D-DAY

1. D-DAY June 6, 1944

2. D-Day, remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving nearly 156,000 troops crossing the English Channel from England to Normandy in occupied France. D-Day is a termed coined by the military to describe a significant day during WW2 in which a massive invasion occurred on the beaches of Normandy.

3. The Causes for D-Day/Operation Overlord • World War 2 started when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 causing France, England and Canada to declare war on Germany. • In 1940, Germany defeated the French and British and seized Control of France. • By 1944, the Germans knew the Allies were going to attempt an invasion of France

4. Why A Landing? • Since 1941, the USSR suffered heavy casualties from fighting the Germans on the Eastern Front. • The Leader of the USSR Josef Stalin, wanted to create an operation that would be carried out by the Allies in Western Europe in order to reduce the amount of German divisions in the USSR’s territory. • Tehran, 1943-FDR, Winston Churchill, and Josef Stalin decided to open a second front in France

5. Why Normandy? The coasts of Brittany (Western France) are too far away from England to be approached, the grounds in Holland are flooded and do not allow the installation of a bridgehead. The currents of the Belgian coasts are very strong and thus dangerous. The Germans await the allies in the Pas-de-Calais (Northern France) because the distance between England and France at this place is most reduced.

7. Tactical bombing of Germany was reaching its peak. In May 1943, Chiefs of Staff collectively ordered a combined bomber offensive to be in effect by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Forces.

8. By late summer 1943, Allied bombers were persistently bombarding German industry and communications. Essentially, British planes bombed by night and American planes bombed by day.

9. Preamble • Three months before the invasion was set to go, there was a Strategic Air Campaign against the Germans in France. • Eisenhower originally wanted the invasion to start late June 4th into June 5th but there was bad weather on the English Channel. • The weather cleared on June 5th and Eisenhower gave the go ahead.

10. Preamble continued • At 2:00 AM, the morning of the invasion, 13,000 paratroopers dropped behind the beaches of Normandy. • They were given the objectives of securing a route for the advancing seaborne forces and slow down the German counter attacks. • During the hours leading up to the amphibious assault, a massive naval and air bombardment began pounding the coast of Normandy to soften up the German defenses.

11. June 6th, 1944 -The amphibious assault began around 6:30 AM when approximately 5,000 ships ranging from Warships to Transports began to converge on Normandy. - 4,000 of them being ship-to-shore crafts (Landing Crafts). -This entire operation involved around 153,000 allied troops.

12. The Beaches -Normandy was split up into 5 sections -Utah and Omaha were the beaches the Americans were going to invade. -Gold, Juno, and Sword were the beaches that the British, Canadians, and French Resistance were going to attack. -All of the beaches were secure within an hour or so except for Omaha. -Omaha had the toughest resistance and the Americans finally secured it in the early afternoon. Of the 3,000 men killed during D-Day, 2,500 were on Omaha beach.

13. The German Resistance In hostile opposition was the Army Group B of the German Army, consisting of the Seventh Army in Normandy and Brittany, the Fifteenth Army in the Pas de Calais and Flanders, and the LXXXVIII Corps in Holland, all under command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In February 1944, Rommel was appointed by Hitler to be commander of the defences of the Atlantic Wall. Rommel’s duty was to make certain that Western Europe was invulnerable and secure.

14. Erwin Rommel A field marshal in the German army’s Afrika Korps who specialized in tank warfare. Rommel came to be known by both friends and enemies as the “Desert Fox” for his brilliant strategies and surprise attacks in Germany’s North Africa campaign.

15. End of the First Day -The Allies suffered 11,000 casualties and 3,000 dead. -During the whole Battle of Normandy, the Germans suffered 640,000 killed or wounded.

16. Operation Mulberry • Floating concrete harbors that were floated here from England and were built in pieces. • When finally put together, it set up a major foothold for the importation of troops and supplies. • The days following D-Day, the Allies were importing 20,000 tons of supplies a day

17. Consequences in the Months After •  -The USSR’s goal was completed when Germany pulled divisions away from the Eastern Front to reinforce Normandy. • -Germany originally thought that D-Day was a diversion and left a150, 000 men in the Pas-de-Calais (Northern France) who they eventually lose. • -Liberation of France not to long there after-Paris was released in August, 1944. • -The Allies reach the Rhine River in Germany in February 1945. • -Germany finally was defeated April 30th, 1945

18. Joseph Stalin

19. FDR

20. Winston Churchill The prime minister of Britain during most of World War II. Churchill was among the most active leaders in resisting German aggression and played a major role in assembling the Allied Powers, including the United States and the USSR. The strategy of arbitrary bombing raids was endorsed by Churchill. Churchill describes the airborne operation as "moral bombing“.

22. Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President of the United States. He was also a U.S. Army general who held the position of supreme Allied commander in Europe, among many others. Eisenhower was perhaps best known for his work in planning Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe. After the war, he was a very popular figure in the United States and was elected to two terms as U.S. president, taking office in 1953. On June 5, 1944, General Eisenhower took advantage of a break in tempestuous weather to order the raid of "fortress Europe."

23. Dwight D. Eisenhower: D-Day Speech Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Alliead Expeditionary Forces: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.