Next to the monument.

Marker

A standing rectangular blue information board providing the image of the bridge before the war and the historical context related to the destruction of the "Pont de la Roque" during World War II. The information board also has the image of the plaque on the bottom commemorating the soldiers who died on the bridge on July 9, 1944, written in English and French. The Pont de la Roque is a structure in the English Channel. It was the first bridge to cross the Sienne, between the communes of Orval,   Montchaton, and Regnéville-sur-Mer. 

The La Roque Bridge was a crucial escape route for German forces retreating from the Cotentin Peninsula during World War II. The Allies aimed to destroy the bridge to trap the Germans and prevent them from regrouping in Brittany. Despite over twenty bombing raids, which began in April 1944, the Allies struggled to destroy the bridge completely due to its challenging location in an enclosed valley. By July 29th, only three of the bridge’s eleven arches had been destroyed, leaving a section intact that allowed German forces to escape across the Soulles River and continue their retreat towards Brittany. This failure to fully destroy the bridge and cut off the German escape route led to the operation being nicknamed "The Hole in the Net."

On July 29, 1944, marks the day when American forces, specifically the 6th Armored Division under Major General Robert W. Grow, advanced towards the La Roque Bridge. Despite facing German resistance, the Americans established a bridgehead on the other side of the Sienne River and began constructing a temporary Bailey bridge. This allowed them to continue their push southwest, contributing to the broader success of Operation Cobra, which eventually led to the liberation of Normandy and the Allied advance toward Paris.

Source of information:www.dday-overlord.com, www.wikimanche.fr

Source of photos: www.google.com/maps

First column:

DESTRUCTION DU PONT DE LA ROQUE

« La Nasse percée »

Dans le prolongement de l'opération « Cobra », la

stratégie de l'armée américaine - qui convergeait

vers Coutances à partir de Périers et Saint-Lô -

consistait à couper la presqu'ile du Cotentin, au niveau

de l'estuaire de la rivière « La Sienne » afin de prendre

au piège les troupes allemandes demeurées au

centre-ouest de cette presqu'ile.

D'où l'acharnement de l'aviation alliée pour détruire le

pont de la Roque qui constituait, à l'ouest, l'ultime

possibilité de repli des troupes ennemies vers Granville,

Avranches et la Bretagne.

Plus de vingt bombardements ont étés nécessaires pour

détruire 3 arches de ce pont (et plusieurs types d'avions,

bombardiers « en piquée » et bombardiers moyens

« Marauder » ont dû être successivement utilisés).

Un pilote canadien a payé de sa vie les difficultés

d'attaque « en piquée » de cet ouvrage situé dans une

vallée encaissée.

L'objectif stratégique ne fut toutefois pas atteint car la

partie du pont qui enjambe la rivière « La Soultes » ne

fut pas détruite et les colonnes allemandes purent

franchir cette rivière et s'échapper par la route d'Orval

vers Hyenvillc et Granville.

Second column:

DESTRUCTION OF THE LA ROQUE BRIDGE

"The Hole in the Net"

Continuing Operation Cobra, the American army

converged on Coutances from Periers and Saint-Lô :

the strategy was to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula

at the "Sienne" River estuary to entrap the remaining

German troops in the mid-west portion of the peninsula.

This is why the Allied air forces put such tremendous

fire power into destroying the La Roque Bridge which

was the enemy's last possible route toward Granville,

Avranches and Brittany.

Over twenty bombing raids were required to destroy

three arches of La Roque Bridge ; several kinds of

planes were used : dive bombers and medium-sized

bombers "Marauders".

A Canadian pilot lost his life trying to dive-bomb the

structure which is located in an enclosed valley.

Nonetheless, the strategic objective was not achieved

because the portion of the bridge over the "Soulles"

River remained intact : German troops were able to

cross the river and escape by the Orval road toward

Hyenville and Granville.

Image of the plaque on the info board:

29 juillet 1944

En souvenir des soldats

tombés au "Pont de la Roque"

pour la Liberté.

July 29th, 1944 

In memory of the soldiers 

fallen for Freedom 

at "Pont de la Roque". 

NORMANDIE TERRE-LIBERTÉ

NORMANDY LIBERTY-LAND