WW2 trips and museum visits
Gold Beach
2006 and 2009
50th Northumbrian
Infantry Division
8th Armoured Brigade
British Sector
Men of 47 (Royal Marine) Commando attached to the 50th Infantry Division land on Gold-Beach-Jig sector.

Gold Beach was the code name for the Allied landing beach on D-Day, June 6 located in the centre of the five designated target beaches for the Normandy landings, between Arromanches and Ver sur Mer. The Gold Beach sector was about five miles (eight km) wide with Arromanches at the western end. The enemy resistance was concentrated at the far ends of Gold Beach. The Germans defending the sector to the east were in exposed positions and concentrated in fortified beach houses along the coast, highly vulnerable to Allied naval and aerial bombardments. The centre of the beach had a marshy coastline but was poorly defended by Ost-troops, Russians enlisted soldiers in the Wehrmacht, armed with 50 mm guns in concrete emplacements and 75 mm guns inside pillboxes in the sand dunes. To the right of Gold Beach the Germans had an observation post on the top of the cliffs at Longues-sur-Mer. This was an observation post for four 152-mm guns located further inland. To the rear in this sector the Germans had artillery battery’s at Mont-Fleury, Ryes, Marefontaine, Creully and Crepon, that could cover Gold Beach. There were also beach obstacles, anti-tank ditches and mines. The Germans had also based a Division at Bayeux to counterattack should the Allies attack.

 

Taking Gold Beach was to be the responsibility of the British 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division and the British 8th Armoured Brigade. The primary objectives were to establish a beachhead between Arromanches (for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbor) and Ver-sur-Mer. They also had to link-up with American forces at Omaha Beach and Canadian forces at Juno Beach and move on inland towards Bayeux and cutting the road towards Caen, RN 13. The British also had to capture a small port in Port-en-Bessin. This would be the Allies only harbor if captured and would be used for bringing in supplies and fuel by an underwater pipeline from tankers anchored offshore. Soon after D-Day a continuous flow of petrol to meet the heavy demands would by supplied by a pipeline, (PLUTO, Pipe Line Under The Ocean) from southern England to France.

 

The landings were scheduled to start at 7.25, an hour later than the Americans, due to local differences in tide times. Gold Beach was divided in four sectors codenamed from west to east, Item, Jig, King and How though How was not a landing area during the assault. Prior to the landings, German defensive positions were attacked by medium and heavy bombers and by Naval support neutralizing many of the German strong points. Due to a strong north-westerly wind, the sea level along the coast was higher than expected. This higher tide covered many of the mines and other beach obstacles and made it possible for the first wave to be launched further up the beach. This first wave, carried in landing craft came in under heavy fire and suffered many casualties. Despite fierce opposition from mortar fire and inland enemy battery’s the British could finally brake through the German defenses under the support of tanks launched from landing craft and move inland.

 

By the evening of D-Day the British had landed some 25,000 men on Gold Beach and achieved most of their objectives. They were in control of a bridgehead consolidating an area measuring about six miles wide and six miles deep with advanced elements of the 50th Infantry Division within sight of the N13 and the outskirts of Bayeux. To the left flank of Gold Beach the British linked up with the Canadians from Juno Beach. Arromanches On the right had been taken but Port-en-Bessin was still in the hands of the Germans. Also no contact was established with the Americans at Omaha Beach. The British suffered approximately 400 casualties in the Gold Beach sector

 

British troops land on Gold Beach
The Mulberry harbor at Arromanches, Gold Beach.
Fuel is pumped onshore by an underwater pipeline from tankers anchored offshore Port-en-Bessin.
Aerial photo of Port-en-Bessin