Why were the bridges over the Orne River and Caen Canal important on D-Day?

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Sword Beach Injured and exhausted assault troops being helped ashore at Sword Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The bridges over the Orne River and the Caen Canal were of critical strategic importance on D-Day because they served as vital exit routes for the Allied forces landing at Sword Beach.

By seizing these bridges intact during a daring glider-borne assault shortly after midnight, the British 6th Airborne Division secured the necessary infrastructure to allow troops moving inland from the beach to advance and maneuver effectively. Furthermore, holding these crossings allowed the airborne units to link up with the 1st Commando Brigade by early afternoon, helping to secure the eastern flank of the invasion area and isolate the battlefield from potential German reinforcements. The bridge over the Caen Canal was later famously renamed Pegasus Bridge in honor of the 6th Airborne Division's successful operation.1