Learning Outcome

1
Learning Outcome

• To know the series of events involved in D-Day
• To understand the different experiences of the
  D-Day landings.

2
How did the Allies prepare for D-day?

• By 1944 the Allies were ready to retake mainland
  Europe. Operation Overlord was led by General
  Eisenhower and planned for June.
• The get an accurate picture of Normandy the
  Allies used aerial photos, holiday guides, the
  publics holiday photos (10 million were sent),
  Sailing books, and French spies. A secret landing
  was even made to test the sand was hard enough to
  bear the weight of tanks.
• Some forces were sent even to Dover with wooden
  models of tanks (called Pattons First Army) to
  make the Nazis think that the invasion was
  planned for Calais. Meanwhile the real invasion
  force, gathered including thousands of Americans.
  
• The Allies trained for months, attacking copies
  of the Nazi emplacements, building mulberries
  floating harbours that could be towed across the
  Channel and set up. Specialist machines were
  built (e.g. crab tanks to clear mines/
  bridge-carrying tanks).

• Calais was too strong to stage an invasion so it
  Normandy was chosen instead, but the Allies would
  need detailed intelligence to succeed
• However preparations on this scale did not go
  unnoticed by the Germans...
• The Germans were not totally fooled and had to be
  convinced by a Spanish double agent that Calais
  was the real target and in fact Normandy was the
  diversion
• Only time would tell if the Nazis were aware of
  the operation and would be ready for the Allies

The invasion force was ready by 1 June but the
invasion was delayed because of bad weather.
Forecasters predicted that the weather would
clear on 6 June. Eisenhower ordered the attack.
3
What happened on D-Day?

• A few Royal Navy ships raced back and forth
  between Dover and Calais to make Nazi radar
  operators think that the invasion was going to
  take place at Cala
• The British and Canadians landed on 3 beaches
  Gold, Juno and Sword. They experienced heavy
  casualties (over 4,500)
• At Utah beach the Americans landed by accident at
  the wrong place
• At Omaha beach the B17 bombers overshot the Nazi
  defences by 5kms, and most of the naval
  bombardment fell short. The Nazi defences (dug
  into the cliffs) were still very strong. The
  expected 800 men had been joined by a crack Nazi
  Division. Many men and vehicles were swept back
  out to sea or sank due to the tide. 
• However, casualties were massive - the Americans
  sustained 3,000 casualties in first few hours.

• At 3 am on 6 June 1944, a 6,000 ships set sail
  for Normandy in 47 convoys. They carried
  200,000 seamen, 185,000 soldiers and 20,000
  vehicles
• 20,000 men were dropped behind enemy lines to
  disrupt communications and seize key points.
  11,000 planes, attacked the Nazis from the air
  and battleships bombarded the Nazi shore
  defences.
• But by nightfall had captured a large area of
  coastline.
• But, by chance, found little Nazi resistance and
  captured the beach with only 210 casualties.
• Men managed to struggle ashore safely, and by
  nightfall the Americans still only had a
  toehold on the beach.

4
What was the result of D-Day?

• By the end of D-Day, 132,715 men were ashore,
  which rose quickly (by 12 June 2 million men were
  in Normandy)
• The Nazis fought desperately, but by August Paris
  had fallen and (despite a short Nazi
  counter-attack called The Battle of the Bulge)
• The Allies pushed into Germany until they met up
  with Russian forces advancing from the east (23
  April 1945).
• On 7 May, 1945, the Nazis surrendered it was VE
  Day (Victory in Europe)!