This small Norman town was situated on the main N13 road that linked Cherbourg to Bayeux and Caen. This was the main route that both Germans and Americans would have to utlise to mobilise much needed equipment during the battle of Normandy. Sainte Mere Eglise was an objective for 82nd Airborne Paratroopers and has been made famous by the movie, The Longest Day. American Paratrooper John Steele was unfortunate to get caught on the church steeple during the drop.