Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.

Alastair Ruffell; G.D. Wach; Grant D  Wach

doi:10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480

Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.

Alastair Ruffell, G.D. Wach, Grant D Wach

School of Natural and Built Environment

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

15 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The assault on D-day by Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Corps on a German howitzer battery at Brecourt Manor (Normandy) that was firing upon Utah Beach is a famous action of World War 2. Understanding the firefight and disablement of the guns depends on where the four howitzers and crew were located. Three of the locations are unequivocal, with post-WW2 accounts and the search described here in agreement. One Howitzer position (the northernmost of the four) remains in contention, with two different positions described. A geoforensic search strategy (desktop study, geophysics, excavation) was deployed that shows strong evidence for the location of the debated fourth gun, together with aerial photographic and military tactical evidence for why this fourth Howitzer was moved to a second location close to D-day.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Conflict Archaeology
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480
Publication status	Published - 01 Mar 2019

Access to Document

10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480Licence: Unspecified

Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.
Copyright 2019 Taylor and Francis. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 1.92 MBLicence: Unspecified

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

@article{08abc0494633498aa2d905141186f4ac,

title = "Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.",

abstract = "The assault on D-day by Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Corps on a German howitzer battery at Brecourt Manor (Normandy) that was firing upon Utah Beach is a famous action of World War 2. Understanding the firefight and disablement of the guns depends on where the four howitzers and crew were located. Three of the locations are unequivocal, with post-WW2 accounts and the search described here in agreement. One Howitzer position (the northernmost of the four) remains in contention, with two different positions described. A geoforensic search strategy (desktop study, geophysics, excavation) was deployed that shows strong evidence for the location of the debated fourth gun, together with aerial photographic and military tactical evidence for why this fourth Howitzer was moved to a second location close to D-day.",

author = "Alastair Ruffell and G.D. Wach and Wach, {Grant D}",

year = "2019",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "Journal of Conflict Archaeology",

issn = "1574-0773",

publisher = "Maney Publishing",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Location of the Brecourt (Normandy, France) WW2 Howitzer battery using a geoforensic search strategy.

AU - Ruffell, Alastair

AU - Wach, G.D.

AU - Wach , Grant D

PY - 2019/3/1

Y1 - 2019/3/1

N2 - The assault on D-day by Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Corps on a German howitzer battery at Brecourt Manor (Normandy) that was firing upon Utah Beach is a famous action of World War 2. Understanding the firefight and disablement of the guns depends on where the four howitzers and crew were located. Three of the locations are unequivocal, with post-WW2 accounts and the search described here in agreement. One Howitzer position (the northernmost of the four) remains in contention, with two different positions described. A geoforensic search strategy (desktop study, geophysics, excavation) was deployed that shows strong evidence for the location of the debated fourth gun, together with aerial photographic and military tactical evidence for why this fourth Howitzer was moved to a second location close to D-day.

AB - The assault on D-day by Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Corps on a German howitzer battery at Brecourt Manor (Normandy) that was firing upon Utah Beach is a famous action of World War 2. Understanding the firefight and disablement of the guns depends on where the four howitzers and crew were located. Three of the locations are unequivocal, with post-WW2 accounts and the search described here in agreement. One Howitzer position (the northernmost of the four) remains in contention, with two different positions described. A geoforensic search strategy (desktop study, geophysics, excavation) was deployed that shows strong evidence for the location of the debated fourth gun, together with aerial photographic and military tactical evidence for why this fourth Howitzer was moved to a second location close to D-day.

U2 - 10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480

DO - 10.1080/15740773.2018.1583480

M3 - Article

VL - 10

JO - Journal of Conflict Archaeology

JF - Journal of Conflict Archaeology

SN - 1574-0773

ER -