Valognes, France

  • Location: Northwest France, Cotentin Peninsula, Manche Department
  • Latitude: 49° 31' N
  • Longitude: 1° 28' W
  • WW2 Liberation Date: June 20th, 1944

Located in the center of the Cotentin Peninsula, Valognes was in line with the ultimate Allied objective of Cherbourg, a port city on the northern tip of the peninsula. Troops of the 4th Infantry Division entered Valognes on June 20th, 1944, but passage in the city itself was hampered by damage caused by previous bombardments. Units of the 2nd Ranger Battalion arrived in Valognes on June 25th.

Notes

Valognes is mentioned twice during the film, once when Captains Miller and Hamill are talking about key French cities that needed to be captured to assure victory (Caen, Saint-Lo, Valognes, Cherbourg and Paris), and once by Corporal Henderson, who tells Miller that there are only two intact bridges spanning the Merderet River, one at Ramelle and one at Valognes.