D-Day - The Battle for Caen

This historical footage depicts Allied bombing raids during the Normandy invasion - and their impact on towns like Caen (and other places along the Seine estuary). The liberation of Caen was a key objective for the British 3rd Infantry Division, and fighting for the town continued until August of 1944.

Before D-Day, many buildings in Caen dated back to medieval times. Those parts of the city were mostly destroyed by the fighting and Allied bombing.

This video clip, from Die Deutsche Wochenschau (The German Weekly Newsreel), provides a look at events from Germany's point of view.