Tracy-sur-Mer (Calvados)
The cities of Normandy during the 1944 battles
Liberation: June 7th, 1944
Deployed units:
1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment, 231st Infantry Brigade, 50th Infantry Division
2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 231st Infantry Brigade, 50th Infantry Division
No. 47 Royal Marine Commando, 50th Infantry Division
1/Grenadier-Regiment 916, 352. Infanterie-Division
History:
The town of Tracy-sur-Mer is bordering Arromanches-les-Bains, major objective of the Allied forces. No landing is planned on D-Day in front of this sector: the aim is to avoid any additional destruction that could delay the installation of the artificial harbor.
During the occupation, the Germans established a fulcrum on the shoreline overlooking the shoreline: called “Wn 44“, this defensive position consists of a casemate SK (housing a 47mm gun Skoda 39) and a tobrouk allowing to use a mortar.
The plan planned by the British is to land first at Gold Beach, then to engage the soldiers of the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment (231st Infantry Brigade, 50th Infantry Division), and to seize the village of Tracy-sur-Mer in the wake of the capture of Arromanches, before continuing towards Manvieux. Second level, the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment must be able to restart the action in case of a hard blow.
On the evening of June 6, 1944, the British reached Arromanches after hard fighting. They hired several patrols to the west and south to detect possible German resistance points before settling on the defensive for the night. At dawn on 7 June, the men of the 1st Battalion resumed their progress towards Tracy-sur-Mer: the Germans do not oppose frank resistance, despite the presence of snipers. Twenty German soldiers surrender spontaneously and without fighting to the British. The village is liberated before ten o’clock in the morning by the British pursuing towards Manvieux.
Map of Tracy-sur-Mer:
Back to the Normandy cities in 1944
