HERMANVILLE-SUR-MER/LA-BRÈCHE
Calvados - 8 km north of Caen
 The British Commandos landed on Sword Beach
On 6 June 1944 in Normandy, the 3rd British Infantry Division under General Rennie slammed ashore around 7:30 am. The vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division, the engineers and the tanks of the 13/18th Hussars landed on Sword Beach, Queen sector. The special tanks tanks neutralized the fortifications of the beach : wedges of steel, logs and mines... But when the assault waves arrived on the beaches, some German positions were still offering resistance. At La Brèche d’Hermanville, the 2nd East Yorkshire and the 1st South Lancashire suffered losses facing the German machine-guns. The position - Cod - was a strong bastion, the Germans had reinforced the houses along the coast with concrete and trenches. The Commandos of the 4th Special Service Brigade and the 1st Special Service Brigade were brought with the second wave and moved toward their objectives. The 8th Brigade progressed toward Hermanville-sur-Mer, the town was liberated by the 1st South Lancashire around 9:30 am.
  
     
 
 
 
British Cemetery
Hermanville-sur-Mer
 1 005 soldiers rest in this cemetery close to Hermanville-sur-Mer : 986 British, 13 Canadians, 3 Australians and 3 French. One comes in through a small paved path and a house with three warheaded openings.
 Situation : at the edge of the D60 road (follow the road-sign)
   
   
   

Allied Navy sailors monument
La Brèche d’Hermanville
 Monument dedicated to the Allied Navy sailors who died during the D-day.
 Situation : on the sea front (200 m away from the British tank)

 
  Captain Wietzel stele
La Brèche d'Hermanville
 Stele dedicated to Navy Captain Roger Wietzel, Commander of the Courbet battleship, on 9 June 1944 he picked up there some land of France for General de Gaulle.
 Situation : from D514 road take the 3rd British Infantry Division boulevard, drive 200 meters on the left
  3rd Infantry Division and South Lancashire monument
Hermanville
Monument in memory of the 3rd British Infantry Division soldiers under General Rennie, a plaque commemorates the South Lancashire Regiment.
 Situation : Cuirassé Courbet place, on the sea front
   

Royal Artillery monument
Hermanville-sur-Mer
 Monument dedicated to the five artillery regiments of the 3rd British Infantry Division.
 Situation : Cuirassé Courbet place, on the sea front
  Allied headquarter and Field hospital plaques
Hermanville
 Plaques remembering that an Allied Forces headquarter and a field hospital were set up in this place on 6 June 1944.
 Situation : at the frontdoor of the town hall
  Centaur British tank
La Brèche d'Hermanville
 This tank was built to support the Royal Marine Commandos on 6 June 1944. It was driven by a five men crew, and was armed with a 95 mm howitzer and a machine-gun.
 Situation : at the edge of the D514 road
  3rd Infantry Division plaque
Hermanville
 Plaque recalling the 3rd British Infantry Division established its headquarter there on D-day.
 Situation : Cuirassé Courbet place, on the sea front
Mare Saint-Pierre monument
Hermanville-sur-Mer
The well of Mare Saint-Pierre was distinguished to the British Army Order for providing, from 6 June to 1 July 1944, 7 million litres of water to the British troops.
 Situation : in front of the church
 
  9th Brigade stele
Hermanville
 Stele in memory of the 9th Brigade staff soldiers (3rd British Infantry Division), killed in this place on 6 June 1944.
 Situation : at the crossroads of Hamel way and Henri Gravier avenue
ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site
http://www.cwgc.org
City of Hermanville-sur-Mer web site
http://www.hermanville-sur-mer.com/
Web page about the naval forces of D-day
http://www.naval-history.net/WW2194406.htm
Personal web site about the Atlantic Wall
http://atlantikwall.free.fr/
Web page of the Royal Air Force about D-day operations
http://www.raf.mod.uk/dday/index.html
 
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