Strongpoint WN70 at Hamel-au-Prêtre
A study of WN70 above the Hardelay villa brings together aerial views, photographs and tentative plans of a strongpoint still under construction.
The Yves Cordelle collection · 34 documents
Explore the places.
Vierville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Colleville-sur-Mer and neighbouring villages. The documents place the events within the villages and along the coast.
Vierville-sur-Mer
Strongpoint WN71 east of the Vierville exit
Photographs and plans examine WN71 on the eastern side of the Vierville beach exit, beside the anti-tank wall separating it from WN72.
WN72 at the Vierville beach exit
The WN72 dossier examines the bunkers and gun positions guarding the Vierville beach exit, illustrated by plans, aerial views and ground photographs.
Strongpoint WN73 west of the Vierville exit
Maps, sketches and photographs locate WN73 around the ruined Gambier house, west of the Vierville beach exit and overlooking the landing area.
WN74 at Pointe de la Percée
This dossier follows WN74 at Pointe de la Percée through coastal photographs, surviving gun images and plans prepared around the 1944 landings.
The German radar station at Englesqueville-la-Percée
Photographs and local accounts trace the German radar installation at Englesqueville-la-Percée and the earlier semaphore station on the same stretch of coast.
Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet
Saint-Laurent and the landings of 1944
An introduction to Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer during the landings links local history, occupation accounts, coastal defences and the fighting around Les Moulins and Le Ruquet.
WN 64: the strongpoint east of Le Ruquet
Plans and commentary describe WN 64 east of Le Ruquet, its gun and mortar positions, unfinished construction and the uncertainty surrounding its strength.
WN 65: the strongpoint west of Le Ruquet
A plan and descriptions examine WN 65 west of Le Ruquet, including its antitank ditch, bunkers and coastal positions, with several identifications qualified.
WN 66 and the area identified as WN 67 east of Les Moulins
The dossier examines WN 66 and the area marked WN 67 east of Les Moulins, distinguishing unfinished works from fortifications whose existence is uncertain.
WN 68 at Les Moulins, west of the beach road
Plans and photographs document WN 68 at Les Moulins, with notes on a tank turret, gun positions and the differing certainty of reconstructed features.
WN 69 in Saint-Laurent
The dossier locates WN 69 in Saint-Laurent and describes command posts, road barriers, buried communications and rocket-launcher positions nearby.
Allied assault plans for Saint-Laurent
Maps and commentary set out Allied assault plans for Saint-Laurent, covering Dog Red, Easy Green and western Easy Red and the intended beach exits.
The landings and fighting at Les Moulins: Dog Red and Easy Green
A dossier on the landings at Les Moulins examines Dog Red and Easy Green, the WN 66 and WN 68 defences and the failure of preliminary bombardment.
Fighting at Le Ruquet on 6 June: WN 64, WN 65 and western Easy Red
The dossier follows fighting at Le Ruquet in western Easy Red, relating the assault to WN 64 and WN 65 and the shortcomings of preliminary bombardment.
The first landings at Le Ruquet on the morning of 6 June
Photographs and film images follow the first landings at Le Ruquet on 6 June, showing approaching LCVPs, beach obstacles and troops on a rising tide.
Reinforcements and engineers landing at Le Ruquet from 10:00 on 6 June
Images show reinforcement regiments and engineers landing at Le Ruquet around high tide on 6 June, when several formations arrived on the same beach.
Le Ruquet on 7 June: wreckage on the beach
Photographs show wrecked craft, vehicles, debris and casualties near Le Ruquet after the first day's landings, with uncertainty retained in several dates.
Saint-Laurent after the fighting of 6 June
Images of Saint-Laurent after the first day's fighting document the beach exit, antitank wall, damaged buildings and continuing clearance of the area.
The history of Villa Les Moulins at Saint-Laurent
The history of Villa Les Moulins traces a Saint-Laurent property from former grain mills to a seaside home and its place in the history of the landings.
Saint-Laurent emergency airfield: E1 and A21C
Plans and photographs document Saint-Laurent's emergency airfield, its construction by aviation engineers and its use for evacuating wounded people from June 1944.
Colleville-sur-Mer
Colleville and the landings of 1944
An introduction to Colleville-sur-Mer in June 1944 leads into dossiers on German strongpoints, Allied assault plans, the fighting and the village afterwards.
WN 60 on the Colleville cliff above Cabourg
A plan and commentary describe WN 60 above Cabourg at the eastern end of Omaha Beach, including its weapons, shelters and artillery observation post.
WN 61 on Colleville beach
Plans and commentary examine WN 61 on Colleville beach, its flanking gun positions and the cautiously reconstructed details of its weapons and garrison.
WN 62 at Colleville
The dossier describes WN 62, its weapons and garrison, and the connection between the Colleville strongpoint and artillery observation inland.
WN 63: underground headquarters for Companies 3/726 and 8/916
Photographs and intelligence maps locate WN 63, the underground headquarters associated with Companies 3/726 and 8/916 in the village of Colleville.
Allied plans to capture Colleville
Maps and commentary explain Allied plans for Colleville, linking the Fox Green and eastern Easy Red sectors with beach exits and German strongpoints.
Fighting at Colleville on 6 June: eastern Easy Red and Fox Green
The dossier examines the 6 June fighting below WN 61 and WN 62 at Colleville, in eastern Easy Red and Fox Green, beginning with the preliminary bombardment.
Fighting east of Colleville on 6 June: WN 60 and Fox Red
An account of the fighting east of Colleville on 6 June relates the Fox Red sector to WN 60 and the failure of preliminary bombardment to silence defences.
Colleville in photographs after 6 June 1944
Photographs and film images show Colleville after the landings, including troops, civilians, prisoners, damaged vehicles and comparisons with later views.
Colleville and its A22C airfield
Plans and photographs document Colleville's A22C transport airfield, its construction in summer 1944 and its role in supplying the advancing American forces.
Pointe du Hoc and surroundings
Pointe du Hoc: photographs of the liberation
Photographs and maps follow Pointe du Hoc before and after the assault, including German guns, bombardment damage, climbing preparations and the surrounding communes.
Saint-Pierre-du-Mont and Englesqueville A1 airfield
Plans and photographs document A1 airfield near Saint-Pierre-du-Mont and Englesqueville, with construction dates, technical details and a local press account.
Trévières
Trévières during and after the liberation
Photographs show Trévières during and after the fighting, including casualties, ruined buildings, bridge work, celebrations and the clearance of debris.