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Sword Beach - British 2nd Army, 1st Corps
The most easterly of the five Operation Overlord beaches, Sword abutted the port of Ouistreham at the mouth of the River Orne. It was nine miles north of the city of Caen – a major route centre of Northern France.
The British regiments landing in the east soon quashed German light infantry fire and linked up paratroops at the Orne river crossings inland by early afternoon. On the western flank of Sword, the 21st Panzer Division prevented the British troops linking with the Canadians from Juno.
After battling into the evening, the German armour was routed by the Allies. That day, the British had landed 29,000 men and suffered just 630 casualties.
