Utah, Omaha, and the American Airborne Story
The tour will visit the following sites.
Sainte-Mere-Eglise was one of the first towns liberated on D-Day by paratroopers of the 505th Regiment, 82nd Airborne. It is a strategic crossroads town inland from the Utah Beach landings and a local market town that was fought over heavily during the first few days of the D-Day landings. Hear the stories of the misdrops, the capture, and the defence. You can visit the famous church, view the stained glass window in honour of its liberators, and see the D-Day and Airborne monuments.
Hedgerow Tour. Leaving Sainte-Mere-Eglise, we drive down through hedgerow countryside towards the Utah Beach causeways. I will explain the history of the hedgerow, the problems it caused for both the Allies and the Germans, how it was defended, and how the Americans solved those problems.
Utah Beach, the first of the American landings, saw the 4th Infantry Division and its supporting units carry out one of the most successful landings. It shows how officers and men rose out of the chaos of war. First, we will visit the part of Utah where they should have landed, touring the German defensive position Stp 10, and then the actual landing site. It is a great site to visit, with monuments to the 4th Infantry Division, American Engineers, American Navy, and 90th Infantry Division.
Stop for lunch.
Omaha Beach. Stopping at the Dog Green section, you will see where Omaha Beach suffered D-Day's heaviest casualties as the 29th Infantry Division and 1st Infantry Division stormed ashore. This stop helps you truly understand the value of the ground held and the geography. The battle for the beach lasted many hours - "bullets like rain". Learn how the Americans overcame the determined German defence to push inland. We will then visit WN62, one of the German defensive positions in the 1st Infantry Division sector.
American Cemetery. Overlooking Omaha Beach, it is a truly humbling experience to walk among the 9,387 graves of American servicemen and women who gave their lives during the Normandy campaign. Beautifully laid out across 172 acres, it is the perfect ending to a day's tour.
