Battle Zone Normandy: Orne Bridgehead

6th British Airborne Division's attacks on 'Pegasus' Bridge and the Merville Battery are remembered as two of the most remarkable actions which took place in Normandy on 6 June 1944. The division fought for far longer than just one day, however, achieving a great deal of success by securing the Allied left flank and creating a firm base from which a breakout into the French interior could be launched. The strengths, weaknesses and sheer drama of airborne warfare are all encapsulated in the opening week of the division's operations in Normandy as its lightly armed but highly trained and motivated troops sought to overcome a more heavily armed enemy desperate to unhinge the invasion.

Starting with an examination of 6th Airborne Division, its plan and the German opposition, Lloyd Clark provides an overview of British operations east of the River Orne from the initial landings in the early hours of 6 June to the capture of Breville seven days later. The battlefield tours which follow include the famous and dramatic assaults on 'Pegasus' Bridge and the Merville Battery, but also the lesser known struggle to secure the British southern flank around Le Bas de Ranville, Longueval and St.Honorine on 6-7 June and the Battle of Breville on 12 June.