WWII Then and Now pictures

Port en Bessin

February 12, 2012 Erwin Jacobs

Port en Bessin was the actual linkup point between the American and British forces on June 7, 1944. The American 16th Infantry Regiment had landed on the Easy Red Sector on Omaha Beach and fought its way along the coastal towns to link up with the 47th Royal Marine Commandos, which had struggled its way from Gold Beach.

The Royal Marines fought a difficult battle to take the town and its eastern and western fortifications. The Royal Marines finally took the town after fighting house-to-house and knocking out the harbour defenses, which included pillboxes and a flak boat of the German Navy. The 16th Infantry Regiment took the part of town called Huppain and liberated the area now known as the Omaha Beach Golf Club.

Neerpelt bridge

February 12, 2012 Erwin Jacobs

The original bridge had been destroyed by the Belgian Army in 1940, but the Germans had constructed a wooden Pontoon bridge to the west of it. This bridge was taken on the evening of 10 September 1944 by the Irish Guards under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel J.O.E Vandeleur. While the Welsh Guards engaged the German forces around Hechtel, the Irish Guards advanced rapidly north-east through the villages of Eksel, Overpelt and Neerpelt, and launched their combined infantry-tank assault, with artillery support, from the grounds of the zinc processing factory in Overpelt. They succeeding in taking the bridge undamaged.

Belgium market garden

Rouen

February 12, 2012 Erwin Jacobs

On 30 May 1944, the city was heavily bombed. The cathedral again (in 1940 it already suffered fire damage) fell prey to the flames and architectural damage was considerable. The inhabitants tried throughout the night to extinguish the fire. The cathedral could be saved but the Saint-Maclou (church) was in ashes. After the landing of the Allies, the German troops were still in the city. The bridges over the Seine were blown up and they could not leave.

On 30 August the Germans were the Canadians finally expelled from the city, for their retreat, they crossed the harbor installations still on fire. The toll was high after the war, more than 3,000 people were killed and 10,000 houses were in ashes.

Normandy (D-Day) d-day, normandy

Point du Hoc

February 11, 2012 Erwin Jacobs

At 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.