Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the

code name A code name, codename, call sign, or cryptonym is a code word or name used, sometimes clandestinely, to refer to another name, word, project, or person. Code names are often used for military purposes, or in espionage. They may also be used in ...

given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

. The Allied invasion of German-occupied France commenced on 6 June 1944. Stretching 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 The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

with sea transport, mine sweeping and a naval bombardment force provided by the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

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 Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

, about 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.

Background

Following the

Fall of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Net ...

, British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

vowed to return to continental Europe and liberate the Nazi German-occupied nations. The Western Allies agreed to open a Second Front in northern Europe in 1942 to aid the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. However, with resources for an invasion lacking, it was postponed but planning was undertaken that in the event of the German position in western Europe becoming critically weakened or the Soviet Union's situation becoming dire, forces could be landed in France;

Operation Sledgehammer Operation Sledgehammer was an Allies of World War II, Allied plan for a cross-English Channel, Channel invasion of Europe during World War II, as the first step in helping to reduce pressure on the Soviet Red Army by establishing a Western Front ( ...

. At the same time, planning was underway for a major landing in occupied France during 1943; Operation Roundup. In August 1942, Canadian and British forces attempted an abortive landing— Operation Jubilee—at the Calais port-town of

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

; the landing was designed to test the feasibility of a cross-channel invasion. The attack was poorly planned and ended in disaster; 4,963 soldiers were killed, wounded or captured. The decision to prosecute the

Battle of the Atlantic The Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, ran from 1939 to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, covering a major part of the naval history of World War II. At its core was the Allies of World War II, ...

to its closure, the lack of landing craft,Ellis, p. 9 invading Sicily in July 1943, and Italy in September following the defeat of Axis forces in North Africa in May 1943 resulted in the postponement of any assault on northern Europe till 1944. Having succeeded in opening up an offensive front in southern Europe, gaining valuable experience in amphibious assaults and inland fighting, Allied planners returned to the plans to invade Northern France. Now scheduled for 5 June 1944, the beaches of

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

were selected as landing sites, with a zone of operations extending from the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

. Operation Overlord called for the British Second Army to assault between the River Orne and Port en Bessin, capture the German-occupied city of Caen and form a front line from Caumont-l'Éventé to the south-east of Caen, in order to acquire airfields and protect the left flank of the United States First Army while it captured

Cherbourg Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...

. Possession of Caen and its surroundings would give Second Army a suitable staging area for a push south to capture the city of Falaise, which could then be used as a pivot for an advance on

Argentan Argentan () is a commune and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in northwestern France. As of 2019, Argentan is the third largest municipality by population in the Orne department.

, the Touques River and then towards the Seine River. Overlord would constitute the largest amphibious operation in military history.Granatstein, p. 18 After delays, due to both logistical difficulties and poor weather, the D-Day of Overlord was moved to 6 June 1944. Eisenhower and

Bernard Montgomery Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...

, commander of 21st Army Group, aimed to capture Caen within the first day, and liberate

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

within 90 days.

Plans

Allied

The coastline of Normandy was divided into seventeen sectors, with codenames using a

spelling alphabet A spelling alphabet (#Terminology, also called by various other names) is a set of words used to represent the Letter (alphabet), letters of an alphabet in Speech, oral communication, especially over a two-way radio or telephone. The words chosen t ...

—from Able, west of

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, to Roger on the east flank of Sword. Eight further sectors were added when the invasion was extended to include

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

on the Cotentin Peninsula. Sectors were further subdivided into beaches identified by the colours Green, Red, and White. The Anglo-Canadian assault landings on D-Day were to be carried out by the

British Second Army The British Second Army was a Field Army active during the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front throughout most of the war and later ...

, under Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey. The Second Army's I Corps, commanded by Lieutenant General John Crocker, was assigned to take Sword. To Major General Tom Rennie's 3rd Infantry Division fell the task of assaulting the beaches and seizing the main British objective on D-Day, the historic Norman city of

.Wilmot, p. 273 Attached to the 3rd Infantry Division for the assault were the 27th Independent Armoured Brigade, the 1st Special Service Brigade (which also contained

Free French Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...

Commandos), No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando of the 4th Special Service Brigade, Royal Marine armoured support, additional artillery and engineers, and elements of the 79th Armoured Division. 6th Beach Group was deployed to assist the troops and landing craft landing on Sword and to develop the beach maintenance area. The 3rd Infantry Division was ordered to advance on Caen, from Sword, with the

3rd Canadian Infantry Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario including the ...

advancing on its western flank to secure Carpiquet airfield, from Juno Beach, on the outskirts of the city. The 3rd Infantry was also ordered to relieve the elements of the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who m ...

that had secured the bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal during

Operation Tonga Operation Tonga was the codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by the British 6th Airborne Division between 5 June and 7 June 1944 as a part of Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings during the Second World War. The paratro ...

, secure the high ground north of Caen, and "if possible Caen itself". The last point was further reinforced when I Corps' commander, General Crocker, instructed the division, prior to the invasion, that by nightfall the city must be either captured or "effectively masked" with troops based north-west of the city and Bénouville.Wilmot, p. 274 Queen sector Sword Beach

Sword stretched about from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer in the west to the mouth of the River Orne in the east. It was further sub-divided into four landing sectors; from west to east these sectors were 'Oboe' (from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to

Luc-sur-Mer Luc-sur-Mer (, literally ''Luc on Sea'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Population Sights * The "Maison de la Baleine" created by Jean Chabriac. On 15 January 1885 a 40-ton,19-metre ...

), 'Peter' (from Luc-sur-Mer to

Lion-sur-Mer Lion-sur-Mer (, literally ''Lion on Sea'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern Fran ...

), 'Queen' (from Lion-sur-Mer to La Brèche d'Hermanville), and finally 'Roger' (from La Brèche d'Hermanville to Ouistreham). Each sector was also divided into multiple beaches.Ford, pp. 36–37, 40–41 The sector chosen for the assault was the wide 'White' and 'Red' beaches of 'Queen' sector, as shallow reefs blocked access to the other sectors. Two infantry battalions supported by DD tanks would lead the assault followed up by the commandos and the rest of the division; the landing was due to start at 07:25 hours.

German

On 23 March 1942, Führer Directive Number 40 called for the official creation of the

Atlantic Wall The Atlantic Wall () was an extensive system of coastal defence and fortification, coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defense (military), d ...

—a line of concrete gun emplacements, machine-gun nests, minefields and beach obstacles stretching along the French coast. Fortifications were initially concentrated around ports, but were extended into other areas beginning in late 1943. While the

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

had seen its strength and morale heavily depleted by campaigns in Russia, North Africa and Italy, it remained a powerful fighting force.Granatstein, p. 19 Most of the German divisions along the French coast in late 1943, however, were either formations of new recruits or battered veteran units still resting and rebuilding after service on the Eastern Front; altogether some 856,000 soldiers were stationed in France, predominantly along the Channel coast. They were supported by an additional 60,000 ''Hilfswillige'' (Russian and Polish conscripts to the German army). Under the command of Field Marshals

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

and

Gerd von Rundstedt Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) in the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany and OB West, ''Oberbefehlshaber West'' (Commande ...

, the defences of the

were heavily upgraded; in the first six months of 1944, 1.2 million tons of steel and 17.3 million cubic yards of concrete were laid.Saunders, p. 35 The coast of northern France was also studded with four million antitank and anti-personnel mines, and 500,000 beach obstacles. On and behind Sword, twenty strongpoints, including several artillery batteries, were constructed. The coastline was littered with wooden stakes, mines, hedgehogs, and Dragon's teeth, while along the top of the beach, the Germans had constructed a network of trenches, gun pits, mortar pits, and machine gun nests. Barbed wire surrounded these positions and lined the beach.Notes on Operations of 21 Army Group, p. 3 The beachfront itself, being generally flat and exposed, was guarded by a few scattered bunkers, with machine gun and sniper posts in some of the holiday homes and tourist facilities lining the shore. To reinforce the defences, six strongpoints had been constructed, each with at least eight 5 cm Pak 38 50 mm anti-tank guns, four 75 mm guns, and one 88 mm gun. One of the strongpoints (codenamed ''Cod'' by the British), faced directly on to Queen sector. Exits from the beaches had been blocked with various obstacles, and behind the beaches, six artillery batteries had been positioned, three of which were based within three strongpoints; these latter batteries had four 100 mm guns and up to ten 155mm guns. In addition, positioned east of the River Orne was the Merville Gun Battery, containing four Czechoslovakian 100 mm howitzers which were within range of Sword and the invasion fleet. Between Cherbourg and the River Seine there were a total of 32 batteries capable of firing on to the five invasion beaches; half of them were positioned in casemates of reinforced concrete. Ouistreham

Since the spring of 1942, ''

Generalleutnant () is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO ...

'' Wilhelm Richter's 8,000-man strong 716th Infantry Division had been positioned to defend the Calvados coast of Normandy.Ford and Gerrard, p. 16. In March 1942, the

352nd Infantry Division The 352nd Infantry Division () was an infantry division of the German Army during World War II. Deployed on the Western Front, the division defended Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944. In late 1944, the division was reassembled as the 352nd Vol ...

assumed control of the western Calvados coast, leaving the 716th in position north of Caen covering an 8-mile (13 km) stretch of coastline. The division comprised four regular infantry battalions, two Ost battalions, and artillery units.Copp, p. 37 Four infantry companies were spread along Sword, with two positioned facing Queen sector—another four were positioned inland behind the beach. Further inland, ''Generalleutnants Edgar Feuchtinger's 16,297 strong 21st Panzer Division had been positioned on both sides of the River Orne around Caen to provide an immediate counter-attack force should a landing take place.D’Este, p. 117 In May 1944, two ''Panzergrenadier'' battalions and an antitank battalion from the 21st Panzer Division were placed under Richter's command;Copp, p. 37 this deployment eliminated 21st Panzer as a mobile reserve. One of these battalions, along with the division's anti-tank guns and several mobile 155 mm guns, was positioned on Périers Ridge, which rose to about above sea level, south of Sword.

Order of battle

3rd Division group

3rd DivisionJoslen, pp. 584–585. – Major-General T. G. Rennie 8th Brigade (assault brigade) * 1st Battalion

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment Line infantry, of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the World War I, First and ...

* 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment * 1st Battalion South Lancashire Regiment 9th Brigade * 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment * 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers * 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles 185th Brigade * 2nd Battalion

Royal Warwickshire Regiment The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...

* 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment * 2nd Battalion King's Own Shropshire Light Infantry Divisional Troops * 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment

Royal Armoured Corps The Royal Armoured Corps is the armoured arm of the British Army, that together with the Household Cavalry provides its armour capability, with vehicles such as the Challenger 2 and the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle. It includes most of the Ar ...

* HQ

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

(RA) 3rd Division ** 33rd and 76th Field Regiments, RA (self-propelled guns) ** 7th Field Regiment, RA ** 20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA ** 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA * 3rd Divisional

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

(RE)Pakenham-Walsh, pp. 335–336. – CRE: Lieutenant Colonel R.W. Urquhart ** 17th Field Company, RE ** 245th Field Company, RE ** 253rd Field Company, RE ** 15th Field Park Company, RE * 3rd Divisional Signals,

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

* 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (machine guns) Attached units and formations 27th Armoured Brigade * 13th/18th Royal Hussars ( DD tanks) * 1st East Riding Yeomanry * Staffordshire Yeomanry 5th Assault Regiment, RE * 77 & 79 Assault Squadrons, RE ( AVREs) * 629 Field Squadron, RE * 71 Field Company, RE * 263rd (Sussex) Field Company, RE (attached from XII Corps Troops, Royal Engineers as beach obstacle clearance parties) British Commandos Patch

1st Special Service Brigade (landed on eastern extremity of Sword) – Brigadier Lord Lovat * No. 3 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel

Peter Young Peter or Pete Young may refer to: Sports * Peter Dalton Young (1927–2002), English rugby union player * Peter Young (cricketer, born 1961), Australian cricketer * Pete Young (born 1968), American baseball player * Peter Young (rugby league) (fl. ...

* No. 4 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dawson ** A force of 176 French Marine Commandos from No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando, commanded by Commandant Philippe Kieffer landed with No. 4 Commando * No. 6 Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Derek Mills-Roberts * No. 45 (Royal Marine) Commando – Lieutenant Colonel Charles Ries British Commandos Patch

4th Special Service Brigade (landed between Juno and Sword) 101 Beach Sub-area * No. 5 Beach Group (Queen sector) ** 5th Battalion

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 when a single battalion was raised as The Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Foot. ...

* 'M' AA Assault Group (from 80th Anti-Aircraft Brigade)80 AA Bde Operation Order No 1, 20 May 1944, in 80 AA Bde War Diary 1944, The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 171/1085.Routledge, pp. 305–307.3 Division at Royal Artillery 1939–45.
/ref> ** RHQ 73rd Light AA Rgt, RA – Lieutenant-Colonel J.A. Armstrong *** 218 LAA Bty and 296 LAA Bty less 2 Troops ** G & H Troops 322 LAA Bty, 93rd LAA Rgt, RA ** 322 HAA Bty and C Troop 323 HAA Bty, 103rd Heavy AA Rgt, RA ** B Troop 474 Independent Searchlight Bty, RA ** 16 Fire Control Post, RA ** 76 & 103 Coast Observation Detachments, RA ** One Platoon 112 Company Pioneer Corps (smoke generators) ** 73 LAA Rgt Workshop,

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers". History Prior t ...

(REME) * 'N' AA Assault Group (from 80th AA Bde) ** RHQ 103rd HAA Rgt, RA – Lieutenant-Colonel H.E. Johnston (AA Defence Commander, 101 BSA) *** D Troop 323 HAA Bty and 324 HAA Bty ** 220 LAA Bty, 73rd LAA Rgt, RA ** I Troop 322 LAA Bty, 93rd LAA Rgt, RA ** C Troop 474 S/L Bty, RA ** 160 AA Operations Room, RA ** One Platoon 112 Company, Pioneer Corps ** 103 HAA Rgt Workshop, REME * 18th GHQ Troops Engineers – CRE: Lieutenant-Colonel J.H. Boyd ** 84th Field Company, RE ** 91st Field Company, RE ** 8th & 9th Stores Sections, RE ** 50th Mechanical Equipment Section, RE ** 205th Works Section, RE ** 654th & 722nd Artisan Works Companies, RE ** Two Advanced Park Sections of 176th Workshop and Park Company, RE ** 49th Bomb Disposal Section, RE ** 999th & 1028th Port Operating Companies, RE ** 940 Inland Water Transport Company, RE ** Five Companies, Pioneer Corps * No. 6 Beach Group (in reserve) ** 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion,

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

D-Day at Sword

British assault

The assault on Sword began at about 03:00 with the aerial and naval bombardment of German coastal defences and artillery sites. The landing was to be concentrated on Queen Red and Queen White in front of Hermanville-sur-Mer, other approaches having proven impassable due to shoals. At 07:25, the first units set off for the beach. These were the amphibious DD tanks of the 13th/18th Hussars; they were followed closely by the 8th Infantry Brigade, and by Royal Engineers in AVREs and the various odd-looking, specialized vehicles that had been nicknamed ' Hobart's funnies'. The engineers set to work clearing mines and obstacles under a steady hail of small arms fire and artillery fire from Périers Ridge just south of Hermanville.Ford and Gerrard, p. 13. Resistance on the beach was initially fairly strong, with wrecked vehicles piling up and casualties mounting; however, with most of their armoured vehicles successfully landed, the British were able to quickly secure the immediate area. By 09:30 the engineers had cleared seven of the eight exits from the beach, allowing the inland advance to begin. British and French commandos encountered tough resistance in the seaside town of Ouistreham, on Sword's eastern extremity, but were able to clear it of enemy strongpoints. By 13:00, the 1st Special Service Brigade had reached the bridges on the River Orne and the Caen Canal, linking up with paratroops of the 6th Airborne Division, who were holding the bridges, after earlier disabling German gun batteries in a fierce night-time battle at Merville. On the western flank of Sword, commandos of the 4th Special Service Brigade advanced to secure

and meet Canadian forces at Juno Beach but encountered strong resistance and were pinned down by heavy fire for several hours. Around the main landing area, the men of the 3rd Infantry Division had secured Hermanville-sur-Mer by 10:00, but were finding tougher going as they slowly fought their way up Périers Ridge and moved inland. Congestion as more men, vehicles and equipment arrived on the beach further complicated matters. It was gradually becoming apparent that the British would not be able to meet the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, to protect the right flank in an immediate assault on Caen. Troops of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry continued down the Hermanville-Caen road, reaching Biéville-Beuville, close to Caen, but were supported by only a few self-propelled guns, their flanks exposed. During the afternoon, the 21st Panzer Division, based around Caen, launched the only major German counterattack of D-Day.

German counter-attacks

D-day - British Forces during the Invasion of Normandy 6 June 1944 B5079

The 21st Panzer Division, with its formidable inventory of some 127 Panzer IV tanks, was intended for use as a rapid response force. However, on the morning of June 6, its commander ''Generalmajor'' Edgar Feuchtinger was in Paris, and Rommel was in Germany. The division was unable to finalize orders and preparations for a counterattack until late in the day. At about 17:00, two thrusts were launched, east and west of the River Orne. The eastern attack, carried out by II Battalion and supporting units, under Major Hans von Luck, was intended to destroy the 6th Airborne Division's Orne bridgehead but was soon stopped in its tracks by intense Allied air attacks and naval gunfire. To the west, a larger armoured group initially fared somewhat better. Taking advantage of the gap between the Sword and Juno sectors, elements of the 192nd

Panzergrenadier (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning ''Armoured fighting vehicle, "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is the German language, German term for the military doctrine of mechanized infantry units in armoured fo ...

Regiment were able to reach the coast at

by 20:00. With few flak units and very little support from the ''

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

'', they too suffered losses to Allied aircraft. When 250 gliders of the British 6th Airlanding Brigade overflew their positions, on their way to reinforce the Orne bridgehead in Operation Mallard, the Germans, believing they were about to be cut off, retired. The ''Luftwaffe'' was particularly weak in this sector but tried to support the attack with a few of the rare daylight appearances it made on D-Day. ''

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

'' Hugo Sperrle, commanding ''

Luftflotte 3 ''Luftflotte'' 3For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 3) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 1 February 1939 from ''Luftwaffeng ...

'' (Air Fleet 3) was responsible for the air defence of Normandy and ordered all available forces to attack the beachhead. Junkers Ju 88s from '' Kampfgeschwader 54'' (KG 54: Bomber Wing 54) attacked British positions with Butterfly Bombs. III./KG 54 struck

while I./KG 54 bombed shipping at the mouth of the

Orne Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.145 Wing intercepted and shot down five German aircraft.

Aftermath

Analysis

By the end of D-Day, 28,845 men of I Corps had come ashore across Sword. The British Official Historian, L. F. Ellis, wrote that "in spite of the

over 156,000 men had been landed in France on the first day of the campaign." British losses in the Sword area amounted to 683 men. The British and Canadians were able to link up and resume the drive on Caen the following day, but three days into the invasion, the advance was halted. On 7 June, Operation Perch, a pincer attack by the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division and XXX Corps was launched to encircle Caen from the east and west flanks.Ellis, p. 250 The 21st Panzer Division halted the 51st Division advance and the XXX Corps attack resulted in the Battle of Villers-Bocage and the withdrawal of the leading elements of the 7th Armoured Division soon after.Van der Vat, p. 139 The next offensive, codenamed Operation Epsom, was launched by VIII Corps on 26 June, to envelope Caen from the west. German forces managed to contain the offensive but to do so, they were obliged to commit all their available strength. On 27 June, the 3rd Infantry Division and its supporting tanks launched Operation ''Mitten''. The objective was to seize two German-occupied châteaux, la Londe and le Landel. The initial evening assault was repulsed but the following morning, attacks gained the objectives and destroyed several German tanks. Operation ''Mitten'' cost at least three British tanks and 268 men.Fortin, p. 30Copp (2004), p. 113 In 2003 Copp wrote that fighting for these châteaux made the area the "bloodiest square mile in Normandy". Norman Scarfe wrote in 1947 that, had the operation gone more smoothly, further elements of the division and elements of the 3rd Canadian Division would have launched Operation Aberlour, an ambitious plan to capture several villages north of Caen but the attack was cancelled by Lieutenant-General John Crocker.Scarfe, pp. 68–69 Several days later I Corps launched a new offensive, codenamed Operation Charnwood, to gain possession of Caen. In a frontal assault, the northern half of the city was captured,Williams, p. 131 but German forces retained possession of the city south of the River Orne. The southern half of Caen was only captured 12 days later by Canadian infantry during Operation Atlantic.Trew, p. 102

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Col L.F. Morling, ''Sussex Sappers: A History of the Sussex Volunteer and Territorial Army Royal Engineer Units from 1890 to 1967'', Seaford: 208th Field Co, RE/Christians–W.J. Offord, 1972. * Maj-Gen R.P. Pakenham-Walsh, ''History of the Corps of Royal Engineers'', Vol IX, ''1938–1948'', Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, 1958. * * Brig N.W. Routledge, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55'', London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, * * Stewart, Andrew. '' Caen Controversy: The Battle for Sword Beach 1944'' (2014
online review
* Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, ''The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018'', Tiger Lily Books, 2018, . * * * * * * *

External links

D-Day-Overlord Sword Beach

Photos de Sword Beach

United Kingdom

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

D-Day : Etat des Lieux : Sword Beach
{{coord, 49, 18, 23, N, 0, 19, 16, W, type:event_source:dewiki, display=title Operation Overlord Normandy landings Battle for Caen Battles of World War II involving Germany Battles of World War II involving France Battles of World War II involving the United Kingdom Beaches of Metropolitan France Landforms of Normandy Beaches in history Military history of Calvados (department)