The crossing and the landings · Reference 242
The Special Engineer Task Force at Vierville
English reading guide
About this dossier
The Special Engineer Task Force’s assignment was to open gaps through Vierville’s beach obstacles so landing craft could reach the shore as the tide rose. The page explains the combined Army engineer and Navy demolition teams, their organisation and supporting equipment. Plans locate intended gaps, while photographs illustrate craft and tank bulldozers associated with the operation. Related accounts follow individual teams and the difficulties that prevented much of the planned clearance from being completed.
This English guide introduces the dossier. Yves Cordelle’s archival text, quotations and captions are preserved in the linked French edition, including any original-language passages. The guide does not replace the original document or resolve its uncertainties.
Read the French edition →Consult the original archive
The full text, detailed image captions, maps and source references are available in the French edition. Quotations, witness recollections and historical uncertainties remain attached to that original record.
La Special Engineer Task Force à Vierville
Open the original dossier in French →Original site reference: 242-SpecialEngineerTaskForce.html. About the collection and its preservation.