A World War II historic guide to discover the D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy

Travel Normandy guide François Gauthron offers tours of the Normandy landing beaches, World War II battlefield. Come and discover the most famous part of Normandy where took place the Landing and the battle of Normandy in June 1944 to liberate France and Europe. You will be escorted by a qualified bilingual guide who will show you round the major sites of the beaches. Visit the highlights of World War II sites in Normandy with an expert license guide, first the most important sites of the landing beaches.

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Picauville

A night ambush that change the Paratroopers' destiny

Gen. Falley's HQ.

In the night of June 5th to June 6th 1944, the German Wilhem Falley, Commander of 91st infantry division, was in Rennes with his aide de camp, Major Joachim Bartuzat, for a kriegspiel (war-game). He was alerted by his HQ in Picauville that US Paratroopers landed in the Cherbourg Peninsula, right away he decided to head back. Arriving to Château Bernaville in Picauville, he met an American patrol who ordered him to stop. The driver tried to drive through the paratroopers, but the gun fire was too much. The car hit the wall of the old mill. J. Bartuza was killed immediately and Gen. Falley jumped out of the car and tried to reach his gun. He tried to hide by the door-way of a barn. Brannen pointed his gun at General Falley who kept moving and shot him dead. The body of the General was only found 48 hours later by his own men.
The loss of General Falley was disastrous for the German counterattack against the American Airborne forces.

His HQ Commanded:

  • 1057 Infantry-Regiment,
  • 1058 Infantry-Regiment,
  • 191 Artillery-Regiment,
  • 191 Aufklärungs-Abteilung,
  • 191 Panzerjäger-Abteilung,
  • 191 Pionier-Bataillon,
  • 191 Nachrichten-Abteiliung,
  • 91 Fusilier -Bataillon (formed in April 1944).

Linked up units 6.6.44 :

  • 6 Fallschirmajer (paratrooper Division),
  • Panzer Abteilung 100.

Later on in the campaign, the division was combined with 243rd Inf.Div under the command of Oberst Bernhard Klosterkemper. In early July 1944, it received a new commander in the shape of Oberst Eugen Koenig.
The two men were provisionally buried at Bernaville. At the end of the war, the corpses were transferred to German Cemetery in Orglandes

Lt. M. Brannen remembers

Lt. M. Brannen, Commanded by Jack Schlegel of 3rd Bn of 508 PIR under Col. Roy Lindquist, remembers his great action: «From my position above the dusty, dirt road I saw the German Caporal trying to escape by crawling into the cellar of the house and I fire my Colt pistol at him grazing his shoulder and saw him sit down beside the house, here our enlisted men attended his slight wound. I also watched a German officer crawling in the road towards his lüger lying in the road several feet in front of his position. He looked at me as I stood on the hedge above him, and 15 feet to his right, and as he inched closer and closer to his weapon he pleaded to me in German and also saying in English «DON'T KILL, DON'T KILL». I thought «I'm not a cold hearted killer. I'm human... but if he gets that lüger - it is either him or me or one more of my men». So I shot. He was hit in the forehead and never knew it».