You return again towards the D 116, for the last part to Cherbourg. You are advised to take the route via Maupertus-sur-Merand that towards Bretteville. Drive in Cherbourg towards the harbours via Boulevard Félix Amiot. On the last roundabout of Boulevard Félix Amiot, take the D 901 to the south (heading for the connection with the D 900 and the N 13). After some 300 meters, turn right for the Rue de Saline. On the roundabout, take the second exit, and take the Rue de Maupasuntil the T-crossing, and keep right for the Avenue le Carpentier.After 250 meters, turn right for Montée de Rèsistants, and follow the winding road to the top.

There is another, and easier way to reach the advised spot. Return towards the D 612, and head south, and turn right for the D 901, which leads along the airport, and drive into Cherbourg. Drive into Cherbourg on the D 901, and keep this road until the N 132 (Boulevard de l’Est). When you reached the N 132 by the roundabout, then take the 3rd roundabout (just before the connection with the D 900), and take the 4th exit! Drive onto the Rue de Maupasuntil the T-crossing, and go right for the Avenue le Carpentier. After 250 meters, turn right for Montée de Rèsistantsand take the winding road to the top.

A strategic point in Cherbourg for the Allied, was Fort du Roule. This fort was placed on top of a high cliff, which looked out over the whole town of Cherbourg. It was built over an period of 15 years, from 1890 till 1905. During the Second World war, the Germans not only took possession of the fort on the top, but also in the lower regions of the cliff.

Below the fort, a complex of connecting tunnels were constructed, which ended at casemates with guns pointing to the north, the harbour of Cherbourg. At the base of the cliff, there were also tunnels made, to store torpedo’s for the S-Boats that were operating from Cherbourg.

The first attack on the fort commenced on June 25, 1944, by a squadron of P-47 Thunderbolts fighter-bombers, which attacked the fort around 08.00 hours. But little damaged was done to the fort. After the air attack, the 2nd and 3rd Battalion of the 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division, had to cross, at some 700 meters south of the cliff, a small valley, where they were pinned down by heavy resistant’s. At that moment, American artillery was firing at the fort on top of the cliff, so the machineguns and mortars of the two battalions concentrated on the German opposition behind the valley. This fire was accurate, and most of the Germans were killed, and just a few escaped to the fort.

Under cover of the 3rd Battalion, the 2nd Battalion moved forward, and managed to take some objects, such as a depot for vehicles. When the 2nd Battalion moved northwest, the enemy fire became more intense, and they were pinned down. German artillery fired from behind the river Divette, at Octeville on the American troops. Sometimes, a successful action depends on one man, in this case it was Corporal John D. Kelly, of Easy Company. Kelly his company was stuck, and Kelly decided, with the help of a 3 meter long stick with a 7 kilo TNT charge attached to it, to sneak upon a concrete bunker near the fort. He placed the charge despite the bullets that whizzed around him. The TNT detonated, but to no effect. Kelly returned for another charge, and this time he successful silenced the defensive position at the front. Kelly placed a third charge at the rear of the bunker, and afterit detonated, he threw some handgrenades into the bunker. The remaining Germans survivors stumbled out of the bunker, and surrendered. Kelly earned for his action the Medal of Honor, which he received posthumously, because he was killed in November 1944.

On the left flank, the 3rd Battalion gave cover to the 2nd battalion. Here also one man became an inspirational force. 1st Lt. Carlos C.Ogden, who had just taken over the command of K Company from his wounded commander, he decided, armed with grenades, to attack a German 8,8cm gun and machinegun post. Ogden was wounded during his attack, but pushed on, and put the 8,8cm out of action. Than he moved up towards the machinegun position, which contained two machineguns. He threw his grenades into the positions, and silenced the guns. Thanks tot his single actions, many Germans gave up the fight, and finally, the Americans took the fort. But the last resistance was silenced at 22.00 hours. Lt. Ogden received in April 1945 the Medal of Honor for his inspirational action.

That evening, on 25 June, three battalions of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division moved from the east into Cherbourg. The 2nd-and 3rd Battalion received little opposition, and moved all the way to the center of the city. At 500 meters from the harbour, at Rue de la Bretonneniére, the two battalions consolidated. It would become the furthest point for the 4th Infantry Division. 1st Battalion, which moved west at the coast at Point de Greves, where heavy fortifications east Fort des Flamands were, received a lot of enemy fire. Because of the fading light, there was no deploying of tanks for the moment. At 23.30 hours American artillery was firing at the German positions, and an ammunition store was blown apart. But, despite all this firepower, the Germans held the Americans at bay. The attack by the 1st Battalion was put on hold for the night. During that night, the Germans destroyed as much as possible of the harbour facilities at Fort des Flamands.
The next day, 26 June, at first light, American tanks moved into position to take out the bunkers. But the sight of these tanks, was enough for the 350 Germans to surrender. Cherbourg was taken, the work was done for the 4th Division.

On 26 June, the 79th en 9th Infantry Division cleaned up the last resistance in Cherbourg. During the afternoon, some German shells were fired from the lower casemates in the cliff below Fort du Roule, and landed near the Americans who were moving into the harbour area. The 2nd Battalion of the 314th Regiment had cleaned up the top of the cliff the day before, but now had to move into the tunnels that led to the casemates. The tunnels could not be reached from the fort, they threw explosive charges down the ventilation shafts. Also were charges of TNT lowered down on ropes until they reached the casemates their open fronts, and then were detonated. From the city, anti-tank shells were fired towards the casemates. But success came from a team under command of S/Sgt Paul A. Hurst, who blew a hole with Bangaloors and Bazooka’s into the west sideto open up a tunnel. When dusk fell, the last Germans surrendered, and the complete cliff of Fort du Roule was in American hands.

Nowadays, it is possible to visit the 700 meters of tunnels, and take a peek into the H 617 casemates, where ones the 10.5cm guns stood. The entrance is on the Westside, one story below the Fort du Roule. The entrance fee is 9.50 € for adults, 7.50 € till 14 years of age (till 6 years free of charge). At the reception desk the visitor is given a helmet and a audio set. Do not forget to take a coat or jacket, the temperature is a constant 12 degrees Celsius. There is a lightshow with sound effects and film clips tell the story of the cliff and the tunnels. It is not a war museum, for this, you can visit Fort du Roule. The tunnels, called Les Galleries 117, are open from March until half November, daily from 10.00 hours till 18.00 hours, (in July/August from 09.00 hours till 19.00 hours).

The warmuseum ‘musée de la Libération’ in Fort du Roule is not a part of Les Galleries 117 and has different opening hours. It is daily open from 1 May till 30 September (Sundays and Mondays closed) from 10.00 hours till 18.00 hours (Notice: between 12.00 and 14.00 hours it’s closed). From 1 October till 30 April the museum is open on Wednesday till Sunday between 14.00 till 18.00 hours. The entrance fee is reasonable, 3.70 € (kids from 7 till 18 years, and visitors with a Normandy Pass; 2 €), and Sundays it is free of charge! A warning,… If you expect lots of weapons or vehicles, I have to disappoint you, it is minimalistic, on show are many posters, uniforms and audio and visual video presentations. And, only the Fort can be visited, and not the surroundings, the old bunkers on the top are out of bounds to the visitor.

On June 21, General Collins asked the German commander, Generalmajor Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben, to give up the defense of Cherbourg, but Von Schlieben refused. So, the Americans were forced to smoke Von Schlieben and his men out of the city. On 26 June, a German reporter was captured by the Americans, and he told them, that Von Schlieben was hiding in a tunnel in St.Sauver, near Octeville. Despite 8.8cm guns and Nebelwerfers, Company E and F, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division reached in the afternoon the hiding place at the Rue Alfred Lohen.

The entrance of the tunnel was fired upon with machineguns. A captured German soldier was sent inside, with the order that the occupants should come out. But the demand was ignored. Tank Destroyers fired a couple of shells into the tunnel. After that, a steady stream of eighthundred men came out of their hiding, among them, General Von Schlieben, Admiral Walter Hennecke and their staff.

During September 2010 I searched for sometime to locate the tunnel entrance, but to no avail. The tunnel still seams to exist, but is on private property and can not be visited, or even been seen from the street.

General Eddy demanded from Von Schlieben the total surrender of Cherbourg, but Von Schlieben had no intension to cooperate. He said to Eddy that all communication to other German troops were disrupted. Later, General Taylor offered to Von Schlieben he could use the American radio’s, he still refused any cooperation.

After the surrender of Von Schlieben, the defense at the fortified city hall also gave up their resistance. Around 400 Germans surrendered to Lt.Col. Frank L. Gunn van 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment. The last big obstacle in Cherbourg, was the arsenal (L’Arsenal). This was the area around the harbor, with a heavy wall around it, where the last Germans had retreated. At strategic points on and behind the walls, they had put up anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft guns and machineguns.

The attack was planed for the next day, on 27 June. Col. Smythe, commandander of the 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, decided to show a little muscle, to see if this could pursued the Germans to give up their defense. A light machinegun and a 57mm gun fired a couple of shots. The only respons was some German counter fire. A Sherman tank moved into position and blew two 2cm Flak guns from the wall. It became obvious that the Germans were willing to fight it out, and the Americans took up positions for the final attack. But, it was not to be, at 08.00 hours, white flags were noticed, and out came Generalmajor Robert Satter with around 400 men, and surrendered themselves to Col. Smythe. At 10.00 hours had the last piece of organized resistance surrendered.

The last Germans in Cherbourg were hiding in the reinforced harbour piers, but these were of no danger to the liberators of Cherbourg. More then 10.000 Germans were taken prisoner in the final one and a half day of fighting, among them 2600 wounded and medic personal from two hospitals. The Americans found a large quantity of meat in the arsenal, which was distributed under the men of VII Corps, who had not seen fresh meat for a month (except maybe for the cattle in the meadows, dead or alive, but they had no time to butcher these).

Cherbourg has been rebuilt after the war. The harbour was destroyed by the Germans. Even when the city was in American hands, it would cost the Allies 8 weeks before the harbour was operational again, until that time, the Allied forces still had to use the landing beaches to bring in the goods.