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 Bénouville 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 Once the paratroopers had withdrawn, two of the guns were put back into action by the Germans.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. 26