La, Havre, France, is where Joan of Arch was burned at the stake in 1431. Five centuries later Hitler completely destroyed the port long before D-Day. He knew that the allies would need a port to unload supplies if Europe was ever invaded.

On October 12, 2019, the cruise ship docked at the port of La, Havre, in France. The port of La, Havre, is so large I wouldn’t have had time to walk into town even if I knew the way. Our coach took about a half hour to drive out of the port area. La, Have, has always been one of Frances major ports on the English Channel.

On Saturday, October 12, 2019, we traveled by coach to Arromanches-les-Bains, a modest seaside resort that owes its fame to the Mulberry Harbour Operation, an integral part of the Allied Landing in Europe on June 6, 1944. I visited the Landing Museum, (Virtually every town along a Normandy beach has its own museum of what happened there on D-Day.) which depicts the building of temporary portable harbours in just days to facilitate the rapid off loading of cargo during the Allied invasion. And, saw the remains of this artificial port built by the US military. This enabled allied forces to land tanks, jeeps, ammunition, fuel, etc. for the conquest of Europe. And then, I had a three coarse lunch at La Mrine with all the great wine I wanted to drink.

After lunch we were driven to Colleville Saint Laurent for a stop at the American Cemetery where more than 9,000 men and one women are buried overlooking Omaha Beach. Plus, the remains of over a 1,000 unidentified and MIA men.

We were then driven to Pointe du Hoc, and explored the remains of a heavily fortified German observation post. This gun and cannon emplacement was shelling allied troops landing at both Omaha and Utah Beaches. During D-Day, American Army Ranger troops climbed the cliffs and captured this German stronghold.

Click to view the other 15-Day European Jewels Cruise stops from London (Southampton) England.

Copyright © 2019 JACK L. WINEGAR All Rights Reserve.