Port en Bessin lay on the western edge of the Gold Beach area, A heavily defended small port, it's capture was tasked to 47 Royal Marine Commando. The Commandos landed with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division marching to the small Port to assault the German positions.
The port is situated in a bowl of steep hills, making it a difficult objective to seize. Unfortunately for the Commando's, two flak boats were in port and were able to use their anti-aircraft gums to supplement the strong points in the port.
The Commandos held up be the defenders during the day, found a route through the steep hills, and during the night infiltrated into the port, and conducted the assault. The port fell to the Commandos on the 7th June 1944.
In the months after D-Day, Port-en-Bessin assumed a vital role in the Allied Normandy breakout because it was the destination for the Pipeline Under The Ocean (PLUTO) which pumped millions of gallons of fuel under the Channel to France from the English coast.
