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Pegasus Bridge

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Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge, built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France. Also known as the Bénouville Bridge after the neighbouring village, it was, with the nearby Ranville Bridge over the river Orne, a major objective of Operation Tonga in the opening minutes of the invasion of Normandy. A gliderborne unit of the British 6th Airborne Division, commanded by Major John Howard were to land, take the bridges intact and hold them until relieved. The successful taking of the bridges played an important role in limiting the effectiveness of a German counter-attack in the days and weeks following the invasion. In 1944 it was renamed Pegasus Bridge in honour of the operation. The name is derived from the shoulder emblem worn by the British airborne forces, which is the flying horse Pegasus.

<nowiki>Ponte Pegasus; Pegasus Bridge; Мост Пегас; Pegasusbrücke; Pegasusbrücke; Ponte Pegasus; Pegasus Bridge; 飛馬橋; Pegasusbroen; Most Pegasus; ペガサス橋; Ponte Pegasus; Pegasus-Bréck; Most Pegaz; Pegasus Bridge; Pegasusbrug; Pegasus Bridge; Pegasus Bridge; Ponto Pegasus; puente Pegasus; Pegasus Bridge; جسر بيغاسوس; Pegasus Bridge; Pegasus Bridge; ponte ribaltabile sul fiume Orne; pont français; brug in Frankrijk; Wippbrücke über den Caen-Kanal, Nordfrankreich; urë; bridge in Normandy; جسر في نورماندي; sklápěcí most v Normandii přes Caenský kanál, známý díky operaci Deadstick z roku 1944; puente balanceador en el Canal de Caen; puente Pegaso</nowiki>
Pegasus Bridge 
bridge in Normandy
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Instance of
Named after
Location
Crosses
Heritage designation
  • site naturel classé (2010–)
Inception
  • 1934
Date of official opening
  • 1934
Length
  • 45.7 m
Map49° 14′ 32″ N, 0° 16′ 28″ W
Authority file
Wikidata Q594779
Structurae structure ID: 20002916
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