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How did German forces use the lock at La Barquette to flood the Cotentin lowlands?
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Utah Beach
Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division wade ashore at Victor sector, Utah Beach, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Amphibious tanks are lined up at the water's edge.
To flood the lowlands of the Cotentin Peninsula, German forces utilized the lock at La Barquette, located near the mouth of the Douve River. Under the orders of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the lock was opened at high tide to allow seawater to flood the area and then closed at low tide to trap the water inside. This process turned the lowlands of the Douve and Merderet rivers into a constant marsh, which served as a natural defensive barrier against Allied forces during the Normandy Invasion of World War II.1