The NJ Police Chief Magazine Volume 23, Number 8 | Page 27
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge (a type of moveable bridge), built in 1934, that crossed
the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France. Also known as the
BĂ©nouville Bridge after the neighboring village, it was, with the nearby Ranville Bridge
over the river Orne, a major objective of Operation Deadstick, part of Operation Tonga in
the opening minutes of the invasion of Normandy. A glider-borne unit of the British 6th
Airborne Division, commanded by Major John Howard, was to land, take the bridges in-
tact and hold them until relieved. The successful taking of the bridges played an im-
portant role in limiting the effectiveness of a German counter-attack in the days and
weeks following the invasion. In 1944 it was renamed Pegasus Bridge in honor of the
operation. The name is derived from the shoulder emblem worn by the British airborne
forces, which is the flying horse Pegasus.
Merville Gun Battery
The Battle of Merville Gun Battery occurred on 6 June, 1944, as part of the Normandy landings. Allied intelligence believed
the Merville Gun Battery was composed of heavy-caliber guns that could threaten the British landings at Sword Beach, only 8
miles away. The British 9th Parachute Battalion, part of the 6th Airborne Division, was
given the objective of destroying the battery. However, when the battalion arrived over
Normandy, their parachute descent was dispersed over a large area, so instead of over 600
men, only 150 with no heavy weapons or equipment arrived at the battalion assembly
point. Regardless, they pressed home their attack and succeeded in capturing the battery,
only to discover that the guns were old First World War vintage, without the range to
trouble the landings. Using what explosives they had been able to recover, the surviving 75
men tried to disable the guns. Once the paratroopers had withdrawn, two of the guns were
put back into action by the Germans. Another attack the next day by British Commandos
failed to recapture the battery, which remained under German control until 17 August,
when the German Army started to withdraw from the area.
The Normandy Landings
Codenamed Operation Neptune, the Normandy Landings, were the landing
operations on 6 June 1944 (termed D-Day) of the Allied invasion of Normandy in
Operation Overlord during World War II. The largest seaborne invasion in history,
the operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe and
contributed to an Allied victory in the war. The amphibious landings were
preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—
the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after
midnight. Allied infantry and armored divisions began landing on the coast of
France starting at 6:30. The target 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast was
divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Beach. The Allies
failed to achieve all of their goals on the first day, but gained a foothold that they
gradually expanded over the coming months.
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