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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 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 • 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 • UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS • EX: ITALY & N. AFRICA • WHY?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
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
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
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
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
ADOLF HITLER’s “CORPSE”, PHOTO TAKEN BY SOVIET TROOPS, BERLIN, 1945
U.S. MILITARY NEWSPAPER, STARS AND STRIPES, HEADLINE, MAY, 1945