A place, a name,
a document.

The landings · The advance inland

Navy shore fire-control parties

The organisation and assignments of Navy Shore Fire Control Parties are explained, including the teams linking units at Vierville with their supporting warships.

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The landings · The afternoon and evening of 6 June

Vierville on the afternoon and evening of 6 June: the day's outcome

An account of Vierville at the end of 6 June 1944, covering the limited advance, wounded soldiers, disrupted communications and losses on the beach.

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The landings · The afternoon and evening of 6 June

The destruction of Vierville church tower on 6 June

Photographs and an account of the destruction of Vierville church tower on 6 June 1944, placed in the context of naval messages and isolated troops.

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The landings · The afternoon and evening of 6 June

Engineers on the beach and in Vierville on the afternoon of 6 June

A dossier on engineers at Vierville links the work on the beach with photographs of wrecks and casualties, many of which are probably dated 7 June.

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After D-Day · 7 June and reinforcements

The German counterattack at dawn on 7 June

A dossier on the German counterattack of 7 June combines unit-position sketches with a later officer's account whose identification is uncertain.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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Places · Saint-Laurent and Le Ruquet

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.

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After D-Day · Reinforcements and the beachhead

Reinforcements arriving from 8 June onwards

Photographs follow reinforcements landing at Omaha from 8 June onwards, including the 2nd Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions and later formations.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

The artificial harbour at Omaha Beach

Plans, photographs and commentary introduce Omaha's artificial harbour, from the Mulberry A project to the post-storm operation of the protected beachhead.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

Building the artificial harbour at Omaha Beach

Plans and photographs follow construction of Mulberry A and Gooseberry 2 at Omaha Beach, explaining their different elements and the effects of the June storm.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

Installing the Phoenix reinforced-concrete caissons

Plans and photographs document the Phoenix reinforced-concrete caissons at Omaha, showing their different types, towing, placement and damage after the storm.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

The metal pontoon causeways on the beach

Photographs and commentary explain the metal pontoon causeways, their construction from modular units and their use for unloading craft directly onto the beach.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

Landing Craft, Tank and landing barges

The dossier compares LCT types and landing barges, showing loading methods, movement of tanks and the wear caused by repeated beaching at Omaha.

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After D-Day · The harbour and supplies

Wrecks left after the June storm

Photographs document the wrecks and damaged harbour structures after the June storm, including Whale roadways, Lobnitz pierheads and surviving Phoenix caissons.

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Witness accounts · Residents and families

Fernand Leterrier's letter of 23 June 1944

A letter dated 23 June 1944 passes on indirect news from Vierville to people cut off from the village, identifying the witnesses on whom its account relies.

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