Carentan Airfield

Catz (French pronunciation: [ka]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

Saint-Pellerin (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ pɛlʁɛ̃]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

Brévands (French pronunciation: [bʁevɑ̃]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in northwestern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

Les Veys (French pronunciation: [le vɛ]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

Montmartin-en-Graignes (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃maʁtɛ̃ ɑ̃ ɡʁɛɲ]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

Saint-Hilaire-Petitville (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃.t‿ilɛʁ pətivil]) is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France with a population of 1,375. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.

The Douve (French pronunciation: [duv]) or Ouve is a river, 78.6 km (48.8 mi) in length, which rises in the commune of Tollevast, near Cherbourg in the department of Manche. Ouve is considered its old name (Unva in ancient texts): Ouve appears to have been misspelled over the course of time as "Douve river" and then as "River of the Douve" (Douve literally means Ditch). The French name for this watercourse is la Douve. After passing Tollevast, the river proceeds through the hills of the Cotentin peninsula (Cherbourg peninsula) and goes by Sottevast, l'Étang-Bertrand and Magneville. It borders Néhou and crosses Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte. Once it reaches Bauptois, it alters its direction towards the Bay of the Seine in the south-eastern English Channel, passing through Carentan. The Douve is a navigable river owing to its flat bottom and adequate depth of flow. In 1944 German troops, preparing Rommel's Fortress Europa, flooded the valley to prevent landing paratroops or gliders. On D-Day, the river was the boundary between the left flank of Allied landing forces on Utah Beach (on its left bank and so to the west nearest Rouen) and the bloody defensive battle that occurred at Omaha Beach. The Utah beach landings were part of contingency planning only scheduled after ample landing craft became available and designed to give the allies a leg up on taking a port city, in this case, Cherbourg, to bolster Allied logistical capacity. Had the landing craft been lacking, the river would have protected the exposed right flank of the allied invasion lodgement. With Utah in the plan, it was used to originate an offensive aimed squarely at the early domination of the peninsula and capture of Cherbourg and Caen (and eventually Rouen) at the opposite end of the lodgement. These cities were well protected by their German defenders. Among those landing at the Douve was the unit known as the Filthy Thirteen, later the basis of the novel and film The Dirty Dozen.

The Battle of Graignes was part of the American airborne landings in Normandy during the early stages of Operation Overlord in World War II, fought between June 10–12, 1944 in Graignes, France. During the engagement, American paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division held the town for two days against the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen. This action delayed the 17th SS Panzergrenadier's counterattack on Carentan, which was repulsed at the Battle of Bloody Gulch on June 13. After retaking Graignes, the German troops massacred 44 civilians and a number of prisoners of war taken in the capture of an American aid station, and set fire to the town.

Graignes (French pronunciation: [ɡʁɛɲ]) is a former commune in the Manche département of the Basse-Normandie region of Northern France. On 28 February 2007, it was merged with the commune of Le Mesnil-Angot to form Graignes-Mesnil-Angot.

The Elle (French pronunciation: [ɛl] ) is a 31.8 km long river in Normandy, a right bank affluent of the Vire.

Gare de Carentan is a railway station serving the town Carentan, Manche department, Normandy, northwestern France. It is situated on the Mantes-la-Jolie–Cherbourg railway.

Carentan-les-Marais (French pronunciation: [kaʁɑ̃tɑ̃ le maʁɛ]) is a commune in the department of Manche, northwestern France.