NORMANDY
50 DIV
(Notes by School of Combined Operations)

5. OPPOSITION ENCOUNTERED ON THE BEACHES

(a) Beach Obstacles sited between 864865 and 889670 i.c., a length of 2700 yds. These. were:-

During D and D + 1 one Fd Coy (73) cleared 2500 yds of beach dealing with 1650 obstacles.

No mines were found on the beaches themselves although a total of 200 Tellermines and 940 shells were attached to the Beach Obstacles.

Considerable minefields had been laid immediately inland particularly between the top of the beach and the main lateral. These are still being cleared. Minefield consisted of large wooden box mines, Tellers 43, (STAHL) and schu-mines.

(b) Strong Points

(i) DART 878866

The refs are to the numbers given on the defence overprint.

Asnelles 7

This consisted of a large gun emplacement for a French 75 mm gun removed from its carriage and fitted to a swivel mounting. The gun fired EAST along the beaches having a arc of fire of about 60° centre on bearing 050°. There was slight damage on the top south side of the embrasure caused by shell fire from the sea or tank fire from the beach. This gun was reported as being very damaging to tanks on the bench and was finally put out of action by tank which fired a PETARD round through the back door which caused the ammunition to detonate. There were signs of fire and explosions inside. Two of the crew were said to have survived and continued sniping until the afternoon of D-day.

Asnelles 8

This was a heavy MG position built into a building on top of the seawall, with 2 ft thick concrete protection to seaward. It was able to fire along the bench towards the EAST (are of fire 020° 270° and was reported as having been knocked out early on D-day, probably by infantry and tanks. There was a small hole in the concrete probably caused by a shot from a tank.