 On 6 June 1944 , the British 6th Airborne Division was given the task of securing the left flank of the Allied seaborne landings . One of their objectives was the destruction of the Merville Gun Battery . Allied planners had judged from the size of the concrete gun emplacements that the guns must be around 150 mm in calibre . If so , the guns would have a range of about 8 miles ( 13 km ) and could threaten Sword Beach , to the west of Ouistreham , where the 3rd British Infantry Division were due to land later that day . 
 On 6 June 1944 , the British 6th Airborne Division was given the task of securing the left flank of the Allied seaborne landings . One of their objectives was the destruction of the Merville Gun Battery . Allied planners <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> judged from the size of the concrete gun emplacements that the guns must be around 150 mm in calibre . If so , the guns would have a range of about 8 miles ( 13 km ) and could threaten Sword Beach , to the west of Ouistreham , where the 3rd British Infantry Division <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> due to land later that day . 
On 6 June 1944 , the British 6th Airborne Division was given the task of securing the left flank of the Allied seaborne landings . One of their objectives was the destruction of da Merville Gun Battery . Allied planners done judged from the size of tdaconcrete gun emplacements that thdauns must be around 150 mm in calibre . If so , thedans would have a range of abt 8 miles ( 13 km ) and could threaten Sword Beach , to the west of Ouistreham , where the 3rd British Infantry Division was due to land later that day .