Le point d’appui allemand Wn 65 du Ruquet

Situated at the hollow of two hillsides, the Ruquet valley is one of Omaha?s four natural exits from the "Easy Red" beach sector for the 1st American Infantry Division This beach exit is strongly defended by the German strongpoint Wn 65.

The Germans had considerably fortified the access to the Ruquet valley between Saint-Laurent-sur-mer and Colleville-sur-Mer: a vast anti-tank ditch, dug across the entire width of the valley parallel to the beach, machine-gun and mortar posts, and a vast series of trenches. The defensive system also relied on two fortified strongpoints - Wn? - which prevented access to the Ruquet valley. To the east, on the heights of the plateau, the WN 64 and its Russian 76mm cannon. On the other side, defended by some twenty Germans, Wn 65 was built down near the beach, with a 50mm gun in a casemate, a 50mm gun, an anti-tank gun and a 75mm gun.

It was opposite this position that the Americans planned to land the 1st Infantry Division. Neutralized at around 11:30 a.m. by shellfire from a destroyer that came within 1km of the coast, Wn 65 was to be used as a HQ by engineering units, then as the forward HQ of the 1st infantry division. The anti-tank ditch was quickly filled in by American engineers shortly before noon.
Finally, it was via the small road leading up from Le Ruquet to Saint-Laurent, built by American engineers under German shellfire between 12:00 and 14:00, that the first convoys of heavy equipment headed inland.
The Ruquet thus became the first route to Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

Today, several plaques and monuments near the Wn 65 casemate recall the events of June 6. On the blockhouse, which still contains its cannon and has been transformed into a memorial, a plaque indicates that the Provisional Engineer in charge of Omaha?s artificial harbour used this fort for a time. Next to it stands a stele in honor of the 2nd American Infantry Division, which landed here on June 7, 1944.

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