D-Day: Commonwealth Sectors

35. Trout Casemate WN21

Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandie

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The defences WN21 at Lion proved to be a difficult nut to crack and the casemate emplacements armed with a 75mm gun and two 50mm guns, codenamed "Trout" were to prove a problem for the troops throughout the day. They clearly stood out to the advancing troop due to the water tower into which the range finding equipment for the gun batteries had been fitted. Two local houses were also incorporated into the defences and these, now restored, can be seen on the promenade facing out to sea. Along with the big guns, there were also mortar and machine gun nests, all surrounded by barbed wire and minefields. Surprisingly today you can still see the two houses that were to form the central part of the defences, although the heavy defensive walls and trenches have long since gone. The initial plan was that 41 Royal Marine Commando would destroy this gun emplacement but their attack and bombardment did little to quell the firing from these defensive positions and it would be another two days before the Trout bunkers were cleared. The only counter-attack of the day came around 4pm when Colonel Rauch with six tanks from the 21st Panzer advanced. During a battle at Periers sur la Dan they break through British lines and raced to the coast. Here they linked with the elements of the 716th Infantry Division, who were held up in the Chataux in Lion-sur-mer. While this caused a delay in allied troops exiting the beaches, the arrival of the second flight of 250 tugs and the same number of gliders overhead that evening led to the Germans pulling their forces out of the area for fear of being cut off. The gliders of Operation Mallard were to feature in the first ever occasion when Tetrarch light tanks were flown into a live battle zone to resupply the troops.