Of the 388,000 British deaths in World War II, 326,000 were military and 62,000 were civilian.
Day 7 - August 11 - Bayeux - British and American Sectors
This morning we visited the Longues-sur-Mer (German Coastal Artillery Battery) and the Musee du Debarquement in Arromanches.
Canon Russe Putilov
This 76.2 mm calibre canon (left) "was used by the German Army to defend the Atlantic wall. On June 7th 1944, the canon, then situated on the site of the Longues-sur-Mer Battery, near the cliff, was neutralized by the British Army. It is thought to have been used, empty shells were found nearby." (Canon Sign)
This morning we visited the Longues-sur-Mer (German Coastal Artillery Battery) and the Musee du Debarquement in Arromanches.
Canon Russe Putilov
This 76.2 mm calibre canon (left) "was used by the German Army to defend the Atlantic wall. On June 7th 1944, the canon, then situated on the site of the Longues-sur-Mer Battery, near the cliff, was neutralized by the British Army. It is thought to have been used, empty shells were found nearby." (Canon Sign)
A Battery of the Atlantic Wall Surrendered
"Situated west of Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy, Longues-sur-Mer overlooked the ocean from the top of a 65 meters height cliff, a perfect position where the Germans had installed four 150 mm guns battery. On 6 June 1944, at 5:30 am several allied battle ships opened fire on the battery. When the Allied Armada was on sight, the German heavy guns striked back. The HMS Ajax concentrated his fire on the German battery at one kilometre range. The battery stopped bombing a short time, but fire started again and the position shelled the Landing ships until 5 pm. The battery surrendered to the British troops the next day with the 184 men garrison."
Musee du Debarquement
The Landing Museum
This museum was inaugurated in 1954; it explains, using a scale model and a film, how the formidable technical challenge
of the Arromanches artificial harbour was managed. The liberation of Normandy is displayed through expositions showing off the
Nations who fought on the battlefield. Outside, surrounding the museum, military equipment is on display as well as a number of memorials.
This museum was inaugurated in 1954; it explains, using a scale model and a film, how the formidable technical challenge
of the Arromanches artificial harbour was managed. The liberation of Normandy is displayed through expositions showing off the
Nations who fought on the battlefield. Outside, surrounding the museum, military equipment is on display as well as a number of memorials.
