Utah Beach St Mere Eglise

The fortunes of war and clear-headed decisions by commanders on the scene combined to make Utah Beach the most successful and least costly of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Strong ocean currents and the confusion of battle placed the landing force a mile south of its target, but further away from German artillery and in a sector that was less heavily defended because the land inland was flooded. The first craft ashore happened to contain Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. who immediately brought order to what might have been a chaotic situation. The U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment quickly began to move inland for a crucial linkup with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, all of whose landing zones were behind Utah Beach. The personalities, units and individual actions of this dramatic D-Day landing are all covered in the usual Battlegroud Europe fashion, with numerous illustrations, maps and a guide to the area as it is today.

This major addition to our Battleground WW2 Series covers the U.S. airborne and seaborne landings on the Cotentin Peninsular on D-Day 6 June 1946. It tells a dramatic story of near disastrous drops by the U.S. 101st (The Screaming Eagles) and 82nd (The All American) Airborne Divisions and how they gallantly regrouped and gained their objectives at St. Mere Eglise and Carentan. Meanwhile the 4th U.S. Infantry Division were the first American seaborne troops to land (at Utah) followed closely by the 90th Infantry Division.This book graphically describes how these divisions eventually linked up and succeeded in cutting off the vital port of Cherbourg. The book also describes the 'big picture' leading up to D-Day and is particularly interesting in its revelations about the notorious 'Operation Tiger' when over 700 American troops died during training.

Description: Utah Beach. Normandy, France. A woman in military uniform stands amidst uniformed servicemen and women.

Balkoski is in top form in this groundbreaking analysis of the other half of America's D-Day.--Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel

Whether you want to explore the historical towns of Normandy, contemplate the evocative relics of war at the Landing Beaches, or sip the finest Calvados in picturesque rusticity, Footprint Focus proves an invaluable guide. This compact yet concise book will steer you towards the most interesting sights that Normandy’s coast has to offer, as well as ensuring you enjoy undiscovered corners too. Comprehensive listings of the best food, drink and accommodation will help you make the most of your trip. • Essentials section with useful advice on getting to and around the Normandy Coast, Caen, the Landing Beaches and Mont St Michel • Comprehensive, up-to-date listings of where to eat, sleep and play. • Includes information on tour operators and activities, from sampling Normandy cider to climbing the magnificent Mont St Michel. • Detailed maps for the Normandy Coast and other key destinations. • Slim enough to fit in your pocket. With detailed information on all the main sights, plus many lesser-known attractions, Footprint Focus Normandy Coast (includes Caen, the Landing Beaches & Mont St Michel) provides concise and comprehensive coverage of one of France’s most historically fascinating regions. The content of the Footprint Focus Normandy Coast (includes Caen, the Landing Beaches & Mont St Michel) guide has been extracted from Footprint’s Normandy Full-Color Guide.

The journal of a Light Ponton Engineer in World War II, building "forward" Bailey bridges from Normandy to southeast Germany.

Whether you want to eat your way across France, see the Renaissance art of Italy, or take in Oktoberfest in Germany, the local Fodor‘s travel experts in Europe are here to help! Fodor‘s Essential Europe guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor‘s Essential Europe includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 100 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! UP-TO-DATE and HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS for the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Top Landmarks” “Best Art Museums,” and “Most Picturesque Towns and Villages” TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems COVERS: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Planning on visiting more of Europe? Check out Fodor‘s Essential France, Fodor's Essential Italy, and Fodor's Essential Spain. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor‘s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us! *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.