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These are extracts from the presumably after action reports of the 505th Parachute Infantry
regiment which was attached to the 82nd Division. It was actually part of the 82nd Division.
Every man of the regiment got this briefing:
The S-2 gave the following briefing:
"This is it - France - 42 million people. Here we have Normandy but which you will hear a lot
about in the near future. The main city is Rouen. In all Normandy there are about two million
inhabitants. Part of Normandy, here, is the Cherbourg Peninsula or Contentin Peninsula with
about four hundred thousand people. The main city of this peninsula is Cherbourg with thirty
seven thousand people. And here on this peninsula is Ste. Mere Eglise, our regiment's main
objective area, a little town with about one thousand people in it. Our drop zone is between
St. Mere Eglise and the Merderet River. As you know from previous experience, it can happen
that you may get dropped way from the intended drop zone because of that the most important
thing for paratroopers is assembly and we want you not only to remember the area of the drop
zone but also an area at least 10 miles in each direction. The town of Ste. Mere Eglise, Ste.
Sauveur le Vicomte, La Haye du Puits and Carentan - they form a square. North of Ste. Mere
Eglise is Montebourg and Valognes. Two old roads run the length of the peninsula north and
south. One is a single track railroad on the west part of the peninsula through La Haye du
Puits, St. Sauveur le Vicomte, Valognes and up to Cherbourg. On the eastern side of the
peninsula is a double track railroad through Carentan, Chef du Pont, Montebourg, Valognes
and Cherbourg.

Through our area goes a main highway - coming from Carentan, through St. Mere Eglise to Monte-
bourg, Valognes, and Cherbourg. This highway is very straight, 22 feet wide and made of as-
phalt.
It is very important for you to remember... what the point is very important for you to remember
is how the river Douve and Merederet run. The Douve is wider, about sixty fee, the Merederet
about forty feet. The Douve is generally going west to east and is met by the Merederet here
at Chef-du-Pont coming from the north. And watch how the rivers run in reference to the
railroad.