Chapter 1, D-Day: 0000 to 0015 Hours, pgs. 15-29 Summary and Analysis

On June 5-6, 1944, at 0000 hours, Private Vern Bonck was relieved of duty by Private Helmet Romer on the Pegasus Bridge. The bridge spanned the Caen canal near the French town of Benouville.

Georges and Theresa Gondree ran the cafe in the town. Theresa spoke German and her husband spoke English, which the Germans were not aware of. They provided information to the Allies about German activities in the area of the bridge.

The Germans in the area were commanded by Major Hans Schmidt, who was in Ranville with his girlfriend. At this time, he was more worried about partisans blowing up the bridge than about an Allied invasion. His orders were to blow the bridges rather than allow them to fall into enemy hands, but he hadn't yet placed the explosives...