The story
The 79th Infantry Division, in concert with the 4th and 9th Infantry Divisions, attacked to seize Cherbourg.
Cherbourg was heavily fortified, and the Germans well positioned and determined to resist.
The 79th fought first for the high ground overlooking Cherbourg, dominated by la Mare a Canards.
As American infantrymen advanced in the difficult terrain, bypassed enemy and infiltrators attacked them in the rear, forcing an all around battle.
From la Mare a Canards the division pushed on to the Fort du Roule, overlooking the harbor itself.
The Fort du Roule was built into a rocky promontory in layers, with coastal guns on the lower levels firing directly into the harbor while mortars and machine guns on the upper levels dominated the land approaches.
Such fortifications had to be picked apart piece by piece, a concrete pillbox at a time. Soldiers pressed in close with demolitions, grenades and rifles to finish the job.
On 27 June Cherbourg fell, and within a few days more residual resistance had been mopped up.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.