Sword Beach

This WWII guidebook brings the momentous drama of D-Day to life with an in-depth study of the fighting on Normandy’s Sword Beach.

As the left most inland flank of the Normandy landings, Sword Beach was thought most likely to receive the first German counterattacks. British troops had the tasks of securing the beach and advancing on the heavily defended medieval town of Caen. The troops were determined to link up with British paratroopers and glider units who had landed the night before on special missions.

Backed up by an impressive array of modified armored vehicles, the veteran 3rd Division, spearheaded by No. 4 Army Commando and forty-one Royal Marine Commando, stormed ashore and secured its objectives with moderate casualties. No. 4 Commando also reached the airborne troops before they could be overwhelmed by German armor. However, the British failed to secure the key town of Caen on schedule.

This volume of the Battleground Europe series covers all the action on this Normandy beach in vivid detail while also providing essential context to highlight its broader significance.