Located west of the Vire estuary on the northeast coast of Cotentin, Utah Beach is the westernmost beach of the June 1944 Allied landing zones. It is also the only one in the Manche department, the other four being located on the coast of Calvados. This long sandy beach is bordered by a dune cordon separating it from the marshes that can be crossed via elevated paths. It completes an area of low and humid land subject to floodings deliberately maintained by the Germans to complicate a possible landing. The German fortifications were also less developed there due to the configuration of the premises. For these reasons, the landing at Utah Beach was the least costly in human lives and achieved the closest results to the initial objectives of the Allies.