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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 • UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS • EX: ITALY & N. AFRICA • WHY?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.: • U.S. ARMY: AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERS • U.S. NAVY • U.S. COAST GUARD • BRITS.: • ARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRY • R.A.F. • ROYAL 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
U.S. ARMY ASSAULT AREAS, D-DAY UTAH BEACH, POINTE-DU-HOC, AND OMAHA BEACH
U.S. ARMY 2nd RANGER BATTALION SCALING POINTE-DU-HOC CLIFFS,JUNE 6, 2014