Executive D-Day Tours / R.C.S. 521 534 040  

Utah Beach

The 4th US Infantry Division comes center-stage to capture Cherbourg !

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4th US Infantry Men moving inlands.
Utah was the most westerly of the five D-Day assault beaches and the last one added in the Overlord plan.

General Dwight Eisenhower realised that the Allied advance throughout Western Europe would require vast amounts of equipment. Therefore, t
he Allied Forces needed to capture a major port as soon as possible after the landings. By landing on Utah Beach, the VII US Army Corps would put the Allies within 25 miles of the deep water harbour of Cherbourg, expected and need to perform the essential logistical element of the battle.

But there were only four main routes inland from the beach...

"We begin the war here" Teddy ROOSEVELT Junior, the man of the day... 

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Teddy Roosevelt in Normandy, July 1944
Capturing Utah Beach was relatively easy due to the effective pre-invasion bombardment and a fortunate mistake...
"Goddam, we are on French soil !" shouted soldiers from the first wave of assault reaching Utah Beach. 
Yes, but not in the right place... at this point Teddy Roosevelt Junior had to successfully deal with this potentially disastrous problem to ensure that the landings could continue successfully.
In the course of D-Day the seaborne troops effected a junction with the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

A tour on the Utah Beach landing sector will explain to you all the reasons for this American success.