Whats the story behind this location at Les Mezieres in Normandy, there seems to be a lot of photo's about the area on Google earth. I'm assuming it was an American objective on DDay, but why? Thanks Stu
From a google search Axis history forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=199238 http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus/en_index.php - DZ 'A' http://www.europebattlefieldstours.com/UtahSector-Special/UtahSector-Special7.html Objective WXYZ The bunkers are located in the field bordered by road Pvt Criss towards Saint-Martin-de-Vareville. The farm is at the opposite, D 423 towards Turqueville. The action took place in a group of farms that was the scene of a memorable D-Day firefight. In 1944, the farm buildings had been pressed into service as a barracks complex for German artillerymen. On American maps they were simply given the designation «WXYZ». Today, there is nothing along this bucolic country road to recall for the traveller the events of 6 June. Yet here, Staff Sergeant Harrison Summers, 1st Battalion, 502d Parachute Infantry, fought almost single-handedly to capture the barracks. Summers had been given fifteen men to accomplish his mission, one that really called for a battalion effort. Strangers to Summers and coming from different units, these men had little stomach for the firefight the sergeant was about to begin. Trusting that his example would inspire his men, Summers raced over to the first building, kicked in the door, and sprayed the room with his Thompson submachine gun. The handful of survivors burst out of the rear of the building, looking for cover further down the road. Summers, now covered by Private William Burt with a light machine gun, broke into a second house and shot its six defenders. And so it went from house to house. Two officers who joined him were taken out by German fire almost immediately. Private John Camien, carrying an M-1 carbine, pitched in later. The rest of Summers's squad provided some covering fire from . the ditch paralleling the road. But it was largely Summers's fight. Building after building fell to the intrepid sergeant. The finale came after five hours of fighting, when Summers and Burt set the last barracks building on fire with bazooka rounds and tracers, flushing the eighty or so German defenders into an open field where fifty were killed. When asked how he felt, Summers, dragging on a cigarette, replied that he didn't feel «very good. It was all kind of crazy». There must be many more TD
good day tricky dicky,sm.yesterday,05:12pm.re:wxyz les mezieres.normandy.an amazing story of bravery.standing out from the rest is summers,he had courage to spare,i hope he made it home,thank you for posting,regards bernard 85
Thankyou TD for the info. That fully explains what happened there then. I'm going to Normandy with my Son on Monday for 4 days, but i take it from what you said it's probably not worth visiting? regards Stu
Hi Stu Just to correct your last post, they are not my words, but from the website (link given) and as I have not visited the site itself I don't know if it is worth visiting or not. But I hope you have an interesting trip with your son, there are many sites to see and museums to visit. TD
