A World War II era cannon rests beside a merry-go-round near the beach at Arromanches, Normandy, France.
Arromanches played a critical role during the days following the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy when
Allied forces began the drive to liberate Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. While the majority of the battles
took place on neighboring beaches (code named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword), Arromanches saw little
fighting. Instead, it was the site that Allied forces targeted for construction of an artificial harbor (known as
a Mulberry harbor) to use for resupplying troops instead of having to capture and liberate an existing harbor.
Allied forces manufactured sections of the harbor in England and floated them across the channel into position.
More photos from France are in my Cities, places gallery.