Pegasus Bridge

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Second World War

June 1944

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Imperial War Museums

Since 1939, the European continent has been at the heart of one of the most devastating conflicts in history. With Germany invading Poland, dramatic events have followed one another across Europe. The weeks that followed have been marked by the aggressive expansion of Nazi Germany. On the other side of Europe since 1941, the Soviet Union has also been facing German invasion. The consequences are harsh. Under German occupation, the invaded populations have no choice but to endure Nazi repression, while the Allied forces including the United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and other nations prepared a special operation to open a new front in Western Europe.

Map detailing German and Italian advances in France, June 13-25, 1940

The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Overlord, were one of the most significant military operations of World War II. They marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. Thus, Operation Overlord was the codename for the planned invasion of Normandy. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander Europe to lead the operation. Normandy was chosen for its strategic location, favorable landing beaches, and the ability to surprise German forces, who were expecting an invasion further north, towards the Pas-de-Calais.

More than 150,000 Allied troops from various nations, mainly the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, were prepared for the invasion. Thousands of vehicles, tanks and hundreds of ships and aircraft were mobilized. The troops underwent months of intensive training. A disinformation campaign, called Operation Fortitude, was also implemented to deceive the Germans about the true intentions of the Allies.

The landing originally planned for June 5 was postponed by one day due to bad weather conditions. June 6 was chosen because of a small window of favorable conditions. And it was on the night of June 5-6 that Operation Deadstick took place.

Under the command of Major John Howard, the operation was led by the British 6th Airborne Division. The primary objective of Operation Deadstick was to capture intact two strategic bridges, crucial points for securing the eastern flank of the landing beaches and to prevent German forces from counterattacking Allied troops landing on Sword Beach, one of the five Allied landing beaches in Normandy.

Major John Howard

The British Second Army on D-Day. Bottom centre, the city of Caen. Top right, Sword Beach. In between, at Bénouville and crossing the River Orne and the Caen-Sea Canal, are the Bénouville and Ranville bridges, later renamed Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge. The red arrows indicate attempted German counter-offensives.

Operation Deadstick demonstrated the effectiveness of coordination between the different branches of the Allied armed forces and the importance of tactical surprise and precision in military operations. The rapid success of the operation boosted Allied morale and served as a symbol of the courage and determination of the Allied forces. A few days after the operation, the Bénouville Bridge was renamed Pegasus Bridge in honor of the insignia of the British 6th Airborne Division, representing Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology.

At 00:16, British troops carried by Horsa gliders landed from the sky to liberate the two bridges, the Pont de Bénouville and the Pont de Ranville, located near Caen. The precise landing was crucial to the surprise and success of the operation. The gliders carrying the British troops landed only about fifty meters from the bridges, allowing a rapid and surprising assault. The troops quickly disarmed the German defenses and took control of the bridges after brief fighting.

After capturing the bridges, still intact, the troops set up defensive positions to repel German counterattacks and paratroopers quickly joined the troops to reinforce the positions and ensure control of the bridges.

The operation was a resounding success. British forces managed to capture both bridges with minimal losses, thus securing the eastern flank of the landings. Indeed, control of the bridges prevented German reinforcements from moving quickly to the beaches to counterattack the Allied forces landing that day. In addition to this, control of these strategic points also provided a vital route for the movement of troops and vehicles from the landing beaches inland.