June 6, 1944 the United States stormed the beaches of Normandy at Point du Hoc. Imagine climbing a ladder that is not stabilized at all but in fact sits on a rocking boat. Not only that, but imagine be shot at while climbing up a rope, or having the rope cut just before you reach the top of a cliff. All that and more is what the US experienced. Germany stood their ground, but the US came back twice as hard. With 200 men only 90 survived that day. The US landed their ship a few miles down the coast from Germany, so traversing the coast line was their only option for stopping their enemies. Steep walls like the ones at point du Hoc are no easy feet to climb.
The night before the invasion the US bombed the area to try to clear it out a bit, but there were still bunkers in place and soldiers lining the cliffs. The holes in the ground from the bombs were about ten feet deep and 15 feet wide. Enormous holes that must have cause massive devastation. According to some history analysts the invasion won the war. I was speechless at this site, but it was nothing like I was about to see.
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