D-DAY D-DAY OPERATION OVERLORD: THE ALLIED OPERATION OVERLORD: THE ALLIED

INVASION OF NORTHWESTERN EUROPEINVASION OF NORTHWESTERN EUROPE

JUNE, 1944JUNE, 1944

PLANNING FOR “D-DAY”PLANNING FOR “D-DAY”• LATE 1943-EARLY ‘44: LATE 1943-EARLY ‘44:

– ALLIED LEADERS HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR ALLIED LEADERS HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR AN INVASION OF N.W. EUROPEAN INVASION OF N.W. EUROPE

– ALLIED LAND, AIR, & NAVAL UNITS ARE MOVED TO ENGLAND ALLIED LAND, AIR, & NAVAL UNITS ARE MOVED TO ENGLAND FOR TRAININGFOR TRAINING

– SO WHAT? SO WHAT?

• UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREASUNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS

• EX: ITALY & N. AFRICAEX: ITALY & N. AFRICA– WHY? WHY?

• MANY OF THEM HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE AGAINST MANY OF THEM HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE AGAINST GERMANSGERMANS

• MANY ARE FAMILIAR W/ AMPHIBIOUS TACTICSMANY ARE FAMILIAR W/ AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS

• RESULT?RESULT?– MASSIVE TROOP INCREASE IN ENGLANDMASSIVE TROOP INCREASE IN ENGLAND– GERMANS ARE ALERTED TO COMING INVASIONGERMANS ARE ALERTED TO COMING INVASION

PLANNING FOR D-DAYPLANNING FOR D-DAY• PROBLEM: PROBLEM:

– GERMANS KNOW ALLIED INVASION WILL BE ACROSS GERMANS KNOW ALLIED INVASION WILL BE ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNELTHE ENGLISH CHANNEL

– QUESTION? WHERE WILL THE INVASION LANDQUESTION? WHERE WILL THE INVASION LAND

• HITLER: CONVINCED INVASION WILL BE AT NARROWEST HITLER: CONVINCED INVASION WILL BE AT NARROWEST POINT ACROSS THE CHANNEL (the POINT ACROSS THE CHANNEL (the “Pas de Calais”“Pas de Calais”))

• RESULT?RESULT?– HITLER WON’T ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED HITLER WON’T ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED

INTO NORMANDYINTO NORMANDY– ANY TROOP MOVEMENT MUST HAVE HIS PERSONAL ANY TROOP MOVEMENT MUST HAVE HIS PERSONAL

APPROVALAPPROVAL– RESULT? GERMAN TROOP NUMBERS IN NORMANDY RESULT? GERMAN TROOP NUMBERS IN NORMANDY

ARE NOT AS STRONG AS POSSIBLEARE NOT AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE

OPERATION OVERLORDOPERATION OVERLORD• JUNE 6, 1944JUNE 6, 1944• GOAL: GOAL:

– ALLIED INVASION OF NORTHERN EUROPEALLIED INVASION OF NORTHERN EUROPE– MASSIVE AMPHIBIOUS & AIRBORNE INVASIONMASSIVE AMPHIBIOUS & AIRBORNE INVASION– TO ESTABLISH AN ALLIED TO ESTABLISH AN ALLIED ””BEACHHEADBEACHHEAD”” IN N. FRANCE IN N. FRANCE

• WHO? ALLIES (156,000 TROOPS, 4,000 LANDING CRAFT, WHO? ALLIES (156,000 TROOPS, 4,000 LANDING CRAFT, 6000 SHIPS, 11,000 PLANES)6000 SHIPS, 11,000 PLANES)– U.S.: U.S.:

• U.S. ARMY: AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERSU.S. ARMY: AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERS• U.S. NAVY U.S. NAVY • U.S. COAST GUARDU.S. COAST GUARD

– BRITS.:BRITS.:• ARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRYARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRY• R.A.F.R.A.F.• ROYAL NAVYROYAL NAVY

– CANADIANS: INFANTRYCANADIANS: INFANTRY– FREE FRENCH: INFANTRY, NAVYFREE FRENCH: INFANTRY, NAVY

• WHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCEWHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE• GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT

PART OF FRANCEPART OF FRANCE• WHY? GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY”WHY? GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY”• HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO

NORMANDYNORMANDY

HITLER’s HITLER’s ATLANTIC ATLANTIC WALL, 1944WALL, 1944

OPERATION OVERLORDOPERATION OVERLORD

U.S. WAR U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT PULBIC SERVICE PULBIC SERVICE POSTER, 1944POSTER, 1944

U.S. ARMY RANGER U.S. ARMY RANGER TRAINING ON TRAINING ON CLIFF-SCALING CLIFF-SCALING LADDER,LADDER,19441944

WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, NORMANDYNORMANDY

U.S. U.S. INFANTRY INFANTRY APPROACH APPROACH OMAHA OMAHA BEACH, BEACH, NORMANDNORMANDYYJUNE 6, JUNE 6, 19441944

OPERATION OVERLORDOPERATION OVERLORD• ATTACK BEGINSATTACK BEGINS::

– NIGHT, JUNE 5-6: ALLIED AIRBORNE NIGHT, JUNE 5-6: ALLIED AIRBORNE ASSAULTASSAULT

– 0600, JUNE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS 0600, JUNE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON NORMANDY BEACHESASSAULT ON NORMANDY BEACHES

– HEAVY CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES – HEAVY CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES – OVER 2000 U.S. KIAOVER 2000 U.S. KIA

– EISENHOWER ALMOST CANCELS ATTACKEISENHOWER ALMOST CANCELS ATTACK– ALLIES TAKE BEACHES – MOVE INLANDALLIES TAKE BEACHES – MOVE INLAND

• AUGUST, ‘44AUGUST, ‘44: ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS: ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS• SEPT. ‘44SEPT. ‘44: FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, : FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND,

LUXEMBOURG LIBERATEDLUXEMBOURG LIBERATED• OCT. ‘44OCT. ‘44: U.S. ARMY ENTERS GERMANY: U.S. ARMY ENTERS GERMANY

THE FALL OF GERMANYTHE FALL OF GERMANY• LATE 1944: GERMANY IS ON VERGE OF DEFEATLATE 1944: GERMANY IS ON VERGE OF DEFEAT• WHY?WHY?

– RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN EASTRUSSIAN ADVANCE IN EAST– U.S./BRIT. ADVANCE IN WESTU.S./BRIT. ADVANCE IN WEST– MASSIVE GERMAN CASUALTIESMASSIVE GERMAN CASUALTIES– ALLIED BOMBING CAMPAIGNALLIED BOMBING CAMPAIGN– GERMAN ECONOMY RUINEDGERMAN ECONOMY RUINED

• DEC., 1944: GERMANS TRY ONE LAST GAMBLE TO WIN DEC., 1944: GERMANS TRY ONE LAST GAMBLE TO WIN WAR:WAR:– ARMORED / INFANTRY OFFENSIVE IN WESTARMORED / INFANTRY OFFENSIVE IN WEST– BATTLE OF THE BULGEBATTLE OF THE BULGE– GERMANS LOSE – CAN’T REPLACE LOSSES GERMANS LOSE – CAN’T REPLACE LOSSES

• 120,000 KIA/MIA, 600 TANKS, 1600 PLANES120,000 KIA/MIA, 600 TANKS, 1600 PLANES• APRIL, 1945: SOVIETS SEIGE BERLINAPRIL, 1945: SOVIETS SEIGE BERLIN• BATTLE OF BERLINBATTLE OF BERLIN::

– HITLER COMMITS SUICIDEHITLER COMMITS SUICIDE– UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDERUNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER– THIRD REICH HAS ENDEDTHIRD REICH HAS ENDED

• MAY 8, 1945: V-E DAYMAY 8, 1945: V-E DAY

V-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITESV-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITES

RED ARMY TROOPS IN STREET FIGHTING, BERLIN, APRIL, RED ARMY TROOPS IN STREET FIGHTING, BERLIN, APRIL, 19451945

ADOLF HITLER’s ADOLF HITLER’s “CORPSE”, “CORPSE”, PHOTO TAKEN BY PHOTO TAKEN BY SOVIET TROOPS, SOVIET TROOPS, BERLIN, 1945BERLIN, 1945

U.S. MILITARY U.S. MILITARY NEWSPAPER, NEWSPAPER, STARS AND STARS AND STRIPESSTRIPES, , HEADLINE, MAY, HEADLINE, MAY, 19451945

BATTLE OF BERLIN, MAY BATTLE OF BERLIN, MAY 19451945

RED ARMY RED ARMY TROOPS TROOPS CELEBRATE CELEBRATE REISCHSTAREISCHSTAG FLAG G FLAG RAISING, RAISING, APRIL, 1945APRIL, 1945

“ “REICHSTAG” FLAG, BERLIN, REICHSTAG” FLAG, BERLIN, 19451945

RED ARMY TROOPS RED ARMY TROOPS ADVANCE ADVANCE TOWARDS TOWARDS REICHSTAG REICHSTAG BUILDINGBUILDING

RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE CAPTURE OF THE RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE CAPTURE OF THE REICHSTAGREICHSTAG

HITLER’S BUNKER TODAYHITLER’S BUNKER TODAY