Le Hamel - Looking East
June 14, 1948
The British Hampshier Battalion of the 50th Infantry Division assaulted Gold-Jig-Red-West Beach at 7:30 AM D-day at the sandy beach top left. Beach obstacles, minefields and enemy resistance took 200 casualties in the first hours. Only five of their sixteen tanks made it beyond the minefields. Moving west accompanied by one tank the Hampshires attacked a 75mm strongpoint codenamed "Dart". C Company bypassed Dart to attack a 50mm strongpoint on the town's west side. German resistance was completely overcome by 4:30 that afternoon. The battalion continued to Arromanches where the following day British engineers commenced building Port Churchill assembled with components floated across the English Channel.