D-Day - UTAH Beach

The most westerly landing beach, UTAH lay to the west of the Douvre estuary and was allocated to US forces. The terrain here is flat, low-lying land with no cliffs, although the fields behind the beaches were flooded by the Germans to impede the movement of an invasion force inland. After securing a beachhead here, troops were able to advance west across the Cotentin peninsula, cutting off the major port of Cherbourg. Amphibious landings at UTAH were supported by airborne drops inland, to secure key points such as bridges, crossroads and the vital causeways off the beaches.