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D-DAY

D-DAY. OPERATION OVERLORD: THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORTHWESTERN EUROPE JUNE, 1944. PLANNING FOR “D-DAY”. LATE 1943-EARLY ‘44: ALLIED LEADERS HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR AN INVASION OF N.W. EUROPE ALLIED LAND, AIR, & NAVAL UNITS ARE MOVED TO ENGLAND FOR TRAINING

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D-DAY

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  1. D-DAY OPERATION OVERLORD: THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORTHWESTERN EUROPE JUNE, 1944

  2. PLANNING FOR “D-DAY” • LATE 1943-EARLY ‘44: • ALLIED LEADERS HAVE DECIDED TO BEGIN PREPARATIONS FOR AN INVASION OF N.W. EUROPE • ALLIED LAND, AIR, & NAVAL UNITS ARE MOVED TO ENGLAND FOR TRAINING • SO WHAT? • UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS • EX: ITALY & N. AFRICA • WHY? • MANY OF THEM HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE AGAINST GERMANS • MANY ARE FAMILIAR W/ AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS • RESULT? • MASSIVE TROOP INCREASE IN ENGLAND • GERMANS ARE ALERTED TO COMING INVASION

  3. PLANNING FOR D-DAY • PROBLEM: • GERMANS KNOW ALLIED INVASION WILL BE ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL • QUESTION? WHERE WILL THE INVASION LAND • HITLER: CONVINCED INVASION WILL BE AT NARROWEST POINT ACROSS THE CHANNEL (the “Pas de Calais”) • RESULT? • HITLER WON’T ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED INTO NORMANDY • ANY TROOP MOVEMENT MUST HAVE HIS PERSONAL APPROVAL • RESULT? GERMAN TROOP NUMBERS IN NORMANDY ARE NOT AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE

  4. OPERATION OVERLORD • JUNE 6, 1944 • GOAL: • ALLIED INVASION OF NORTHERN EUROPE • MASSIVE AMPHIBIOUS & AIRBORNE INVASION • TO ESTABLISH AN ALLIED ”BEACHHEAD” IN N. FRANCE • WHO? ALLIES (156,000 TROOPS, 4,000 LANDING CRAFT, 6000 SHIPS, 11,000 PLANES) • U.S.: • ARMY AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERS • U.S. NAVY, U.S. COAST GUARD • BRITS.: • ARIBORNE, R.A.F., INFANTRY • NAVY • CANADIANS: INFANTRY • FREE FRENCH: INFANTRY, NAVY • WHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE • GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT PART OF FRANCE • WHY? GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY” • HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO NORMANDY

  5. HITLER’s ATLANTIC WALL, 1944

  6. OPERATION OVERLORD

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

  8. U.S. ARMY RANGER TRAINING ON CLIFF-SCALING LADDER,1944

  9. WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, NORMANDY

  10. U.S. INFANTRY APPROACH OMAHA BEACH, NORMANDYJUNE 6, 1944

  11. OPERATION OVERLORD • ATTACK BEGINS: • NIGHT, JUNE 5-6: ALLIED AIRBORNE ASSAULT • 0600, JUNE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON NORMANDY BEACHES • HEAVY CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES – OVER 2000 U.S. KIA • EISENHOWER ALMOST CANCELS ATTACK • ALLIES TAKE BEACHES – MOVE INLAND • AUGUST, ‘44: ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS • SEPT. ‘44: FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED • OCT. ‘44: U.S. ARMY ENTERS GERMANY

  12. THE FALL OF GERMANY • LATE 1944: GERMANY IS ON VERGE OF DEFEAT • WHY? • RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN EAST • U.S./BRIT. ADVANCE IN WEST • MASSIVE GERMAN CASUALTIES • ALLIED BOMBING CAMPAIGN • GERMAN ECONOMY RUINED • DEC., 1944: GERMANS TRY ONE LAST GAMBLE TO WIN WAR: • ARMORED / INFANTRY OFFENSIVE IN WEST • BATTLE OF THE BULGE • GERMANS LOSE – CAN’T REPLACE LOSSES • 120,000 KIA/MIA, 600 TANKS, 1600 PLANES • APRIL, 1945: SOVIETS SEIGE BERLIN • BATTLE OF BERLIN: • HITLER COMMITS SUICIDE • UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER • THIRD REICH HAS ENDED • MAY 8, 1945: V-E DAY

  13. V-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITES

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

  15. U.S. MILITARY NEWSPAPER, STARS AND STRIPES, HEADLINE, MAY, 1945

  16. BATTLE OF BERLIN, MAY 1945

  17. RED ARMY TROOPS ADVANCE TOWARDS REICHSTAG BUILDING

  18. RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE CAPTURE OF THE REICHSTAG

  19. HITLER’S BUNKER TODAY

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