D-Day “Day of Days”

What was D-Day? ► On June, Allied troops invaded France in the largest sea invasion in history. ► The “D” stood for DAY.  150,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel onto the beaches of Normandy. ► Goals  Bombing behind enemy lines to trap the Germans.  Invade the coast and push the Germans out of France.

No army had attempted to cross the treacherous English Channel since 1688!

Impressive Numbers ► 5,000 ships transported 150,000 soldiers and 30,000 vehicles across the channel. ► 13,000 paratroopers were flown over in 800 airplanes. ► Before the invasion, 300 planes dropped a total of 13,000 bombs on the Normandy coast. ► Projected daily use of gasoline: 5,000 tons. ► By nightfall on June 6:  9,000 dead or wounded Allied soldiers  100,000 Allied troops made it ashore

Eisenhower giving orders to troops: “Full victory-nothing else.”

Paratroopers ► A Weight on Their Shoulders Paratroopers carried an average of 70 pounds of equipment. Officers averaged 90 pounds of gear. With the parachute, men weighed in at 90 to 120 pounds over their body weight. ► The paratroopers were jumping into unknown territory and needed to be prepared for any encounter or conditions. Here's what they took: ► Standard Parachutist pack M-1 Garand Rifle with 8-round clip cartridge belt with canteen hand grenades parachute and pack anti-flash headgear and gloves pocket compass machete.45 caliber Colt automatic rifle flares message book ► Officer pack (British, but similar to American officer pack) Sten gun spare magazines with 9mm ammunition 2 lb. plastic high explosives (HE) 2-36 primed hand grenades two full belts of Vickers.303 ammunition wire cutters radio batteries small-pack basic equipment webbing 48 hours' worth of rations water cooking and washing kit ► Spread throughout pockets loaded.45 automatic pistol medical kit 2 additional lb. HE knife escape/survival kit toggle rope additional personal items

Storming the Beaches

Virtual Map of Invasion wo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml wo/launch_ani_d_day.shtml

► Most of the beaches were taken easily, except for Omaha Beach.  This landing site was almost declared a failure, and was won at the cost of 2,000 U.S. casualties.

► Within 24 hours the Allies secured 50 miles along the Normandy beaches. ► There were many casualties, but the losses would have been worse without the element of surprise.  The Germans were surprised both by the location and time of the invasion.

As the Allies move through France they encounter several setbacks… ► German resistance prevents the capture of the key port of Cherbourg until late June. ► This delayed the arrival of reinforcements and supplies. ► Difficult terrain made transportation difficult.

Ultimately Successful ► By the end of August 1944 all of northern France was liberated. August 29, 1944 The Liberation of Paris

Significance ► D-Day signaled the beginning of the end of WWII. ► Now the Allies could reorganized for the drive into Germany, where they would eventually meet with Soviet troops advancing from the east to bring an end to the Nazi Reich. ► It was a psychological blow to Germans and questioned their ability to defend Western Europe. ► It strengthened Allied confidence and determination to win.

Remembering D-Day: The 60 th Anniversary

A Place to Remember Photograph by Alexandra Boulat Flowers of peace and barbed wire of war evoke the history of the Normandy coast. Occupied by German troops after France fell in 1940, Normandy became a center for the French Resistance. People of Normandy risked their lives to report on German defenses to British listening posts. Finally came the invasion, a fight from the beaches— and then liberation. Allies triumphantly entered Paris on August 25, two and a half months after D-Day.

Port in a Storm Photograph by Alexandra Boulat A massive reminder of the D-Day invasion lies off Arromanches-les-Bains in Normandy, one of the sites where Allied troops stormed ashore on June 6, This block is a remnant of a mile-long artificial harbor—code-named Mulberry—made of huge concrete caissons and old ships that were towed from England by tugboats. The Mulberry provided an offshore dock where as many as seven ships at a time could tie up and unload vital cargo and supplies into Allied trucks or landing craft.

An Immortal Coastline Photograph by Alexandra Boulat Beneath the highlands of Normandy, low tide widens the D-Day shore. On June 6, 1944, obstacles studded the sand as 200,000 Allied troops stormed Hitler’s “Fortress Europe.” The five invasion beaches encompassed some 45 miles (72 kilometers) of coastline. In this view, tucked in the distance, is the seaside town of Arromanches-les-Bains off Gold Beach, which was stormed by the British and became the site of the Mulberry harbor that served as an artificial port for Allied reinforcements and supplies. Farther east lies Juno Beach, taken by Canadian forces, and Sword Beach, scene of another British assault. To the west are the U.S. beaches of Utah and Omaha.