Cherbourg was the first major port the Allies captured after the landing in Normandy. Following fierce fighting, German defenders surrendered at the end of June 1944; the Wehrmacht had systematically destroyed port facilities and infrastructure to delay Allied use. The capture of Cherbourg was strategically decisive, as the Allies urgently needed an operational supply port. Jack Lieb documented the city shortly after its capture as part of his color footage of the Normandy campaign.