Pegasus Bridge 1944: Seizing the Caen Canal and Orne River bridges

This episode examines Operation Deadstick, the glider assault on the Caen Canal and Orne River bridges in the opening minutes of D-Day, 6 June 1944. Six Horsa gliders carrying D Company, 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry under Major John Howard landed within metres of their objectives at 00:16 hours, the first Allied ground action of the Normandy invasion.

Drawing on the original Glider Pilot Regiment and 6th Airborne Division Operations Orders, personal exploration of the preserved battlefield, and GIS terrain analysis, the episode covers: the precision of the glider landings at Bénouville and Ranville, the assault on the bridge defences, the desperate hours holding the position against German counterattack, and the arrival of Lord Lovat's 1st Special Service Brigade linking up with the paratroopers at 13:00 hours, famously accompanied by piper Bill Millin, .

The analysis examines why the capture of Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge intact was essential to the success of the entire eastern flank of Operation Overlord, and why the failure of German armour to retake the crossings in the critical hours after midnight shaped the outcome of the Normandy campaign.

The site at Bénouville remains one of the most remarkably preserved D-Day battlefields in Normandy. The original Pegasus Bridge is displayed at the Mémorial Pegasus museum adjacent to the site.

The full article including original Operations Orders, GIS terrain analysis, battlefield photography, and unit histories is at:

https://battlefieldtravels.com/pegasus-bridge/

The podcast is entirely based on original research at battlefieldtravels.com, with AI assistance to create the podcasts.