D-Day

Planning Soviets had done most fighting in Euro. Stalin wanted a U.S. and G.B. attack – Churchill nervous – Couldn’t cross Channel because of U-Boats Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet in Teheran, Iran November 1943 Massive Allied invasion to be called Operation Overlord

Invasion of Normandy Supreme Commander – Eisenhower Involved 21 American divisions and 26 British, Canadian, and Polish divisions Strike beaches of Normandy Code names: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword Patton’s fictional army in southeast England

Beaches of Normandy

Timeline of D-Day 00:00 Hours – Airborne Landing Begins Paratroopers were to take care of roads and bridges – Darkness and foreign territory killed many 03:00 Hours – Heavy Bombing Raids Massive raids against German defense positions 04:00 Hours – Allied Invasion Fleet Arrives 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 ships and 500 naval vessels arrive

Timeline Cont. 06:30 Hours – U.S. Landings Begin Land at Utah and Omaha – Tide carried the landing craft away from targets at Utah 07:25 Hours – British and Canadian Landings Begin Land at Sword and Juno 12:00 Hours – British and Canadian forces push inland 2,00 Americans killed and wounded at Omaha and only gained 2,000 yards

Timeline Cont. 16:00 Hours – Hitler Authorizes German Counter Attack Realized that the real attack was not at Calais – Sent 1 st Panzer Corps Total Landed Troops: 130,000 by sea and 29,000 by air

War Correspondence on D-Day