The film The Longest Day first brought international attention to the daring airborne operations that accompanied the Allied landings in Normandy. British parachute and glider units were assigned to secure the eastern flank of the Allied operation, the appoaches to the British objective of Sword Beach. A team from the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry landed at night by glider to secure the "Pegasus" bridge across the Orne River, thereby blocking German reinforcements. British forces did not secure Sword Beach as quickly as anticipated, and the lightly-armed glider troops defending the bridge were forced to hold out alone against the advancing Germans. At the same time British paratroopers landed virtually on top of the massive Merville Battery, whose heavy guns would have made the Sword Beach landing impossible. Armed only with grenades and hand weapons, the paras secured the heavily-fortified position before its guns could be brought into action. 
Part of the acclaimed Battleground Europe Series of battle field historical guides

Pegasus Bridge and Merville Battery : Normandy

History

SHILLETO, Carl

World

Pen & Sword

The fortunes of war and clear-headed decisions by commanders on the scene combined to make Utah Beach the most successful and least costly of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. Strong ocean currents and the confusion of battle placed the landing force a mile south of its target, but further away from German artillery and in a sector that was less heavily defended because the land inland was flooded. The first craft ashore happened to contain Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. who immediately brought order to what might have been a chaotic situation. The U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment quickly began to move inland for a crucial linkup with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, all of whose landing zones were behind Utah Beach. The personalities, units and individual actions of this dramatic D-Day landing are all covered in the usual Battlegroud Europe fashion, with numerous illustrations, maps and a guide to the area as it is today.

Utah Beach : Normandy (Battleground Europe Series)

Americas

Pen and Sword Military

This text provides information about museums, sites, memorials, statues and cemetries in relation to D-Day and the battle for Normandy. It gives details of how to get to them and what to see, and with the aid of maps and photographs it gives the reader a comprehensive account of the major battles. It also helps the reader to understand what it was like to have endured the ordeal of combat through contemporary eyewitness accounts. The book covers the period from June to August 1944 when the allies stormed the shore, fought their way through the brocage country of Normandy, and eventually broke through the Avranches gap.

A Traveller's Guide to D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (The Traveller's Guides to the Battles & Battlefields of Ww II)

Tolhurst, Mike

Military

Interlink Pub Group Inc

A Traveler's Guide to D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (The Travellerªs Guides to the Battles & Battlefields of WWII)

Travel

A Traveller's Guide to D-Day and the Battle for Normandy

Europe

INTERLINK+BOOKS

Normandy : Pegasus Bridge and Merville Battery (Battleground Europe)

Combined Publishing

On D Day, 6th June 1944 the greatest seaborne assault ever was launched against Hitler's Fortress Europe onto the beaches of Normandy. This battlefield guide tells in detail, how these objectives were achieved and relates the battles to the area as it is today. The book contains details of museums, memorials, cemeteries, tours and associated organizations all of which will unravel the history of the area to the visitor and armchair traveler alike.

Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge (Battleground Normandy)

This major addition to our Battleground WW2 Series covers the U.S. airborne and seaborne landings on the Cotentin Peninsular on D-Day 6 June 1946. It tells a dramatic story of near disastrous drops by the U.S. 101st (The Screaming Eagles) and 82nd (The All American) Airborne Divisions and how they gallantly regrouped and gained their objectives at St. Mere Eglise and Carentan. Meanwhile the 4th U.S. Infantry Division were the first American seaborne troops to land (at Utah) followed closely by the 90th Infantry Division.This book graphically describes how these divisions eventually linked up and succeeded in cutting off the vital port of Cherbourg. The book also describes the 'big picture' leading up to D-Day and is particularly interesting in its revelations about the notorious 'Operation Tiger' when over 700 American troops died during training.

Utah Beach: St. Mere Eglise, VII Corps, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions (Battleground Normandy)

This battlefield guide is the companion work to Pegasus Bridge &amp; Horsa Bridge. Together, these two books form the fully revised and updated edition of the previous best selling Battleground Europe Series book Pegasus Bridge &amp; Merville Battery. This book examines, in great detail, the attack by 9 Para Bn of the British 6th Airborne Division on the German gun emplacement known as the Merville Battery on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The actions of 8 Para, 12 Para, Canadian 1 Para, attached engineer and support units, and commando raids in this area of Normandy are also told. In particular, the importance of destroying the five bridges, and a drainage culvert, in the Dives valley are explained along with the importance of taking and holding the high ground to the north-east of Caen. These combined actions resulted in the protection and securing of the left flank of the greatest combined military operation in history; Operation OVERLORD. In addition to explaining how these objectives were achieved, this battlefield guide relates the battles to the area as it is today. The book contains details of the museums, memorials, cemeteries and associated organizations. All of which will unravel the history of the area to the visitor and armchair traveler alike. To further aid the battlefield tourist, GPS data is also provided for either satellite navigation by vehicle or for viewing on Google Earth.

Merville Battery & The Dives Bridges (Battleground)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by SHILLETO, Carl. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by SHILLETO, Carl