across the reflecting pool toward the burial grounds beyond.
Looking back along the walkway.
It is difficult to describe the site of so many graves which is only a small portion of this and the many other cemeteries in Europe where WWII soldiers are buried.
There are 9388 soldiers buried in this cemetery alone.
American military who die on foreign soil are now returned to the US for burial.
The rotunda depicting Columbia (America) sending her boys to war and those who died returning only in spirit.
Among the vast sea of crosses were some Star of David markers where Jewish soldiers were buried.
According to our guide many Jewish soldiers were listed as Christian to avoid persecution in case they were captured, so the number of Jewish graves does not reflect the actual number of Jewish soldiers who died.
Not only is this what we saw from the cemetery but what the German army encountered upon their ultimate fate.
Looking back from the cemetery to Omaha beach where many soldiers fought and died.
This mural depicts the total landing on Utah, Omaha, Gold, and Sword beaches.
Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region.
This mural depicts the entire military operation in Western Europe from June 6, 1944 through May 8, 1945.
Memorial Structure
We did consider planning a biking route to incorporate the beaches but decided that the uncertainty of riding would distract from the day.
Obviously this intrepid Backroads group endured the wind and rain - which might have given greater meaning to the experience - but I think we made the better choice.
Our last stop was the artificial harbor at Arronmanches-Les-Bains.
Our guide offered a detailed explanation. In a nutshell the allies needed to offload an enormous amount of materiel to support their advancing army. They could have tried to capture an existing port and harbor like Calais or Cherbourg, but time was critical. Therefore they constructed massive caissons which were towed offshore, sunk with water and sand which created an artificial breakwater that protected the ships from ocean waves. Two were tried but only this one survived a storm and could be used.
All in all this was an austere yet fascinating day. I can only wonder how the allies were able to succeed at landing on the continent. It is considered the greatest amphibian assault in history, truly earning that title.
For us this was a very long day, but not "The Longest Day."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to post a comment which will be gladly received.