Why was pegasus bridge so important

However, reinforced by paratroopers, Howard and his men were able to resist an attack by the 21st Panzer Division. Control of the bridge — and the nearby Orne Bridge — and the swift taking of the D-Day beaches meant that the 6th Airborne Division could protect the eastern flank of the entire landings. Major John Howard. The task given to Howard…. Infanterie Division. Flights and transport plan. Probably no commando operation has been more thoroughly prepared: two virtually identical bridges in England were used to train a hundred or so soldiers, all volunteers under the command of Major John Howard.

This training, repeated many times, was according to Major Howard one of the most difficult of the British army. Operation Deadstick, part of the operation Tonga, began on June 5, with the Halifax bombers taking off towing the six Horsa gliders starting at Glider troops, led by Major John Howard, set off in the night and broke their trailer over Cabourg at a height of 6, feet.

The descent of the gliders was rapid and the absence of pressurization caused an important discomfort for the airborne soldiers who were forced to blow through the nose while closing their nostrils with the hand to fight against this phenomenon.

The surprise is total. The bombers towing the gliders, obviously making noise, were spotted by German sentries long before the gliders land, but the Wehrmacht infantry were unaware that Allied planes were towing gliders. To camouflage the operation, Allied motor planes bombarded a cement factory located a few kilometers further south of the objectives of the British 6th Airborne Division.

Thus, the Germans believe that the planes fly over the area only to bomb the cement plant. The young sentry of Slavic origin and barely 17 years old however hears a deaf and strange noise a few tens of meters east of the bridge. The soldier thus remains a few seconds to look in the dark night towards what he believes to be the wreckage of a bomber, thinking that perhaps one of the pilots will have survived. But the British soldiers, after a few seconds spent recovering from their emotions, successively emerge from their glider and infiltrate the blockhouses while storming the bridge.

In one of the underground bunkers where the few German infantrymen sleep, some wake up because of strange noises. And when one of them leaves his dormitory to join the access corridor illuminated by the dim light of the bulbs, he discovers enemy soldiers, crouching, advancing slowly in his direction. British commandos have no choice but to use their Sten submachine guns. The guns of the automatic weapons crackle and the German falls, dead. But the alert is given, the shot having served as an alarm.

Flares were thrown, panic among the Germans was complete. They started shooting in all directions while the British crosed the bridge, covered with smoke grenades. They fired phosphorous grenades into machine gun nests which exploded almost immediately. The Allies' mission was a great success before dawn on D-Day, but heavy losses were sustained.

More than 2, soldiers rest in peace at the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Ranville several kilometres from the museum. The name Pegasus Bridge was chosen to commemorate the site after the badge that the British soldiers wore on their uniforms, the winged horse from Greek mythology.

Replaced in by a new bridge, the original Pegasus Bridge is now on display in the museum's park. Published: 30 October ,