Enlarge image
Part of the cliffs of the famous "Pointe du Hoc" has collapsed (photo from May 6)
Photo: SAMEER AL-DOUMY / AFP
A cliff in Normandy, which became famous during the Second World War, has fallen victim to erosion.
Part of the 25-metre-high Pointe du Hoc cliff has now fallen into the sea, according to the American War Memorials Commission (ABMC), which manages the site, which is popular with tourists.
Accordingly, no one was injured and there is no danger to visitors.
On June 6, 1944, the so-called D-Day, a US Ranger battalion of 225 soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder landed at the foot of the cliffs at the Pointe du Hoc.
The rangers scaled the cliffs with high casualties from the shelling of the Wehrmacht soldiers stationed there for defense.
Only 90 of them survived.
Today around 500,000 tourists visit the place every year.
According to the ABMC, the collapse was expected.
"We have known since 2011 that the cultural landscape of the Pointe du Hoc is threatened by cliff erosion," the commission said.
"We continue to investigate the situation to find ways to mitigate the risks and preserve the site."
On June 6, 1944, the so-called D-Day, a US Ranger battalion of 225 soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel James E. Rudder landed at the foot of the cliffs at the Pointe du Hoc.
The rangers scaled the cliffs with high casualties from the shelling of the Wehrmacht soldiers stationed there for defense.
Only 90 of them survived.
Today around 500,000 tourists visit the place every year.
ktz/afp
