Normandy: a Graphic History of D-Day by Vansant Wayne;

Author:Vansant, Wayne;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
Published: 2008-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

UTAH BEACH

The southeastern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula and the countryside behind it was chosen as the second American landing beach. Success in this delicate sector depended on the combined efforts of the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by General Taylor, and the 4th Infantry Division, under the orders of General Barton. This was also a vital sector, meant to provide a base for forces departing for Cherbourg, which the Allies needed to capture as quickly as possible. Finally, if all else failed, this area, codenamed Utah, would act as a fallback, providing an entry of last resort onto the Continen Peninsula. The success of Utah Beach was thus essential.

Located north of the Baie des Veys, the delineated sector extended along the coast between the dunes at Varreville and Beau-Guillot and stretching along either side of the road from Audouville-la-Hubert to the sea, opposite the village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. The objective of the landing was a gray sand beach leading to a band of low dunes about four meters high, which covered approximately six meters of terrain. Beyond the dunes, the Germans had flooded a low-lying area. About three kilometers past the flooded zone, the terrain rose up to an altitude of thirty meters near villages overlooking the coast at the edge of hedgerow country.

The importance of the exits at Utah Beach was strikingly clear: if the Germans managed to hold them, a monstrous traffic jam would ensue, cutting the paratroopers off from seaborne forces. Two beaches comprised the sector planned for the landings: Tare Green and Uncle Red, to the south. These two beaches stretched from Exit 3 to Exit 4, located just before an important German stronghold.

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