Batterie allemande de Longues-sur-Mer

This German Battery located at Longues-sur-Mer was very powerful and was within striking distance of both Omaha Beach and Gold Beach (and both Mulberry Harbours), so it was imperative that the Germans not be able to keep this battery active. It consisted (and still consists of today...) of four 150 mm gun posts, two of which are seen above, located 300 meters back from the edge of the cliff overlooking the seas and one observation and control room bunker right on the sea (you may have seen this in "The Longest Day" - it was used in the movie). The guns had a range of 12.5 miles, letting them easily reach Omaha and Gold beaches.

On the night of June 5th, 124 RAF planes dropped 600 tons of bombs on this site but it was still operational on the morning of the 6th! The Germans began firing at Allied troops as early at 5:37 am (yep, that's what it says in my guide book....). Bombardments by Allied ships finally put the battery out of commission at around 7 pm the night of the 6th.

This part of the German Atlantic Wall is the best preserved of the entire length and now has the status of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the most impressive sites we saw on our trip!