American Tours
Omaha Beach to St Lô
About This Tour
The story of the American campaign in Normandy did not end on the beaches. After fighting their way off Omaha, the men of the V Corps faced weeks of agonising combat through the Norman bocage, the dense hedgerow country that turned every field into a fortress. This tour follows their advance inland: through Isigny, along the Vire river, across Martinville Ridge, and finally to St Lô, the 'Capital of Ruins', whose capture in late July 1944 finally broke the German line and set the stage for Operation Cobra. A tour for those who want to understand the full picture of the American campaign.
Detailed Itinerary
From the sands of Omaha Beach to the rubble of St Lô, this tour follows the brutal American advance through the Norman bocage that set the stage for the great Cobra breakout.
Omaha Beach
A brief stop to set the context, looking back at the bluffs from below, your guide explains the direction of the American advance south and the nature of the fighting that awaited the men who had survived June 6.
Isigny-sur-Mer
A key road junction behind the American beaches, Isigny was captured after fighting across the flooded marshlands of the Vire et Taute Canal, essential terrain for linking the Omaha and Utah sectors and securing the American lodgement.
Carentan
The 101st Airborne's vital objective, the town that linked the American beaches. Its capture after three days of fighting ended German hopes of driving between the Allied beachheads. The marshes and flooded fields around Carentan made every advance a study in controlled misery.
Martinville Ridge
One of the key tactical features on the road to St Lô, the Martinville Ridge was the scene of bitter fighting as American infantry pushed through the bocage south of Omaha. The hedgerow country here perfectly illustrates the tactical nightmare the bocage presented, every field a potential ambush.
Saint-Lô
The 'Capital of Ruins', St Lô was almost completely destroyed in the campaign to take it. The partly-preserved cathedral nave and the American Memorial at the town centre tell the story of Major Thomas Howie, carried into the liberated city on a jeep, and the weeks of fighting it cost to get there.
Tour Highlights
- Omaha Beach
- Isigny-sur-Mer
- Martinville Ridge
- St Lô Cathedral ruins
- American Memorial at St Lô
- Norman bocage country
What’s Included
- Expert guide
- Private vehicle
- Battlefield maps