Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inférieure. The department can be split into three main areas: The département was created in 1790 as Seine-Inférieure, one of five departements that replaced the former province of Normandy. In 1800 five arrondissements were created within the département, namely Rouen, Le Havre, Dieppe, Neufchatel and Yvetot, although the latter two were disbanded in 1926. On 18
6th Airborne Division advance to the River Seine 5th Parachute Brigade in taking the town. On 26 August the men of the parachute brigade, some mounted on the Cromwell tanks of the 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, raced towards the bridge from the east while the Dutch headed there from the west. The Dutch brigade arrived first, just minutes after the Germans destroyed the bridge, slightly ahead of the 7th Parachute Battalion. The Dutch brigade moved to secure the heights overlooking the river, while the 5th Parachute Brigade occupied the town. Having reached the River Seine, the division was ordered to hold firm between Honfleur and Pont Audemer