Pointe du Hoc
Today, the 7 acre site of the Pointe du Hoc is a US Memorial. The US Rangers stormed the cliff and climbed to the top under enemy fire, and captured this major gun battery. Yet it was found that the guns were not in place. They were being kept in an orchard, where they were found some distance back from the battery itself, and where they were disabled. Having been a target for allied bomber crews as well, even looking at it today brings a sense of awe. It is like the surface of the moon, just a mass of overlapping craters. With bunkers either damaged, some intact, and others just a pile of rubble. The intensity of the bombardment here shows pretty much what hell on earth must be like. I found seeing it enough to take your breath away. Even after 60+ years, and the landscape softened over time, I don't think you can fail to be impressed by the Pointe du Hoc.
There is just no substitute for visiting the real battlefields of WW2 in Europe if you have an opportunity to do so.
Links to other Small Scale Scene sites:-
Small Scale Scene Main Site
Military Modelling website
Section 2 - Normandy, Battlefields and even more models...
Small Scale Scene - The Real Battlefields
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