D-Day assault map of the Normandy region and the north-western coast of France. Utah and Omaha are separated by the Douve River, whose mouth is clear in the coastline notch (or "corner") of the map.
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord. The Allied invasion of German-occupied France commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, the beach proved to be the easternmost landing site of the invasion after the abortion of an attack on a sixth beach, code-named Band. Taking Sword was to be the responsibility of the British Army with sea transport, mine sweeping and a naval bombardment force provided by the British Royal Navy as well as elements from the Polish, Norwegian and other Allied navies.
Among the five beaches of the operation, Sword is the nearest to Caen, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the goal of the 3rd Infantry Division. The landings were achieved with low Allied casualties but the advance from the beach was slowed by traffic congestion and resistance in defended areas behind the beach. Further progress towards Caen was halted by the only armoured counter-attack of the day, mounted by the 21st Panzer Division.
^Ellis, p. 223
^Fortin, p. 58
^Buckley (2006), p. 53
^Ford, pp. 24–25
^ abD'Este, p. 124
^ abEllis, p. 204
^D'Este, pp. 136, 139
^Ford, pp. 71–72
^Zetterling, 21st Panzer Division
^Ford, p. 86
^Ford, p. 112
^Ford, p. 80
^Buckley (2006), p. 137
Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).
Sword, commonly known as SwordBeach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault...
Commando Juno Beach British I Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General John Crocker 3rd Canadian Division: Major General Rod Keller SwordBeach British I Corps...
mainly remembered for their disastrous performance on Omaha Beach. On the British SwordBeach, at the eastern end of the invasion area, the DD tanks worked...
providing the only exit eastwards for British forces from their landing on SwordBeach. Intelligence reports said both bridges were heavily defended by the...
harbour on Swordbeach Courbet, Free Naval French Forces, former battleship, sunk as a blockship in "Gooseberry" breakwater on Swordbeach Forbin, Free...
the Normandy landings. A crew loading a Reihenwerfer near Riva-Bella (SwordBeach), Atlantic coast, Northern France on 30 May 1944. The description for...
Blue Bonnets Are Over The Border" as his comrades fell around him on SwordBeach. Millin stated that he later talked to captured German snipers who claimed...
heavy-calibre 150 mm (5.9 in) guns that could threaten the British landings at SwordBeach, only 8 miles (13 km) away. The 9th Parachute Battalion, part of the...
the "Riva-Bella", the location of the World War II Normandy Landings' SwordBeach. Angmering railway station is 3⁄4 mile from the village centre, straddling...
training for its new role. The 1st Bucks formed part of the 6th Beach Group landing on SwordBeach on D-Day, 6 June 1944. An anti-tank platoon of 1st Bucks landed...
"Bullshorn" plow on a Churchill tank of the British 79th Armoured Division, on SwordBeach during the Allied invasion of Normandy (this was one of "Hobart's Funnies"...
Museum, Ranville, France. Centaur IV T185075 . La Brèche d’Hermanville (SwordBeach), France. A Cromwell dozer with Cavalier turret to resemble Centaur support...
at Gold Beach, and the British 3rd Infantry Division at SwordBeach; the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, with some British units, at Juno Beach. The British...
Parachute Regiment through the eyes of those who served. Yorkshire: Pen & Sword. p. 194. ISBN 9781399040174. "Royal Marines History and Traditional Facts"...
Cheswald, West Honaker, West Nohno, Willis A. Slater, Victory Sword and Vitruvius. Omaha Beach (Gooseberry 2): Artemas Ward, Audacious, Baialoide, HMS Centurion...
crossing the bridges and attacking the eastern flank of the landings at SwordBeach, and to prevent the British 6th Airborne Division from being cut off...
with 41 Commando, linking Juno and Sword. No. 47 Commando was the last British unit to land and came ashore on Gold Beach east of Le Hamel. Their task was...
Global Information
Germany
John Crocker
