The purpose of bombing city centres was to disrupt enemy communications and slow the advance of German reserves by road and by rail towards the front line. The fire thereby unleashed burnt for 12 days and much of the centre of town was gutted. The intense bombing of towns and cities in Normandy began in the night of 5-6 June. The first DUKW or floating truck, risked the harbour roads on 16 July the first Liberty Ship direct from the United States, on 8 October. Unsung heroes laboured in their tens of thousands to rebuild the port. General Bradley, addressing the people of the town, declared: ‘It’s a pleasure to be able to say to the French people, “Here is the first large town that is returned to you.”‘ While the town was intact, the port facilities were thoroughly wrecked by the Germans. On 21 June, the town was surrounded on 25 June, the Americans were penetrating the town itself and on 26 June, the Fort du Roule was finally taken. It’s a pleasure to be able to say to the French people, ‘HERE IS THE FIRST LARGE TOWN THAT IS RETURNED TO YOU’ General Bradley commanded First Army his first mission, to capture Cherbourg.
The objective was now clear: to capture Cherbourg from inland as soon as possible – and get it up and running! The port of CHERBOURG, A KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVEĬherbourg owed its importance to having the capacity of receiving the largest ships afloat, and directly from the United States. General Eisenhower and all commanders agreed. The original plan for a 25-mile wide assault area was set aside by General Montgomery on 1 January 1944 it had a new name, Overlord, and would now take place along a 50-mile long stretch of the Normandy coastline, from Ouistreham, north of Caen to Saint-Martin-de-Varreville in the Manche département. After visiting Montgomery, de Gaulle was driven off to Bayeux where he attracted enthusiastic crowds. On 14 June, General de Gaulle disembarked from the destroyer La Combattante, to step ashore at Juno Beach.
#Liberated 2 free#
You can see here Maurice Schumann, the spokesman for the Free French (who had broadcast regularly on the BBC as well), and who had come ashore at Asnelles-sur-Mer.
At the same time the German gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer was captured and the gun crew there quietly surrendered. The British troops off Gold Beach entered the town without a fight at around 9am on 7 June. For the sons of France, wherever they are, and whoever they are, the simple and sacred duty is to fight the enemy by all the means at their disposal.’ DE GAULLE’S ENTRY INTO BAYEUXĪt midday, Eisenhower broadcast the message: ‘In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.’ BRITISH TROOPS INVEST BAYEUX UNOPPOSED IN THE MORNING OF 7 JUNE Of course, this is the Battle of France and the Battle for France. For Cherbourg 26 June, for Caen 9 July, for Saint-Lô 18 July, and for Paris itself, 25 August.įrom London, in the afternoon of 6 June General de Gaulle broadcast: ‘The Supreme Battle is under way. Most towns and villages would have to wait weeks, even months for their Liberation.
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