DioLiu/Test2 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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81st & 82nd Assault Squadrons , 6th Assault Regiment , RE ( AVREs )
56th Infantry Brigade , commanded by Brigadier E.C. Pepper
2nd Battalion , Essex Regiment
2nd Battalion , Gloucestershire Regiment
2nd Battalion , South Wales Borderers
8th Armoured Brigade , commanded by Brigadier H.J.B. Carcroft
4th / 7th Royal Dragoon Guards ( DD Tanks )
Nottinghamshire Yeomanry ( DD Tanks )
76th Anti @-@ Aircraft Brigade , commanded by Brigadier E.R. Benson
113th Heavy Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA ( HQ only )
320th Battery , 93rd Light Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA
394th & 395th Batteries , 120th Light Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA
152nd Anti @-@ Aircraft Operations Room , RA
A Troop , 356th ( Independent ) Searchlight Battery , RA
Additional units attached for assault phase
GHQ Liaison Regiment , RAC ( ' Phantom ' )
341st , 342nd , & 462nd Batteries , 86th ( East Anglian ) ( Hertfordshire Yeomanry ) Field Regiment , RA ( Self @-@ propelled )
413th , 431st & 511th Batteries , 147th ( Essex Yeomanry ) Field Regiment , RA ( Self @-@ propelled )
198th & 234th Batteries , 73rd Anti @-@ Tank Regiment , RA
662nd Air Observation Post Squadron , RA ( Ground crew of one flight only )
73rd Field Company , RE
280th Field Company , RE
203rd Field Ambulance , RAMC
168th Light Field Ambulance , RAMC
1st Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment
No. 47 ( Royal Marine ) Commando
104 Beach Sub @-@ Area HQ
9 & 10 Beach Groups and Signal Section
69th , 89th , 90th & 183rd Field Companies , RE
21st & 23rd Stores Sections , RE
51st & 74th Mechanical Equipment Sections , RE
1043rd Port Operating Company , RE
953rd & 961st Inland Water Transport Companies , RE
2nd Battalion , Hertfordshire Regiment
6th Battalion , Border Regiment
305th , 536th & 705th General Transport Companies , Royal Army Service Corps ( RASC )
2nd & 5th Detail Issue Depots , RASC
244th Petrol Dept , RASC
3rd & 10th Casualty Clearing Stations , RAMC
3rd , 25th , 31st , 32nd & 35th Field Dressing Stations , RAMC
Nos 41 , 42 , 47 & 48 Field Surgical Units , RAMC
Nos 24 & 30 Field Transfusion Unit , RAMC
22nd & 23rd Port Details , RAMC
7th , 10th & 36th Ordnance Beach Detachments , Royal Army Ordnance Corps
24th & 25th Beach Recovery Sections , Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers ( REME )
XXX Corps Workshop , REME ( 2 Composite Workshops & 1 Light Recovery Section )
240th & 243rd Provost Companies , RMP
75th , 173rd , 209th & 280th ( Pioneer ) Companies , Pioneer Corps

= = = German forces = = =

From June 1942 , 716th Infantry Division covered the Grandcamps Sector , which stretched from the base of the Cotentin Peninsula to the Orne River near Caen , a distance of 77 kilometres ( 48 mi ) . When 352nd Infantry Division arrived on 15 March , the Grandcamps Sector was split into the Bayeux Sector ( from Carentan to Asnelles ) and the Caen Sector ( from Asnelles to the Orne ) . Most of the 716th Infantry Division remained where they were , and thus the defenses in Caen Sector ( site of the Gold landings ) were not substantially strengthened .
352nd Infantry Division under Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss915th Grenadier Regiment : south @-@ east of Bayeux , as reserves
916th Grenadier Regiment : covered Omaha and the westernmost part of Gold
352nd Artillery Regiment : covered Omaha and the westernmost part of Gold
716th Static Infantry Division under Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter726th Infantry Regiment : two battalions in and around Le Hamel . Members of the 441st Ost Battalion garrisoned the coastal defenses . One battalion was stationed near Crépon as reserves .
736th Infantry Regiment : covered Juno , Sword , and the easternmost part of Gold
1716th Artillery Regiment : mobile and casemated batteries east and west of Crépon

= = Landings = =

Bombing of Normandy began around midnight with over 2 @,@ 200 British and American bombers attacking targets along the coast and further inland . At Gold , naval bombardment by Bombarding Force K got underway at 05 : 30 , at which time the first waves of infantry were loading into their Landing Craft Assault ( LCAs ) for the run in to the beach . German defensive positions were attacked by medium and heavy bombers and by self @-@ propelled guns on board the landing craft . Results were good at Mont Fleury Battery and at Longues , where at 07 : 00 Ajax and Argonaut took out of commission three of the four guns . The fourth gun resumed firing sporadically in the afternoon , and the garrison surrendered the following day . Two heavily casemated gun emplacements ( an 88 mm gun at La Rivière overlooking King and a 75 mm gun at Le Hamel overlooking Jig ) were only lightly damaged , as they were heavily reinforced with concrete , especially on the seaward side . These positions had embrasures that permitted a wide range of enfilade fire on the beach . Four other German strong points in the immediate area were also only lightly damaged , and had to be individually assaulted as the day progressed .

= = = King Sector = = =

H @-@ Hour for the landing at Gold was set at 07 : 25 on King sector ( 50 minutes later than in the American landings , because of differences in the tide ) . The first wave on King was the 5th East Yorkshires and 6th Green Howards of 69th Brigade , assisted by amphibious DD tanks of the 4th / 7th Dragoon Guards . The 7th Green Howards landed at 08 : 20 . The original plan called for the 38 DD tanks to be launched from their landing craft tank ( LCTs ) about 5 @,@ 000 yards ( 4 @,@ 600 m ) out . Due to extremely choppy seas , they decided to run the tanks directly onto the beach . Infantry , engineers , and DD tanks arrived almost simultaneously . Units disembarking onto the beach immediately came under fire from the casemated 88 mm gun at La Rivière , and the infantry were forced to take cover behind the sea wall . The gun was taken out when a flail tank of the Westminster Dragoons fired a charge directly into its aperture . The 5th East Yorkshires , supported by several tanks , spent the rest of the morning clearing out the heavily fortified houses of La Rivière , at the loss of 90 men , including six officers .
Specialised armour arriving in the first wave included AVREs , mine flails , and armoured bulldozers . Clearing paths off the beach proved difficult , as the tanks got stuck in the mud or were taken out by mines . A lone mine flail tank finally cleared a path from the beach up toward the Mont Fleury Battery and Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer . This route was used by the Green Howards and tanks of the 4th / 7th Dragoon Guards , who cleared the remaining resistance at the Mont Fleury Battery . B Company moved on to attack trench positions and machine gun emplacements at Meuvaines Ridge , while C Company moved to the west of Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer to help cover the assault on Crépon , where roads led to the important targets of Bayeux and Caen . The 7th Green Howards attacked the gun battery at Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer , where they took 50 prisoners . Colour Sergeant @-@ Major Stanley Hollis earned the only Victoria Cross to be bestowed for actions on D @-@ Day . On the way to the Mont Fleury Battery , Hollis came under machine gun fire while investigating a pillbox , so he shot into the entrance with his Sten gun and dropped a grenade through the roof , killing most of the occupants . He cleared a nearby trench of enemy soldiers , whereupon the occupants of a second pillbox surrendered . Later in the day , he saved the lives of three men during an attempt to take out a field artillery installation at a farm near Crépon .
Scheduled to land at 11 : 00 on Jig , the 56th Infantry Brigade was re @-@ routed King , because the gun battery at Le Hamel was still operational . They proceeded towards their objective of Bayeux . 151st Brigade arrived at the same time and after meeting fierce resistance , they achieved their objective of controlling the road and railway between Bayeux and Caen . 56th Brigade made slow progress and had to dig in for the night some distance from Bayeux . 69th Brigade secured the eastern flank and by nightfall made contact with the Canadian forces on Juno .

= = = Jig Sector = = =

At Jig , the first wave of infantry ( the 1st Dorsetshires and 1st Hampshires of the 231st Infantry Brigade ) arrived at 07 : 25 , and immediately came under fire from the casemated 75 mm gun at Le Hamel . Due to navigation errors and the strong current , both groups came ashore well to the east of their intended landing points . The DD tank and Royal Marine Centaur tanks that were supposed to arrive in advance of the landing were delayed by rough seas and did not arrive until 08 : 00 . Many of the tanks got bogged down on the beach or were taken out by enemy fire . The tide came in quicker than expected , before many of the beach obstacles and mines were cleared , and some of the landing craft were damaged as a result . Two companies of the 1st Hampshires landed very close to the strong point at Le Hamel , and had to fight inland through enemy garrisons to get off the beach . Attempts to flank Le Hamel were made difficult by the surrounding machine gun placements , mines , and barbed wire . Elements of the 1st Hampshires captured the German strongpoint WN @-@ 36 at the eastern edge of the village of Asnelles . When they turned west to move along the beach towards their primary objective at Le Hamel , they came under heavy fire and had to break off the attack . Major Warren , in charge after the commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Smith was wounded , decided that the troops would have to circle around and attack the emplacement from the rear , a process that took several hours . The troops began to have some success around 15 : 00 with the arrival of an AVRE tank of 82nd Assault Squadron . The tank fired two petards into the sanatorium , where most of the defenders were located . The German soldiers fled into fortified houses in Le Hamel and Asnelles , and were taken out in house @-@ to @-@ house combat . Few surrendered . The 75 mm gun was finally silenced at 16 : 00 , when the AVRE tank fired a large petard charge into the rear entrance of the casemate . C / A Company , 1st Hampshires and the AVRE tank proceeded west along the beach and took out strongpoint WN @-@ 38 at La Fontaine St Côme , taking 20 prisoners . Still further west , D Company captured strong point WN @-@ 39 at the Arromanches radar station , capturing 30 more defenders .
The 2nd Devons arrived at 08 : 15 , while the beach was still under heavy fire . One company stayed to help with the assault on Le Hamel , while the rest moved to capture the village of Ryes astride the road to Bayeux . Ryes was captured at around 16 : 30 . The 1st Dorsets attacked a German position on the beach at La Cabane des Douanes and headed inland to arc westward toward the high ground south of Arromanches . They cleared enemy positions at Le Bulot and Puits d 'Hérode , and arrived at their destination late in the morning . Joined by elements of the 1st Hampshires and covered by indirect fire from the naval forces offshore , they took Arromanches late in the afternoon .

= = = 47th Commando = = =

The 47th Royal Marine Commando was assigned to capture the small harbour at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , on the boundary with Omaha , about 7 miles ( 11 km ) west of Arromanches and 8 miles ( 13 km ) from their landing point at Jig . The commanding officer , Lieutenant @-@ Colonel C. F. Phillips , opted to attack from the south , as the site was well protected on the seaward side . The force of 420 men consisted of five troops of 63 men , a mortar and machine gun troop , a transport group with four tracked vehicles , and a headquarters group . The plan was to land at Gold at 09 : 25 , assemble at La Rosière , and move cross @-@ country to a ridge ( designated as Point 72 ) south of Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , arriving at around 13 : 00 . Here they would call for indirect fire from the supporting vessels at sea and then move in to capture the town .
In rough seas and under enemy fire , the commandos began disembarking at Jig , some distance east of their intended position , at 09 : 50 . Five of their LCAs were sunk by beach obstacles or enemy fire , at the cost of 76 casualties . Major P. M. Donnell temporarily took charge until Phillips and some others who had got separated from the unit rejoined the group at 14 : 00 along the Meuvaines – Le Carrefour road . The commando took additional casualties in several skirmishes , including at La Rosière , on the way to Point 72 . They did not arrive there until 22 : 30 , too late to launch an attack , so they dug in for the night . The town and port were captured in the battle of Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin on 7 – 8 June 1944 .

= = = German response = = =

As the Luftwaffe meteorological centre in Paris had predicted two weeks of stormy weather , some Wehrmacht commanders were away from the front attending war games in Rennes , and many soldiers had been given leave . On D @-@ Day , Rommel was in Germany for his wife 's birthday and a meeting with Hitler to try to get more Panzers . The 352nd and 716th Divisions were placed on high alert after the Allied airborne landings , which had taken just after midnight behind Utah and Sword . The 2 @,@ 700 @-@ strong Kampfgruppe Meyer , near Bayeux as the divisional reserve , was sent to investigate the parachute drops behind Utah . Marcks recalled them when dawn broke and the scope of the invasion became apparent . One battalion was ordered to reinforce the German efforts at Omaha . The remainder were ordered to rendezvous with reinforcements at Villiers le Sec , 7 @.@ 5 miles ( 12 @.@ 1 km ) east of Bayeux , to launch a counter @-@ attack . Fired upon by Allied air forces , the column finally arrived in the late afternoon , at which time they were met by elements of the 69th Brigade . The British lost four tanks in the ensuing engagement but the Kampfgruppe was almost completely wiped out . Meyer was killed , and his detailed maps of German coastal emplacements fell into British hands .
Because Allied air superiority meant it would be difficult for the Germans to move up their reserves , Rommel believed that their best chance was to stop the invasion at the shore . The scope of the invasion meant that once these coastal defences were defeated and the troops scattered , it was difficult to defend territory inland or launch counter @-@ attacks . At 22 : 33 , Kraiss ordered the 352nd Division to create a defensive line north of Bayeux but this proved impossible , as most of the territory involved was already in British hands and all the defending units had taken serious losses . The Luftwaffe played only a minor role on D @-@ Day . At Gold , several small groups of bombers that arrived at sunset caused Allied casualties at Le Hamel and damaged a road near Ver @-@ sur @-@ Mer . At 06 : 00 on 7 June , the operations room of HMS Bulolo , offshore near Gold , was damaged by a bomber attack , but the ship was able to remain on station . The unit responsible was likely II . / Kampfgeschwader 40 ( KG 40 — Bomber Wing 40 ) . Under the command of Fliegerführer Atlantik ( Flyer Command Atlantic ) , it was based at Bordeaux – Merignac . On the evening of the 6 / 7 June 1944 , 26 Heinkel He 177 heavy bombers equipped with Henschel Hs 293 anti @-@ ship guided missiles attacked shipping over Normandy , included the Gold area . II . / KG 40 lost 13 aircraft to all causes during the attack .
The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler were released before midnight from the OKW reserve and ordered to counter @-@ attack between Bayeux and the Orne , supplemented by 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend and Panzer Lehr Division ; the armoured divisions began arriving on 8 June .

= = Aftermath = =


= = = Analysis = = =

Pockets of German resistance remained throughout the beachhead area and the British were stopped about 3 @.@ 7 miles ( 6 @.@ 0 km ) short of their D @-@ Day objectives . Bayeux , a primary D @-@ Day objective for 50th Division , was captured on 7 June . By the end of D @-@ Day , the 50th Division had lost around 700 men . Total casualties , from all units involved in operations at Gold , were in the region of 1 @,@ 000 – 1 @,@ 100 casualties , of which 350 were killed . German losses are unknown ; at least 1 @,@ 000 were captured .

= = = Gold Beach after 6 June = = =

By the end of D @-@ Day , 24 @,@ 970 men had been landed at Gold Beach , along with 2 @,@ 100 vehicles and 1 @,@ 000 long tons ( 1 @,@ 000 t ) of supplies . The follow @-@ up landings were slowed by the loss of 34 LCTs and the bad weather . The 24th Lancers and 61st Reconnaissance Regiment , due to land on D @-@ Day to help spearhead the drive towards Villers @-@ Bocage , were unable to put ashore until 7 June . In 2004 Trew wrote that the delay
effectively ruled out any chance of a thrust south ... [ and ] ... represented a major blow to Second Army 's intentions and Montgomery 's plan .
The 7th Armoured Division and the 49th ( West Riding ) Infantry Division were the follow @-@ up divisions of XXX Corps . The 22nd Armoured Brigade ( the armoured component of the 7th Armoured Division ) was scheduled to land during the evening of 6 June , but it was unable to land until the next day . The bulk of the division landed from 9 – 10 June , with some elements landing later . The 49th Division came ashore on 12 June .
The first components of the Mulberry harbours were brought across the Channel on D + 1 and the structures were in use for unloading by mid @-@ June . One was constructed at Arromanches by British forces , the other at Omaha by American forces . A severe storm on 19 June destroyed the Omaha harbour . The Arromanches harbour was repaired and remained in use for the next ten months , with a maximum capacity of 7 @,@ 000 long tons ( 7 @,@ 100 t ) of stores per day . Of the British supplies landed in Normandy by the end of August , 35 % arrived via the Mulberry harbour and 15 % came in via the small harbours at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin and Courseulles @-@ sur @-@ Mer . Most shipments were brought in over the beaches until the port of Cherbourg was cleared of mines and obstructions on 16 July . The most important use of the Mulberry harbour was the unloading of heavy machinery that could not be brought across the beaches . Artificial breakwaters ( Gooseberries ) sheltered hundreds of ships during the storm of 17 – 23 June , and provided shelter for craft unloading stores at Juno and Sword . A joint Anglo @-@ American oil depot was constructed at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , fed via buoyed pipes known as " Tombola " from oil tankers moored offshore . Using this method , 175 @,@ 000 long tons ( 178 @,@ 000 t ) of petrol ( half for the Second Army ) was delivered by the end of August , by which time the underwater pipelines constructed in Operation Pluto were ready .

= = = Subsequent operations = = =

81st & 82nd Assault Squadrons , 6th Assault Regiment , RE ( AVREs )

56th Infantry Brigade , commanded by Brigadier E.C. Pepper

2nd Battalion , Essex Regiment

2nd Battalion , Gloucestershire Regiment

2nd Battalion , South Wales Borderers

8th Armoured Brigade , commanded by Brigadier H.J.B. Carcroft

4th / 7th Royal Dragoon Guards ( DD Tanks )

Nottinghamshire Yeomanry ( DD Tanks )

76th Anti @-@ Aircraft Brigade , commanded by Brigadier E.R. Benson

113th Heavy Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA ( HQ only )

320th Battery , 93rd Light Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA

394th & 395th Batteries , 120th Light Anti @-@ Aircraft Regiment , RA

152nd Anti @-@ Aircraft Operations Room , RA

A Troop , 356th ( Independent ) Searchlight Battery , RA

Additional units attached for assault phase

GHQ Liaison Regiment , RAC ( ' Phantom ' )

341st , 342nd , & 462nd Batteries , 86th ( East Anglian ) ( Hertfordshire Yeomanry ) Field Regiment , RA ( Self @-@ propelled )

413th , 431st & 511th Batteries , 147th ( Essex Yeomanry ) Field Regiment , RA ( Self @-@ propelled )

198th & 234th Batteries , 73rd Anti @-@ Tank Regiment , RA

662nd Air Observation Post Squadron , RA ( Ground crew of one flight only )

73rd Field Company , RE

280th Field Company , RE

203rd Field Ambulance , RAMC

168th Light Field Ambulance , RAMC

1st Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

No. 47 ( Royal Marine ) Commando

104 Beach Sub @-@ Area HQ

9 & 10 Beach Groups and Signal Section

69th , 89th , 90th & 183rd Field Companies , RE

21st & 23rd Stores Sections , RE

51st & 74th Mechanical Equipment Sections , RE

1043rd Port Operating Company , RE

953rd & 961st Inland Water Transport Companies , RE

2nd Battalion , Hertfordshire Regiment

6th Battalion , Border Regiment

305th , 536th & 705th General Transport Companies , Royal Army Service Corps ( RASC )

2nd & 5th Detail Issue Depots , RASC

244th Petrol Dept , RASC

3rd & 10th Casualty Clearing Stations , RAMC

3rd , 25th , 31st , 32nd & 35th Field Dressing Stations , RAMC

Nos 41 , 42 , 47 & 48 Field Surgical Units , RAMC

Nos 24 & 30 Field Transfusion Unit , RAMC

22nd & 23rd Port Details , RAMC

7th , 10th & 36th Ordnance Beach Detachments , Royal Army Ordnance Corps

24th & 25th Beach Recovery Sections , Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers ( REME )

XXX Corps Workshop , REME ( 2 Composite Workshops & 1 Light Recovery Section )

240th & 243rd Provost Companies , RMP

75th , 173rd , 209th & 280th ( Pioneer ) Companies , Pioneer Corps

= = = German forces = = =

From June 1942 , 716th Infantry Division covered the Grandcamps Sector , which stretched from the base of the Cotentin Peninsula to the Orne River near Caen , a distance of 77 kilometres ( 48 mi ) . When 352nd Infantry Division arrived on 15 March , the Grandcamps Sector was split into the Bayeux Sector ( from Carentan to Asnelles ) and the Caen Sector ( from Asnelles to the Orne ) . Most of the 716th Infantry Division remained where they were , and thus the defenses in Caen Sector ( site of the Gold landings ) were not substantially strengthened .

352nd Infantry Division under Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss915th Grenadier Regiment : south @-@ east of Bayeux , as reserves

916th Grenadier Regiment : covered Omaha and the westernmost part of Gold

352nd Artillery Regiment : covered Omaha and the westernmost part of Gold

716th Static Infantry Division under Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter726th Infantry Regiment : two battalions in and around Le Hamel . Members of the 441st Ost Battalion garrisoned the coastal defenses . One battalion was stationed near Crépon as reserves .

736th Infantry Regiment : covered Juno , Sword , and the easternmost part of Gold

1716th Artillery Regiment : mobile and casemated batteries east and west of Crépon

= = Landings = =

Bombing of Normandy began around midnight with over 2 @,@ 200 British and American bombers attacking targets along the coast and further inland . At Gold , naval bombardment by Bombarding Force K got underway at 05 : 30 , at which time the first waves of infantry were loading into their Landing Craft Assault ( LCAs ) for the run in to the beach . German defensive positions were attacked by medium and heavy bombers and by self @-@ propelled guns on board the landing craft . Results were good at Mont Fleury Battery and at Longues , where at 07 : 00 Ajax and Argonaut took out of commission three of the four guns . The fourth gun resumed firing sporadically in the afternoon , and the garrison surrendered the following day . Two heavily casemated gun emplacements ( an 88 mm gun at La Rivière overlooking King and a 75 mm gun at Le Hamel overlooking Jig ) were only lightly damaged , as they were heavily reinforced with concrete , especially on the seaward side . These positions had embrasures that permitted a wide range of enfilade fire on the beach . Four other German strong points in the immediate area were also only lightly damaged , and had to be individually assaulted as the day progressed .

= = = King Sector = = =

H @-@ Hour for the landing at Gold was set at 07 : 25 on King sector ( 50 minutes later than in the American landings , because of differences in the tide ) . The first wave on King was the 5th East Yorkshires and 6th Green Howards of 69th Brigade , assisted by amphibious DD tanks of the 4th / 7th Dragoon Guards . The 7th Green Howards landed at 08 : 20 . The original plan called for the 38 DD tanks to be launched from their landing craft tank ( LCTs ) about 5 @,@ 000 yards ( 4 @,@ 600 m ) out . Due to extremely choppy seas , they decided to run the tanks directly onto the beach . Infantry , engineers , and DD tanks arrived almost simultaneously . Units disembarking onto the beach immediately came under fire from the casemated 88 mm gun at La Rivière , and the infantry were forced to take cover behind the sea wall . The gun was taken out when a flail tank of the Westminster Dragoons fired a charge directly into its aperture . The 5th East Yorkshires , supported by several tanks , spent the rest of the morning clearing out the heavily fortified houses of La Rivière , at the loss of 90 men , including six officers .

Specialised armour arriving in the first wave included AVREs , mine flails , and armoured bulldozers . Clearing paths off the beach proved difficult , as the tanks got stuck in the mud or were taken out by mines . A lone mine flail tank finally cleared a path from the beach up toward the Mont Fleury Battery and Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer . This route was used by the Green Howards and tanks of the 4th / 7th Dragoon Guards , who cleared the remaining resistance at the Mont Fleury Battery . B Company moved on to attack trench positions and machine gun emplacements at Meuvaines Ridge , while C Company moved to the west of Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer to help cover the assault on Crépon , where roads led to the important targets of Bayeux and Caen . The 7th Green Howards attacked the gun battery at Ver @-@ Sur @-@ Mer , where they took 50 prisoners . Colour Sergeant @-@ Major Stanley Hollis earned the only Victoria Cross to be bestowed for actions on D @-@ Day . On the way to the Mont Fleury Battery , Hollis came under machine gun fire while investigating a pillbox , so he shot into the entrance with his Sten gun and dropped a grenade through the roof , killing most of the occupants . He cleared a nearby trench of enemy soldiers , whereupon the occupants of a second pillbox surrendered . Later in the day , he saved the lives of three men during an attempt to take out a field artillery installation at a farm near Crépon .

Scheduled to land at 11 : 00 on Jig , the 56th Infantry Brigade was re @-@ routed King , because the gun battery at Le Hamel was still operational . They proceeded towards their objective of Bayeux . 151st Brigade arrived at the same time and after meeting fierce resistance , they achieved their objective of controlling the road and railway between Bayeux and Caen . 56th Brigade made slow progress and had to dig in for the night some distance from Bayeux . 69th Brigade secured the eastern flank and by nightfall made contact with the Canadian forces on Juno .

= = = Jig Sector = = =

At Jig , the first wave of infantry ( the 1st Dorsetshires and 1st Hampshires of the 231st Infantry Brigade ) arrived at 07 : 25 , and immediately came under fire from the casemated 75 mm gun at Le Hamel . Due to navigation errors and the strong current , both groups came ashore well to the east of their intended landing points . The DD tank and Royal Marine Centaur tanks that were supposed to arrive in advance of the landing were delayed by rough seas and did not arrive until 08 : 00 . Many of the tanks got bogged down on the beach or were taken out by enemy fire . The tide came in quicker than expected , before many of the beach obstacles and mines were cleared , and some of the landing craft were damaged as a result . Two companies of the 1st Hampshires landed very close to the strong point at Le Hamel , and had to fight inland through enemy garrisons to get off the beach . Attempts to flank Le Hamel were made difficult by the surrounding machine gun placements , mines , and barbed wire . Elements of the 1st Hampshires captured the German strongpoint WN @-@ 36 at the eastern edge of the village of Asnelles . When they turned west to move along the beach towards their primary objective at Le Hamel , they came under heavy fire and had to break off the attack . Major Warren , in charge after the commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Nelson Smith was wounded , decided that the troops would have to circle around and attack the emplacement from the rear , a process that took several hours . The troops began to have some success around 15 : 00 with the arrival of an AVRE tank of 82nd Assault Squadron . The tank fired two petards into the sanatorium , where most of the defenders were located . The German soldiers fled into fortified houses in Le Hamel and Asnelles , and were taken out in house @-@ to @-@ house combat . Few surrendered . The 75 mm gun was finally silenced at 16 : 00 , when the AVRE tank fired a large petard charge into the rear entrance of the casemate . C / A Company , 1st Hampshires and the AVRE tank proceeded west along the beach and took out strongpoint WN @-@ 38 at La Fontaine St Côme , taking 20 prisoners . Still further west , D Company captured strong point WN @-@ 39 at the Arromanches radar station , capturing 30 more defenders .

The 2nd Devons arrived at 08 : 15 , while the beach was still under heavy fire . One company stayed to help with the assault on Le Hamel , while the rest moved to capture the village of Ryes astride the road to Bayeux . Ryes was captured at around 16 : 30 . The 1st Dorsets attacked a German position on the beach at La Cabane des Douanes and headed inland to arc westward toward the high ground south of Arromanches . They cleared enemy positions at Le Bulot and Puits d 'Hérode , and arrived at their destination late in the morning . Joined by elements of the 1st Hampshires and covered by indirect fire from the naval forces offshore , they took Arromanches late in the afternoon .

= = = 47th Commando = = =

The 47th Royal Marine Commando was assigned to capture the small harbour at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , on the boundary with Omaha , about 7 miles ( 11 km ) west of Arromanches and 8 miles ( 13 km ) from their landing point at Jig . The commanding officer , Lieutenant @-@ Colonel C. F. Phillips , opted to attack from the south , as the site was well protected on the seaward side . The force of 420 men consisted of five troops of 63 men , a mortar and machine gun troop , a transport group with four tracked vehicles , and a headquarters group . The plan was to land at Gold at 09 : 25 , assemble at La Rosière , and move cross @-@ country to a ridge ( designated as Point 72 ) south of Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , arriving at around 13 : 00 . Here they would call for indirect fire from the supporting vessels at sea and then move in to capture the town .

In rough seas and under enemy fire , the commandos began disembarking at Jig , some distance east of their intended position , at 09 : 50 . Five of their LCAs were sunk by beach obstacles or enemy fire , at the cost of 76 casualties . Major P. M. Donnell temporarily took charge until Phillips and some others who had got separated from the unit rejoined the group at 14 : 00 along the Meuvaines – Le Carrefour road . The commando took additional casualties in several skirmishes , including at La Rosière , on the way to Point 72 . They did not arrive there until 22 : 30 , too late to launch an attack , so they dug in for the night . The town and port were captured in the battle of Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin on 7 – 8 June 1944 .

= = = German response = = =

As the Luftwaffe meteorological centre in Paris had predicted two weeks of stormy weather , some Wehrmacht commanders were away from the front attending war games in Rennes , and many soldiers had been given leave . On D @-@ Day , Rommel was in Germany for his wife 's birthday and a meeting with Hitler to try to get more Panzers . The 352nd and 716th Divisions were placed on high alert after the Allied airborne landings , which had taken just after midnight behind Utah and Sword . The 2 @,@ 700 @-@ strong Kampfgruppe Meyer , near Bayeux as the divisional reserve , was sent to investigate the parachute drops behind Utah . Marcks recalled them when dawn broke and the scope of the invasion became apparent . One battalion was ordered to reinforce the German efforts at Omaha . The remainder were ordered to rendezvous with reinforcements at Villiers le Sec , 7 @.@ 5 miles ( 12 @.@ 1 km ) east of Bayeux , to launch a counter @-@ attack . Fired upon by Allied air forces , the column finally arrived in the late afternoon , at which time they were met by elements of the 69th Brigade . The British lost four tanks in the ensuing engagement but the Kampfgruppe was almost completely wiped out . Meyer was killed , and his detailed maps of German coastal emplacements fell into British hands .

Because Allied air superiority meant it would be difficult for the Germans to move up their reserves , Rommel believed that their best chance was to stop the invasion at the shore . The scope of the invasion meant that once these coastal defences were defeated and the troops scattered , it was difficult to defend territory inland or launch counter @-@ attacks . At 22 : 33 , Kraiss ordered the 352nd Division to create a defensive line north of Bayeux but this proved impossible , as most of the territory involved was already in British hands and all the defending units had taken serious losses . The Luftwaffe played only a minor role on D @-@ Day . At Gold , several small groups of bombers that arrived at sunset caused Allied casualties at Le Hamel and damaged a road near Ver @-@ sur @-@ Mer . At 06 : 00 on 7 June , the operations room of HMS Bulolo , offshore near Gold , was damaged by a bomber attack , but the ship was able to remain on station . The unit responsible was likely II . / Kampfgeschwader 40 ( KG 40 — Bomber Wing 40 ) . Under the command of Fliegerführer Atlantik ( Flyer Command Atlantic ) , it was based at Bordeaux – Merignac . On the evening of the 6 / 7 June 1944 , 26 Heinkel He 177 heavy bombers equipped with Henschel Hs 293 anti @-@ ship guided missiles attacked shipping over Normandy , included the Gold area . II . / KG 40 lost 13 aircraft to all causes during the attack .

The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler were released before midnight from the OKW reserve and ordered to counter @-@ attack between Bayeux and the Orne , supplemented by 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend and Panzer Lehr Division ; the armoured divisions began arriving on 8 June .

= = Aftermath = =

= = = Analysis = = =

Pockets of German resistance remained throughout the beachhead area and the British were stopped about 3 @.@ 7 miles ( 6 @.@ 0 km ) short of their D @-@ Day objectives . Bayeux , a primary D @-@ Day objective for 50th Division , was captured on 7 June . By the end of D @-@ Day , the 50th Division had lost around 700 men . Total casualties , from all units involved in operations at Gold , were in the region of 1 @,@ 000 – 1 @,@ 100 casualties , of which 350 were killed . German losses are unknown ; at least 1 @,@ 000 were captured .

= = = Gold Beach after 6 June = = =

By the end of D @-@ Day , 24 @,@ 970 men had been landed at Gold Beach , along with 2 @,@ 100 vehicles and 1 @,@ 000 long tons ( 1 @,@ 000 t ) of supplies . The follow @-@ up landings were slowed by the loss of 34 LCTs and the bad weather . The 24th Lancers and 61st Reconnaissance Regiment , due to land on D @-@ Day to help spearhead the drive towards Villers @-@ Bocage , were unable to put ashore until 7 June . In 2004 Trew wrote that the delay

effectively ruled out any chance of a thrust south ... [ and ] ... represented a major blow to Second Army 's intentions and Montgomery 's plan .

The 7th Armoured Division and the 49th ( West Riding ) Infantry Division were the follow @-@ up divisions of XXX Corps . The 22nd Armoured Brigade ( the armoured component of the 7th Armoured Division ) was scheduled to land during the evening of 6 June , but it was unable to land until the next day . The bulk of the division landed from 9 – 10 June , with some elements landing later . The 49th Division came ashore on 12 June .

The first components of the Mulberry harbours were brought across the Channel on D + 1 and the structures were in use for unloading by mid @-@ June . One was constructed at Arromanches by British forces , the other at Omaha by American forces . A severe storm on 19 June destroyed the Omaha harbour . The Arromanches harbour was repaired and remained in use for the next ten months , with a maximum capacity of 7 @,@ 000 long tons ( 7 @,@ 100 t ) of stores per day . Of the British supplies landed in Normandy by the end of August , 35 % arrived via the Mulberry harbour and 15 % came in via the small harbours at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin and Courseulles @-@ sur @-@ Mer . Most shipments were brought in over the beaches until the port of Cherbourg was cleared of mines and obstructions on 16 July . The most important use of the Mulberry harbour was the unloading of heavy machinery that could not be brought across the beaches . Artificial breakwaters ( Gooseberries ) sheltered hundreds of ships during the storm of 17 – 23 June , and provided shelter for craft unloading stores at Juno and Sword . A joint Anglo @-@ American oil depot was constructed at Port @-@ en @-@ Bessin , fed via buoyed pipes known as " Tombola " from oil tankers moored offshore . Using this method , 175 @,@ 000 long tons ( 178 @,@ 000 t ) of petrol ( half for the Second Army ) was delivered by the end of August , by which time the underwater pipelines constructed in Operation Pluto were ready .

= = = Subsequent operations = = =