The Pointe du Hoc in Normandy

The Pointe du Hoc is one of the most important sites of June 6, 1944. It is free to visit.

The Germans had installed on the Pointe du Hoc site six 155mm guns with a range of 19,500 meters. This battery was a direct threat to the landing on the beaches of Utah and Omaha. The allied staff decided to destroy these guns before the landing. They started with intensive aerial bombardments, the guns being protected by casemates, the bombardments did not have the expected effect. The Allies decided to land rangers to climb the cliff and take the battery.

In anticipation of the landing, the site was bombarded by naval vessels. Immediately afterwards the rangers were to attack the battery from the sea. Unfortunately the rangers were landed too far from the Pointe du Hoc and the Germans had time to recover after the bombing.

225 men disembarked at 7:10 am and started to climb the cliff under German fire, at 7:55 am the 150 survivors took the objective.

The rangers then realized that the guns had been moved further away and replaced by simple wooden posts.

The Americans held the Pointe du Hoc for 2 days before being joined by other troops, leaving only 90 survivors.