Normandy Coast Where Allies Established First Beachhead

Here is a panoramic view of the French coast line upon which the allied invasion armies established their first beachheads. Driving almost ten miles into the vaunted German west wall, the allies reached Caen (1) a pivotal link to the Cherbourg peninsula and to the Cherbourg-Paris railroad. Main beachheads were established at several points along the coast (2) indicated by blackened areas. Paratroop landings at Rouen (3) and others near Havre and Honfleur (4) were reported by German sources. Other Nazi dispatches told of allied efforts to isolate both Havre and Cherbourg. It was also reported that allied paratroop landings on Guernsey and Jersey Islands and a Naval pincers on the peninsula. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)