Sgt Eagle
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Ste - Mere-Eglise
The droppings of parachutists troops on the back of the Atlantic Wall, at dawn of 6 June 1944, should make easy the landing of the Allied forces. The aircrafts carrying the men of the 82nd American Airborne division undergo a violent fire from the German Flak, when approaching the western coast of Cotentin in the night of 6 June; some aircrafts are damaged and others slightly scattered. Around 1:00 a. m. the first parachutists drop on Sainte-Mère-Église creating a great confusion; the population shelter in the houses, the Germans shot several parachutists then they withdraw one kilometer south from the town. At 5:00 a. m. the Americans firmly hold Sainte-Mère-Église, pushing back several German conter-attacks.
The Droppings
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The 82nd division was dropped mostly to the north and west of the village, the 101st to the east and south: to the enemy and to the local populace alike, the airborne assault came as a complete surprise, and from Beuzeville to Ravenoville, from Carquebut to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, close combat broke out, even in people's homes and farms.
The Seaborne Landigs
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The seaborne assault began shortly after dawn, at 6.30am, and in the days and weeks that followed, in succession, landings on a truly vast scale unfolded across the beaches at Ste-Marie-du Mont, Audouville-La-Hubert, Saint-Martin-de-Varrevile, Saint-Germain-de-Vareville, and finally across the beaches at Fourcaville.
A 5mile (8km) long beach disembarkation area was thereby created, pumping men and war material into the battle for over 6 months: a total of 40 divisions, including that of the 2nd Armoured Division under General Leclerc, along with millions of tons of equipment and supplies were landed here: the whole Sainte-Mère-Eglise district becamme one huge American encampment.
John Steele :
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In the night of 5th-6th June, John Steele became a hero of the liberation of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.
His chute snagged on the church tower and although injured he hung there "playing dead" for over two hours until being taken prisoner by the Germans.
John Steele revisited Sainte-Mère-Eglise many times before his death on 16th May 1969.
The Further developements :
===========================
In the evening of the 6th June, with the darkening sky still overcast, whole squadrons of gliders began landing all around the area, bringing in supplies of food, ammunition, heavy equipment and troop reinforcements. Many fields were left strewn with the debris of unsuccessful crash-landings.
The battle was not decided until the evening of the following day. The National Highway 13 had to be held at all costs, but German troops out of Montebourg pushed the Americans back from Neuville-au-Plain to the northern outskirts of Sainte-Mère-Eglise itself. To the west, at Chef-du-Pont, a handful of well-sited German machine-gunners lurking at the edge of the marshes were taking a terrible toll among the many units trying to get down the road.
The critical meeting of American armor of the 70th Battalion coming off the beaches with the lightly-armed paratroopers defending Highway N13 was realised towards 4pm on June 7th. At once they began the enlarging of The bridgehead was immediately exploited and enlarged, pushing south towards Sainte-Côme, north towards Montebourg, west towards Pont-L'abbé, Picauville, Amfreville, Fresville and Gourbesville, where a major battle was shaping up.
For weeks the scattered parachutists behind enemy lines throughout the peninsula maintained the pressure of intense guerilla warfare, sustained by the local populace with food and cider (or something a little stronger..).
The area around Sainte-Mère-Eglise was the site of a unique double operation, combining a two-division airborne assault with a seaborne disembarkation that eventually extended over 5 miles (8 km) of expoded beaches with no port facilities whatsoever. Just as the tank had played a crucial innovative role in the last months of the First World War, so this inspired combined operation marked a new military development in the final stage of the Second World War.
Sgt Eagle
Last edited by Sgt Eagle, 5/31/2004, 9:01 am
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From this day till the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered ,we Band Of Brothers Henry V-W.Shakespear
Eendracht maakt Macht !
GO Belgium
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5/31/2004, 8:49 am
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Sgt Eagle
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HOW TO FIND
Out of Paris :
- Take the A13 freeway to CAEN (direction ROUEN, CHERBOURG) .
- Keep heading for the Cherbourg direction on the N13: don't go into CAEN.
- You pass CARENTAN on your left and go on until you come to the exit for SAINTE MERE EGLISE.
- In the town of SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, make a right into the square, go on for 300 yards and the Airborne Museum is on your right. Park in the square on your left.
Out of Cherbourg :
- Take the National Highway N 13 (direction CAEN)
- After MONTEBOURG take the exit to SAINTE MERE EGLISE.
- In the town of SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, pass the Town Hall, go on into the square, turn left in the square after the war memorial. The Airborne Museum is on your right. Park in the square on your left
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From this day till the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered ,we Band Of Brothers Henry V-W.Shakespear
Eendracht maakt Macht !
GO Belgium
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5/31/2004, 9:18 am
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Sgt Eagle
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Ste - Mere-Eglise the Municipality
Presentation of the municipality
--------------------------------
Sainte-Mère-Eglise is a city of c. 1,500 inhabitants.
The origin of the name of the city (litt., St. Mother-Church, therefore the church on the coat of arms) is controversial. It could have been named after a Germanic lord called Sintmer, or after a deformation of Marie. In the XIIIth century, the city was already known as Santa Maria Ecclesia.
Sainte-Mère-Eglise became famous on 6 June 1944 at 2:30, when soldiers from General Ridgway's 82nd Airborne Division were parachuted over the city. The 82nd Division, along with the 101st Division, was expected to relieve the hinterland of Utah Beach. On the evening of 6 June, Sainte-Mère-Eglise was liberated after harsh fights, which ceased only on 7 June when the first tanks arrived from Utah Beach.
The XI-XIIIth century church of Sainte-Mère-Eglise is portrayed in Darryl F. Zanuck's movie 'The Longest Day'. Soldier Steel remained hung by his parachute to the church steeple for two hours, during which he pretended to be dead, a few centimeters from a bell which constantly sounded the tocsin.
Sainte-Mère-Eglise is the starting point of the Voie de la Liberté (Way of Freedom).12,000 symbolical milestones were placed along the road followed by the Patton Army from Normandy to Metz and Bastogne (Belgium). Those milestones were designed by François-Victor Cogné in 1947 as a tribute to the USA. The milestones bear 48 stars, a torch inspired by the Statue of Liberty, the emblem of the 3rd Army and waves symbolizing the Atlantic Ocean. Km 0 of the Voie de la Liberté is the city hall of Sainte-Mère-Eglise.
Sources: Guide Vert Michelin Normandie-Cotentin
Sgt Eagle
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From this day till the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered ,we Band Of Brothers Henry V-W.Shakespear
Eendracht maakt Macht !
GO Belgium
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5/31/2004, 10:41 am
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