Mike's Travel Snaps

Pointe-du-Hoc Pointe du Hoc is an amazing place to visit. The Point is a crinkle of coastline jutting out into the English Channel between the beaches now known as Omaha and Utah. Sheer cliffs rise above the channel to a grassy meadow on its top. One can easily see why the German built strong fortifications and placed artillery here. In order for the Omaha and Utah Beach landings to be successful on D-Day, the guns on this cliff (easily within range of the American landing sites) would have to be eliminated. Companies of Rangers had to scale these cliffs and attempt to disable the guns.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
At the end of the Point, you can see the Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument, although access to the monument is currently restricted due to safety issues. Read more here, and see more about the monument here.
Pointe-du-Hoc This is one of the many hulking shells of fortifications on Pointe du Hoc which remain.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc The Point is kept much the way it was following the Normandy Invasion. Check out the pair of craters from explosions on the right side. The whole place is littered with craters.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc Here's another crater (with two more beyond), but the photos don't really do them justice. You can faintly see a row of yellowish grass along the bottom of the picture which forms the hole's front lip. These craters could be as much as 6-8 feet deep.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc Here's some fortifications which were built into the ground.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc A closeup of one of the bunker which appeared to be built around a mounting for artillery.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc Some of the more damaged fortifications. At the top left of the photo is a bunker which has been converted into a viewing platform. You can see a dozen or two visitors on top.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.
Pointe-du-Hoc Another detail of a bunker next to what appears to be an artillery emplacement (on the right side of the photo, behind a concrete boulder, you see part of a track which may have been used to rotate the gun). Near the center of the picture is a bunker (which originally have had a concrete roof), you see three compartments. There were either storage areas or connections to some underground area.	Click on the above image to see a larger version.