Cherbourg Harbour

Cherbourg, FR

The major French Atlantic port whose capture was a primary strategic objective of the Normandy campaign. After the Allied breakout from the beaches, the **VII Corps** drove up the Cotentin Peninsula and the 39,000-strong German garrison under General von Schlieben surrendered on June 26, 1944. German engineers had so thoroughly demolished the port that three months of repairs were needed before it reached full operational capacity.