The Invasion of Normandy June 6, 1944 Boots on the Ground The Invasion of Normandy June 6, 1944

Why Invade? Despite the claims of the US Army Air Force, Germany was never going to be defeated by air power alone. The Allies – the US, Great Britain, and a number of European allies fighting to free their homes – began planning to invade Europe and destroy Nazi power as early as 1943.

The Supreme Commander American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was chosen as the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces “In a war such as this, when high command invariably involves a president, a prime minister, six chiefs of staff, and a horde of lesser 'planners,' there has got to be a lot of patience, no one person can be a Napoleon or a Caesar." - Gen. Dwight Eisenhower

“Give Me Allies That I Might Fight Against Them:” The Main Subordinates British General Bernard Montgomery was the Allied Land Forces Commander. Arrogant and rude, “Monty” made life difficult for Ike. British General Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory was the Allied Air Forces Commander. He had grave doubts about the number of casualties the invasion would produce.

The Prime Minister British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill worked extremely well with Eisenhower; their partnership was crucial to the Allied war effort.

“The Allies are coming, the Allies are coming!” Adolf Hitler and the German military know that the Allies are planning to invade France. Their burning question: Where? Hitler sent his best general, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, to France to build up defenses along the entire length of the English Channel – defenses Hitler called the Atlantic Wall.

A Short Geography Lesson

The Allied Plan

Potential Problem # 1: The Weather In order for the invasion to succeed, the moon, the tides, and the weather had to be in perfect sync. The Allies wanted a full moon, high tide approximately 6:30 am, and fair weather.

Potential Problem # 2: The Airborne Drops Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory was extremely concerned about the paratroopers that would be dropped just after midnight on D-Day. His staff estimated 70% of the paratroopers would be killed or wounded.

Why Drop the Paratroops? American paratroops will protect the invasion’s left flank. American paratroops are needed to seize causeways to allow troops at Utah Beach to move inland. British paratroops are needed to protect the right flank from German counter-attack.

Potential Problem # 3: The Germans Last – but certainly not least – was the worry that Hitler’s Atlantic Wall would drive the Allies right back into the ocean. There was no Plan B . "Our landings in the Cherbourg- Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.” - Gen. Dwight Eisenhower

The Atlantic Wall The Germans spent almost two years constructing the Atlantic Wall. The Germans employed mines, beach obstacles, machine gun nests, and concrete fortifications to drive the Allies back into the sea.

The Atlantic Wall The Germans used millions of mines, many attached to obstacles, to slow the Allies down

The Atlantic Wall German concrete fortifications were almost invulnerable to Allied fire. Many fought for days, well after they were surrounded.

Utah Beach Strong tides pushed the landing craft at Utah Beach about a half-mile from their planned beaches. Few Germans manned this sector, so the ground troops and the airborne paratroopers linked up before noon; only about 200 men were killed or wounded. "When we first came in there was nothing there but men running, turning, and dodging. All of a sudden it was like a beehive. Boats were able to come through the obstacles. Bulldozers were pushing sand up against the seawall and half-tracks and tanks were able to go into the interior. It looked like an anthill." --Seabee Orval Wakefield

Omaha Beach Omaha Beach was an obvious landing site, so the Germans had every inch of the beach sited for cross-fire. The first wave was very nearly wiped out; following waves created a huge pileup (or a huge target) on the beach.

Omaha Beach "As our boat touched sand and the ramp went down, I became a visitor to hell. I shut everything out and concentrated on following the men in front of me down the ramp and into the water." --Pfc. Harry Parley, 116th Infantry Regiment, US 29th Division Gen. Omar Bradley wrote, “Every man who set foot on Omaha Beach that day was a hero."