50th Divisional Artillery Memorial Ver sur Mer
D-Day - Royal Artillery Run In Shoot
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| 50th Northumbrian Division Divisional Artillery Memorial Ver Sur Mer |
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| Sexton Self Propelled Gun Ver Sur Mer |
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Op Ducy - Ver Sur Mer
Op Ducy - Merville Battery
The German MERVILLE BATTERY is located 2 miles SE of the port of OUISTREHAM covering the mouth of the RIVER ORNE. Crucially for the planed landings on D Day it was situated 5 miles East of SWORD QUEEN BEACH, and it was assessed that the battery could cause serious problems for the troops landing on the beach.
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| Merville Battery Threat |
The battery consisted of 4 concrete casemates, the type used normally housing 150mm guns, and this was what concerned the D-Day planners, consequently it was deemed necessary that the battery be destroyed prior to the main beach landings.
The battery was heavily bombed by the RAf on 16th May 1944, but little damage was inflicted, though the Battery Commander was killed as he visited his mistress.
A ground assault was therefore planed.
The defences for the battery were formidable:
- 20mm anti-aircraft guns
- 15 machine gun positions
- Wire obstacles in an area 640 by 460 m surrounded by two barbed wire obstacles 15 4.6 m thick by 1.5 m high.
- 100 m deep minefield
- Anti-tank ditch covering any approach from the nearby coast.
- Areas to the East of the battery were flooded as part of a wider defence plan
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| Merville Battery June 1944 |
As part of the overall plan to secure the left flank of the D-Day landings, 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment, supported by Royal Engineers in Horsa Gliders, was tasked with the destruction of the battery. The Pathfinders would drop just after midnight to secure and mark the dropping and air landing zones. Main body would arrive 13:00, and the operation needed to be complete by 05:00 when a naval bombardment from HMS Arethusa would commence. Prior to the ground assault, RAF Lancaster Bombers would bomb the battery.
The Pathfinders drop was successful, however, their radio beacons had been damaged, and the smoke and debris from the RAF bombing, which was off target, obscured th landing lights.
The main drop and air landings were scattered as the DZ / LZ were not marked. Only 150 men out of a battalion of 800 arrived at the assembly point. There were no engineers and no infantry support weapons (anti tank guns) or jeeps.
A reconnaissance party had managed to reach the battery, mark 4 routes through the minefield and cut a route through the barbed wire.
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| Merville Battery Assault |
The reduced battalion managed to penetrate into the Battery and neutralised the gun by throwing fragmentation and phosphorous grenades through the gun apertures.
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| Merville Battery Casemate |
The German garrison resisted and only 75 paratroopers withdrew from the battery shortly before 05:00.
The guns were only neutralised. Two guns were in action later in the day, though it transpired that the guns were only 100mm aged Czech WW1 guns.
The battery would not be captured till 17th August 1944.
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| Merville Battery Plan |
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| Merville Battery Dakota |
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| Merville Battery |
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| On guard |
Op Ducy - Piper Mallin
On 6th June 1944 the 1st Special Commando Brigade commanded by Brigadier Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, landed on Sword Beach.
Landing with Lord Lovat was his personal piper, Bill Mallin, who played the Commandos ashore whilst under heavy fire.
The Commandos were tasked with linking up with the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry who had captured Pegasus Bridge by landing by glider in the early hours of the morning of D-Day. At 13:00 the Commando's arrived at the bridge to relieve the glider borne troops.
The Commandos advanced across the bridge to the sound of Piper Millin's pipes.
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| 1 Special Commando Brigade landing on Sword Beach |
Landing with Lord Lovat was his personal piper, Bill Mallin, who played the Commandos ashore whilst under heavy fire.
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| Piper Billy Mallin |
The Commandos were tasked with linking up with the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry who had captured Pegasus Bridge by landing by glider in the early hours of the morning of D-Day. At 13:00 the Commando's arrived at the bridge to relieve the glider borne troops.
The Commandos advanced across the bridge to the sound of Piper Millin's pipes.
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| Piped across Pegasus Bridge 2014 |
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| Piper Mallin display Pegasus Bridge Centre |
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| Piper Mallin's Pipes |
Op Ducy - Pegasus Bridge Visitors Centre
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| Pegasus Bridge Memorial Centre |
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| Pegasus Bridge Memorial Centre |
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| Pegasus Bridge |
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| Ranville Bridge |
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| Glider Pilot Regiment |
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| Air landing Memorabilia |
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| Ox & Bucks Light Infantry Memorabilia |
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| Air landing |
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| British Paratrooper |
Op Ducy - Pegasus Bridge
D-Day Pegasus Bridge
To safeguard the right flank and to prepare for subsequent operations it was essential that two bridges, one over the CAEN CANAL, one over the RIVER ORNE, at BENOUVILLE were captured intact.
The operation would be carried out by Air landing troops from the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light infantry deploying in Horsa Gliders.
At 22:26 the gliders took off bound for Normandy. En route one of the gliders destined for the bridge on the R.ORNE tow roped snapped.
At the CAEN CANAL, the first glider landed at 00:15, on LZ X, impacting an earth bank and stunning the crew and passengers. One minute later the second glider landed breaking in two, the third glider landing at 00:18 skidded into a pond causing several injuries and a fatality.
The troops emerged from the gliders, engaged trenches, gun pits and a concrete bunker which it was believed held the demolition trigger.
After a brief fire fight, the bridge was secured at 00:24. The first house liberated in France was the Café Gondralle
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| Bridge over Caen Canal |
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| Bridge over River Orne |
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| Operation on the Caen Canal and River Orne |
The operation would be carried out by Air landing troops from the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light infantry deploying in Horsa Gliders.
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| Horsa Glider |
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| Horsa Glider |
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| Horsa Glider interior |
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| Air landing soldier in Horsa Glider |
At 22:26 the gliders took off bound for Normandy. En route one of the gliders destined for the bridge on the R.ORNE tow roped snapped.
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| Horsa Glider being towed |
At the CAEN CANAL, the first glider landed at 00:15, on LZ X, impacting an earth bank and stunning the crew and passengers. One minute later the second glider landed breaking in two, the third glider landing at 00:18 skidded into a pond causing several injuries and a fatality.
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| Gliders landing on the Caen Canal |
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| Glider positions at Pegasus Bridge |
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| Glider positions marked by memorial stones at Pegasus Bridge |
The troops emerged from the gliders, engaged trenches, gun pits and a concrete bunker which it was believed held the demolition trigger.
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| Troops assault the bridge |
After a brief fire fight, the bridge was secured at 00:24. The first house liberated in France was the Café Gondralle
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| Café Gondralle |
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| Northumbria ACF Pegasus Bridge |
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| Original Pegasus Bridge |
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| Ian / Lee Pegasus Bridge |
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