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WWI & WII Battlefields- France 2014

12 Day Tour

 

 

  Highlights

What's included in your

Land Package:

  • Personal Group Pick Up at Arrival from Paris Airport
  • Travel Information Packet upon arrival
  • Sightseeing by Private Deluxe/Luxury motorcoach 
  •  Professional Driver
  • 2 Guides/Hosts
  • Double Occupancy rooms with private bath or shower for 12 Nights
  • 11 Breakfasts, 4 Dinners
  •  All taxes (VAT) and service charges          
  •  Newsletters via email
  •  We Transfer you to the Paris Airport for Departure
  •  ALL Tour Visits Listed below (unless noted OPTIONAL)

*You will LEAVE the USA on Monday, April 28th
 Arrive in Paris on Tuesday, April 29th- TOUR START DATE

*Travel date back to the USA is Sunday, May 11th

you arrive home on same day. 

Departure airport is Paris

World War I

The first American Battles of WW I

Exploring the first actions undertaken independently by the newly arrived American forces in France.

 Belleau Wood Battlefield 

  •     American and German Military cemeteries.
  •     USMC memorial. 

 Chateau-Thierry  The American memorial on Cote 204.

*American and French battlefields of WW I

Exploring the French battlefields of 1916 and the sectors either side from which the American forces launched their major attacks in the last year of the war in the Meuse-Argonne and St Mihiel.


 Butte De Vauquois.  Hilltop village destroyed by underground mine warfare.  With French Memorial and preserved French and German trenches and large craters caused by mine warfare.


 The Kaiser’s Shelter.  Remains of extensive trench system and contains many preserved intricate german bunkers.

The city of Verdun. 
Verdun Memorial

 The Citadel in Verdun.

 Fort Douaumont.  The first and most Important fort captured during the battle of Verdun.  It was taken by a handful of German troops and was subsequently the scene of great actions as the French sought to recapture the fort.  One sealed corridor contains the remains of up to 900 german soldiers who were killed in an accidental explosion.

 Fort De Vaux.  Scene of heroic siege.  The defence of the fort by the French garrison was marked by great heroic acts and incredible endurance and sacrifice.  The Fort was eventually captured by the Germans when the French ran out of water.

 Fort Souville.  Its successful defense was the turning point in the battle of Verdun.  At one stage almost 2 million gas shell were fired at the main entrance over a 2 day period.

Trench of Bayonets. (Tranchee des bayonnettes) Preserved trench containing the remains of French soldiers believed to have been covered by an massive artillery barrage and whose location was only found after the war by the bayonets which protruded through the surface.  The trench was covered by a massive concrete memorial to preserve it and you can still see rifle barrels sticking out of the ground.

 

World War I

 (continued)

The Ossuary and the main French Military Cemetery for Verdun.  The Ossuary is a massive memorial to those who died for France in the battles around Verdun.  It contains the remains of thousands of French soldiers the bones of whom can be seen in small windows at the rear of the memorial.

The remains of emplacements, personal shelters and trenches around Thiaumont and the fortress of Froidterre which are located close to the Ossuary.

The destroyed village of Fleury Devant Douaumon captured and recaptured more than 16 times by French and German forces.  The remains of 20 French soldiers where discovered here as recently as last June.

 The Museum at Fleury.  This museum covers all aspects of the Battle of Verdun.

The Bois Des Caures.  Trenches, bunkers and memorial to Col. Driant as well as his command bunker.  It was here that the German army first attacked Verdun and the remains of the trenches dug by the French troops the night before the attack can still be seen.

 Mort Homme and Memorial.  Scene of numerous battles to capture this important high point.  This plateau saw some of the worst fighting around Verdun.

 Cote 304.  Important high point overlooking the Verdun battlefield, it has many preserved trenches and a memorial to those who fought and died there.  

 Chatel-Chery.  Where Sergeant York won his Medal Of Honor.  The hill retains trenches and the machine gun locations which Sergeant York had to overcome when winning the Medal of Honor.

Montfaucon d’Argonne American Memorial and preserved German posts overlooking the American battlefields of the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

 The WW I Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery. 
Located near Romagne-sous-Montfaucon.  It is the largest American cemetery in France.  The cemetery contains 9 Medal of Honor winners.

 Cunel. Location of Medal of Honor action.

 Tranchee de la soif .  Trench of thirst and memorial near St Mihiel.

 The site of the ‘Lost Battalion’ in the Argonne Forest and Memorial.  

Private Museums in Nantillois and Romagne located at the historical site of the US offensive of 1918.

 

World War II

Normandy

Visiting Airborne and glider landing sites and related scenes of action which aimed to secure the causeways leading from Utah beach allowing troops to disembark and progress inland without facing German reinforcements.

 St Mere Eglise.  Where airborne forces landed off course from their drop zone into the middle of the town square which was already surrounded by german troops assembled there to guard locals as they attempted to put out a fire in a house beside the church. The house where the fire was is now the location of the Airborne Museum.  A mannequin dressed in full paratroop gear still hangs each summer from the church tower where 70 years ago John Steele landed and watched as the carnage unfolded below him.  Bullet marks can still be seen on the railings around the square.

 St Marie du Mont.  Captured by the 101 airborne. Several bullet holes can be seen on the door of the one of the church confessionals indicating where one german sniper attempted to hide unsuccessfully from the airborne troops sent to oust him from the church tower.  Rommel during his inspections of the Atlantic wall stayed in a manor at the edge of the town.

Hiesville

 The Pratt Memorial. Marking where Brigadier General Pratt was killed when his gilder crashed on D-Day.  We will visit the site of the crash and see the memorial.

 General Taylor Commander of the 101st airborne divisional headquarters in a farm house near the town.

 101st Memorial commemorating the first allied field hospital in the castle of Colombieres,


Saint Come Du Mont and Dead mans corner.  Where the 101st fought a crack German paratroop regiment.

  Brecourt Manor.  Where Easy company led by Dick Winters captured 155mm guns firing on Utah beach.  This action was recreated in an episode of ‘Band of Brothers’.

 La Fiere Bridge. A crucial battle took place at this little bridge.  It was vital to capture this bridge over the Merderet as the vast areas around the drop zones were flooded by the germans.  General Gavin of the 82nd airborne was tasked with its capture.  The site of the battle is dominated by the ‘Iron Mike’ paratrooper monument.  Further up from the memorial is a foxhole commemorated as having been the one General Gavin used during the battle.

 Nearby is the site where Charles DeGlopper of the  82nd airborne won the Medal of Honor.

Gueutteville.  Visit the memorial to Fr. Francis Maternowski, who was a U.S Army chaplain to the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Divison and who parachuted into Normandy. He was killed by a german sniper beside where the memorial stands while tending to wounded Americans.

Picauville.  C47 memorial to those who perished when their C47 crashed near the village.

 

 

World War II

 

 (continued)

The Landing Beaches and German Defences.

 Utah Beach

 Utah Beach Museum and divisional memorials along the Landing Beach as well as German pillboxes and bunkers.  The museum was built on top of the German defense point blockhouse W5.

St Marcouf Battery, Crisbecq. German battery constructed by the Todt organization.  It was part of Germany’s atlantic wall  fortifications and was one of the most powerful batteries in the region.

 The Azeville Battery 

 Longues sur Mer.  This battery was subjected to heay bombing the night before the landings.  Despite this it fired throughout the day, firing on the ships situated off Omaha and Gold beaches.

  Pointe Du Hoc.  Rangers memorial and German bunkers. Scene of the remarkable action where the Rangers scaled the high cliffs against strong German opposition and captured the position only to discover that the heavy guns had been replaced with dummy guns and the real ones were situated a few Kilometers inland.

 Omaha Beach.  Big Red One memorial, 1st division memorial,’The Braves’ monument.  American landing forces on D-Day suffered their worst casualties here.  The beach was well defended and rough seas and the failure of the DD tanks to land almost led to a complete disaster.

 Omaha Beach Private Museum.  An excellent museum with unique finds compiled over years by its founder who only passed away this year.

 American Cemetery St Laurent sur Mer.  3 Medal of Honor winners are buried here.  Other notable interments are Theodore Roosevelt and WW1 aviator Quentin Roosevelt both sons of Teddy Roosevelt.  Also 2 of the Niland brothers whose story inspired the film ‘Saving Private Ryan’ are buried here.

 Arromanches-les-Bains.  Where the remains of the Mulberry Harbour can still be seen.

 Port en Bessin.  Where an underwater pipe was laid between England and France. The pipe brought fuel to France in the days after the landings.  The Underwater Museum located here contains many items recovered from the sea bed over the years including tanks, personal belongings, guns and even a torpedo.

 La Cambe German Cemetery. One of the largest german cemeteries in France and contains the graves of many of those killed on the first day of the landings and throughout the campaign in Normandy.  One notable internment is Michael Wittman the german tank ace who in one day destroyed single handedly an entire British armoured column at Villers-Bocage.

 

 

Additional visits:

  • Normandy Cider and Calvados tasting at a local farm.
  • Lisieux   Visiting the Basillica and the childhood home of St.Therese of Lisieux.
  • Monet’s Gardens.  Visiting the famous gardens and waterlilly pond in Giverny and explore Monet's house and studio.

 

___     Optional Tour 1- Belgium……………………..........................................…………… $77

While located in Verdunthere will be a day trip to the Ardennes, in Belgium. Visiting Bastogne held by American forces during the Battle of the Bulge and besieged by german forces until relievedby General Patton.  Along the way we will visit Overage La Ferte.  It was the first fort of the MaginotLine to be captured during the invasion of Germany into France in May 1940.   

We will also visit the BoisJacques where we will see the original fox holes dug by E company, 2nd   battalion of the 506th of the 101st airborne and will visit town of Foy  which they attacked from this wood.  (Band of Brothers)

We will visit Malmedy  crossroads the scene of a massacre of American POWs by German forces duringthe battle of the bulge.

 

___     Optional Tour 2- Bayeux……………………………………...................................... $50

  Visit to the medieval town of Bayeux home of the Bayeux tapestry

 

___     Optional Tour 3- Ouistreham and Pegasus Bridge…..............…………..$70

A drive down   the coast passing Gold, Juno and Swordbeaches and visiting Ouistreham   once home to the German E-boats which attacked merchant ships in the English   channel.  Then onto visit Pegasus bridge captured in a daring   attack by troops flown in by glider at night and landing within 100m of the   bridge. Also the Merville battery captured against all odds by a depleted and   ill equipped glider force.