Sword Beach - plage du débarquement de Normandie

Beach was one of five beaches the Allied landings in Normandy June 6, 1944 during the Second World War. This range was assigned to the Second British Army.

This beach is 8 km from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. It was the landing point as to the east and located about 15 km from Caen.

This beach, like the four others, was divided into sectors. From west to east: Oboe, Peter, Queen and Roger.

Due to the coastal reefs in front of Lion and Luc-sur-mer, the attack will take place on a front end fairly close to Hermanville at a place called the "Breach". The paratroopers of the 6th Airborne were destroyed in the early days of the Merville battery and held the bridges over the Orne.

The troops defending the beach, poor quality, was part of the 716th Division, but the second line the 21st Panzer Division was composed of veterans of the campaign in North Africa and less experienced recruits. The tanks were mostly fitted to the division of tanks captured the French and the Soviets in 1940-1941, tanks will struggle to cope with Sherman.

English regiments engaged in the battle, the 1st Lancashire, first to land in the zone Red Queen, who will suffer the greatest losses. The 2nd East Yorkshire landed at the same time will be lucky and suffer fewer losses.

The 1st Brigade Special Lord Lovat, (with its ranks No. 4 Commando with 177 marines French Commander Philippe Kieffer) after Ouistreham after deadly street fighting, reached the bridge Bénouville and Ranville and operated so the junction with the paratroopers. Less fortunate, the 41st Commando Royal Marines on the hill still strong German defenses in Lion-sur-Mer.

More than half of the hundred tanks against the attack of the 21st Panzer Division in the late afternoon were destroyed or neutralized. The day ended with the British landed 30,000 men and 700 victims. At the beginning of the next day they made their junction with the Canadian forces at Juno Beach.