| d’Isigny-sur-Mer, to the south of Pointe du Hoc, was liberated by 0500 Hours on June 9, 1944, by the United States Army 29th Infantry Division, 175th Infantry Regiment, and 747th Tank Battalion, after which it served as a key logistical point for the Allies, even as it was heavily damaged – 60 percent destroyed – during the fighting. The Port of d’Isigny was susceptible to tides and was accessed from the Vire River and the Passe d’Isigny, the estuary of the Baie des Veys. The port was virtually undamaged; a Nazi German gunboat was sunk at its moorings. Because Tank Landing Craft (LCTs) and Vehicle Landing Barges (LBVs, converted Thames River barges) didn’t fit under the Vire River bridges, 20 Dutch Schuyts (“Barges”), with a draft of no more than 13 feet (4 meters) towed by Mechanized Landing Craft (LCMs), were used to transfer cargo from LSTs and transports anchored in the Baie des Veys. The port was operated by the 4191st and 4058th Quartermaster Service Companies and the 688th Quartermaster Battalion from June 24, 1944, transferring 200 tons per day until June 26, when 764 tons were unloaded; 2,093 tons of critical supplies were unloaded in the 1st 3 days of operation. All of this was done only during neap tides; the rest of the time, d’Isigny-sur-Mer’s port was forced to remain idle. Meanwhile, captured Nazi German equipment began to be concentrated around d’Isigny-sur-Mer in 2 farm fields southeast of Isigny-sur-Mer, east of the intersection of the D196 and D203 roads towards Lison, east of the hamlet of La Madeleine. In this captured vehicle depot, United States Army trucks are seen in the upper right background. Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, Ausführung A, Türnummer 425 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 171), 5th Vehicle, 2nd Company, 4th Battalion, 6.Panzerregiment, Panzer-Lehr-Division, was manufactured by the Hermann Goering Stellwerk in Linz, Austria, and restored to operational condition by Ateliers de construction d’Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX) and served with the L’Armée de Terre Francaise (“French Ground Army”) until 1955. It was used on a target range until it was saved by the French Armor Museum at Samur. It was sold to the Cadman Collection in the United Kingdom before it was restored and sold to the Australian Armor and Combat Museum in 2015. To the left of 425 is a Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251 Ausführung D half-track. Another Panther is visible in the foreground. Panzerkampfwagen IV (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161), Türnummer 828, 8th Vehicle, 2nd Company, 8th Battalion, 2.SS.Panzerregiment, 2nd Schutzstaffel (SS) Panzer Division, is 1 of 8 Panzer IVs in the tank park. Türnummer 535, 5th Vehicle, 3rd Company, 5th Battalion, can also be seen. 3 trucks, French Scammell and Latil models; a 150 millimeter (5.9 inch) sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Grille (“Cricket”); and a Panzerjäger 38(t) Marder III Ausführung H tank destroyer (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 138) are seen in the photo. Most of these vehicles were scrapped, and the metal was recycled for rebuilding France. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2219.jpg |
| Image Size | 853.96 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 3171 x 2480 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 1, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | d’Isigny-sur-Mer |
| State or Province | Normandy |
| Country | France |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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