Pointe du Hoc
Region : Basse Normandie
Pictures Eric Broage
Copyright Genius Tour
Description:
Located halfway between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc overlooks the sea from the top of a vertical cliff.With a semi-underground battery still beeing built in 1944, the site is kept in the same condition as the landing day, June the 6th, 1944: Many craters dig up the cliff as you can see from the pictures of this Article.
Information panels complete the site visit.
Planning:
The observation deck is open on the following schedule:- From November to March: from 10:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.;
- From April to October: from 09:30 to 17:30. Disclaimer : The management team of the destination has the possibility to change the opening days and hours without prior communication.
Comments:
A special unit, the 2nd Ranger Battalion was created specifically to fight against this battery: 225 men must take the cliff assault in 30 minutes to get 500 additional rangers to assist. If the assault is not successful within 30 minutes, these 500 men will be sent to another point of landing.Actually, this what happened as the 225 men took the place in a litle longer time that was planed.
Today, the Rangers are an elite U.S. Army unit.
Pointe du Hoc is also frequently called the tip of the Hoe in contemporary documents such as maps and military reports.
The site is free and open to visit.
Address:
14450 Cricqueville-en-BessinLocated in Calvados, Cricqueville-en-Bessin is at about 300km at the NorthWest of Paris.
From Paris, take the highway A13 to Caen and then continue on the RN13 until Cricqueville-en-Bessin after going through Bayeux.
N 49°22'44'', O 01°00'01''
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