Pointe du Hoc, cliff in France
Pointe du Hoc is a rocky headland on the Normandy coast with steep cliffs about 100 feet (30 meters) high rising above the English Channel. The site includes memorials, monuments, and a visitor facility that tell the story of what happened during the invasion.
This headland was a key military target during the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944, because it held enemy guns that threatened the beaches below. American soldiers fought their way up the cliffs in difficult conditions to capture and disable the German defensive positions.
This headland now serves as a place where people from around the world come to remember American sacrifice during the war. The damaged landscape itself has become part of how visitors understand and reflect on what happened here.
The site is open to visitors with walking paths along the clifftop that offer views of the coast and surrounding landscape. Wear sturdy shoes and prepare for changing weather, as the location is exposed and wind can be strong throughout the year.
Bomb craters from the pre-invasion bombardment remain visible across the headland, creating depressions in the ground that mark where shells landed. These holes serve as stark reminders of the scale and intensity of the fighting that took place.
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