Point du Hoc

Point du Hoc mapAt Pointe du Hoc (often spelled as its Parisian French name “Pointe du Hoe” in official Army documents), the Germans had built, as part of the Atlantic Wall, six casemates to house a battery of captured French 155mm guns. With Pointe Du Hoc situated between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east, these guns threatened Allied landings on both beaches, risking heavy casualties in the landing forces.

Although there were several bombardments from the air and by naval guns, intelligence reports assumed that the fortifications were too strong, and would also require attack by ground forces. The U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion was therefore given the task of destroying the strongpoint early on D-Day.

Point du Hoc 1944
Point du Hoc 1944
Point du Hoc 2015
Point du Hoc 2015
Normandy (D-Day) ,

Pompei

On 29 Septmber 1943 the Allied Forces captured Pompei. This photo is taken on the main road ‘Via Lepanto’ comming from the beaches facing inlands.

Taken from the corner from the main road ‘Via Lepanto’ and the smaller road ‘Traversa Somma’. Today Pompeii reaches the sea.

Pomei 1943 then and now
Pomei 1943 then and now
Salerno (op. Avalanche)

Salerno

salerneo_cemetery

The main invasion at Salerno by the U.S. 5th Army – began on 9 September, and in order to secure surprise, the decision had been taken to assault without preliminary naval or aerial bombardment. However, tactical surprise was not achieved, as the naval commanders had predicted. As the first wave of the U.S. 36th Infantry Division approached the shore at Paestum a loudspeaker from the landing area proclaimed in English: “Come on in and give up. We have you covered.” The Allied troops attacked nonetheless.

On the road to Salerno the Rangers met no opposition and with support from the guns of HMS Ledbury seized their mountain pass objectives while the Commandos, from No. 2 Commando and No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando, were also unopposed and secured the high ground on each side of the road through the La Molina Pass on the main route from Salerno to Naples. At first light units of No. 2 Commando moved towards Salerno and pushed back a small force of tanks and armoured cars from 16th Panzer Reconnaissance battalion

Unexpectedly the half-track drove around the corner in the dark in Vietri and was quickly taken under fire by No. 8 Section of Q Troop. The driver and the others who sat in the front seat were killed. The dozen Germans in the back were all captured.

Vietri 01_past
Intercepted German half-track, in Vietri, that pulls a trailer with a 21cm cannon from the direction of Salerno.
Vietri 01 present
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Salerno (op. Avalanche)

Lentini – Punta dei Malati

Punta dei Malati – 3 Commando Bridge. July 14th/15th 1943.
Underneath the story about the forgotten bridge at Lentini. This story comes from the BBC initiative to preserve WW2 stories written by the public. You can find this story and many others here.

Three kilometres north of Lentini near to the city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, lies the Malati Bridge. Today it is now on a minor road, overshadowed by an autostrada on massive concrete piles. This was not so in 1943.

Lentini 2 2006 - no 3 commando bridge
Lentini 1 2006 - no 3 command0 bridge

The Casablanca Conference in January 1943 attended by Churchill, Roosevelt and their military and civil advisers, decided that on victory in North Africa the next step in the war against the Axis forces would be the invasion and reduction of the island of Sicily. The “return to Europe”. Timed to take place in mid 1943 and code-named “Husky” the D-Day for this operation would be the 10th of July 43. The British and Commonwealth 8th Army and the US 7th Army, along with allied naval and air arms would make up the invading forces, landing by sea and air.

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Sicily (op. Husky)
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