Painting: The 29th Infantry Division fights for every meter on Omaha beach LET'S GO 29 !!
Codename Omaha
OMAHA was the code name given by SHAEF to the Norman Beach located between Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes and Vierville-Sur-Mer, in the Calvados region ,target of the American armed Forces on D-Day June 6th 1944.Hemmingway gave her the name BLOODY OMAHA , No other name could more describe what happened on Omaha beach than this one,keeping in mind that 95 % of the first assault wave was destroyed and that 3000 casualities were counted on the beach after the battle. In remembrance of the battle that took place here on D-Day,the beach kept her codename so humanity could always remember her D-Day history.
The Ground :
Location :
Omaha Beach is located at the edge of a green plateau.This plateau is situated at an height of +/- 40 meters above see leavel.The arched gold colored beach with a lenght of 8 km's,is defined on her both sides by cliffs,it ends at Vierville-Sur-Mer at the edge of the cliffs named Mont Hérode and begins at Colleville -Sur-Mer at the edge of the cliffs named La Revolution.The sand is gold colored and at certain moments of the day when it's really sunny,it has a red color.In preparation of the landing operations scubba divers took samples of the sand in purpose to study her density and to make sure the sand wouldn't form an obstacle to the heavy materials like the tanks.The plateau that dominates the beach is devided in five parts by five valleys al going land inwards, on june 6th 1944 they formed the only heavily guarded Causeways for the troops landing on Omaha Beach.
The Valleys:
- The first valley and causeway is located at the edge of the Mont de la Revolution,between Wiederstandsnest (WN) 60 en WN 61(a WN is a strongpoint)and goes from the beach toward the uphill located plateau passing trough à typical hedgerow landscape called bocage ,from there out it runs in to a road called Chemin de Cabourg.The causeway is actually indicated by the roadsign Cabourg,you'll encounter this roadsign when you drive from Colleville-Sur-Mer toward Sainte-Honorine-Des-Pertes.
Picture of the causeway that goes to the plateau de La Revolution .
- The second valley and causeway is located between WN 61 and WN 62 and brings us from the beach,heading trough the forest and passing by green meadows,toward the Colleville-Sur-Mer town hallthat is situated along the Chemin de Cabourg.Omaha beach is indicated at the town hall by a road sign wich marks OMAHA BEACH 5 km at the end of this road you reach the Village Vacances de France and the EOLA yachting school.
Picture: The Colleville-Sur-Mer town hall
- The third valley is the famous Vallée du Ruquet or Ruquet Valley,where the Ruquet battery was located a pillbox that contained a 76,2 mm Russian gun.The valley causeway leads us up to the plateau overlooking the Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer beach area,it was on this plateau that the first allied airfield was installed.The road leads us further toward Surrain,Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer centre or toward Colleville-Sur-Mer.
Picture: The Ruquet valley and her pillbox.
- The fourth valley causeway starts at that part of the beach area they now call la Place du Monument at the dike of Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer and leads us, passing Les Moulins,toward the centre of Saint-Laurent-Sur-Mer.Along this road you'll encounter the Omaha 6 Juin 1944 Memorial Museum.
Picture: Saint-Laurent-Sur Mer : Place du Monument.
- The fifth valley causeway is located at the end of Omaha Beach at Vierville-Sur-Mer at the edge of the Mont Hérode and leads us toward the Vierville_Sur-Mer town centre passing by the Hotel du Casino where once a german bunker was located.
The Region:
The region in wich Omaha beach and her three villages are located is a rather calm region, agriculture is the biggest economical bussines here,the region is known for her cheese ,butter,milk but also for the CALVADOS production and the Norman cidre.The global image is the image of cows in the meadows,appletrees and farms,like you see on the picture.60 years ago it wasn't like this, the Germans rulled and the three villages were severly hit and destroyed by the war during D-Day and the battles that followed D-Day.After the liberation ,farm live went on like before,the destroyed farms and churches in the three villages were reconstructed normal live was reenstored, the only thing that really changed in the 60 years that passed is the presence of tourism and farms with guestrooms , such as the farm where I ussually stay, LE CLOS TASSIN,hosted by Marie-Thérèse and Daniel Piquenard and located at the entrance of Colleville-Sur-Mer.
Picture: Le Clos Tassin farm.
Sgt Eagle January 2005.
