D-DAY D-DAY OPERATION OVERLORD: THE ALLIED INVASION OF NORTHWESTERN EUROPE JUNE, 1944

PLANNING FOR “D-DAY” PLANNING FOR “D-DAY” LATE 1943-EARLY ‘44: 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 UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS EX: ITALY & N. AFRICA EX: ITALY & N. AFRICA –WHY? MANY OF THEM HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE AGAINST GERMANS MANY OF THEM HAVE COMBAT EXPERIENCE AGAINST GERMANS MANY ARE FAMILIAR W/ AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS MANY ARE FAMILIAR W/ AMPHIBIOUS TACTICS RESULT? RESULT? –MASSIVE TROOP INCREASE IN ENGLAND –GERMANS ARE ALERTED TO COMING INVASION

PLANNING FOR D-DAY PLANNING FOR D-DAY PROBLEM: 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”) HITLER: CONVINCED INVASION WILL BE AT NARROWEST POINT ACROSS THE CHANNEL (the “Pas de Calais”) RESULT? 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 OPERATION OVERLORD JUNE 6, 1944 JUNE 6, 1944 GOAL: 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) 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. ARMY: AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERS U.S. NAVY U.S. NAVY U.S. COAST GUARD U.S. COAST GUARD –BRITS.: ARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRY ARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRY R.A.F. R.A.F. ROYAL NAVY ROYAL NAVY –CANADIANS: INFANTRY –FREE FRENCH: INFANTRY, NAVY WHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE WHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT PART OF FRANCE GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT PART OF FRANCE WHY? GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY” WHY? GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY” HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO NORMANDY HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO NORMANDY

HITLER’s ATLANTIC WALL, 1944

OPERATION OVERLORD OPERATION OVERLORD

U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT PULBIC SERVICE POSTER, 1944

U.S. ARMY RANGER TRAINING ON CLIFF- SCALING LADDER, 1944

WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, NORMANDY WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, NORMANDY

U.S. INFANTRY APPROACH OMAHA BEACH, NORMANDY JUNE 6, 1944

OPERATION OVERLORD OPERATION OVERLORD ATTACK BEGINS: ATTACK BEGINS: –NIGHT, JUNE 5-6: ALLIED AIRBORNE ASSAULT –0600, JUNE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON NORMANDY BEACHES –HEAVY CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES – OVER 2000 U.S. KIA –EISENHOWER ALMOST CANCELS ATTACK –ALLIES TAKE BEACHES – MOVE INLAND AUGUST, ‘44: ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS AUGUST, ‘44: ALLIES LIBERATE PARIS SEPT. ‘44: FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED SEPT. ‘44: FRANCE, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED OCT. ‘44: U.S. ARMY ENTERS GERMANY OCT. ‘44: U.S. ARMY ENTERS GERMANY

THE FALL OF GERMANY THE FALL OF GERMANY LATE 1944: GERMANY IS ON VERGE OF DEFEAT LATE 1944: GERMANY IS ON VERGE OF DEFEAT WHY? WHY? –RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN EAST –U.S./BRIT. ADVANCE IN WEST –MASSIVE GERMAN CASUALTIES –ALLIED BOMBING CAMPAIGN –GERMAN ECONOMY RUINED DEC., 1944: GERMANS TRY ONE LAST GAMBLE TO WIN WAR: DEC., 1944: GERMANS TRY ONE LAST GAMBLE TO WIN WAR: –ARMORED / INFANTRY OFFENSIVE IN WEST –BATTLE OF THE BULGE –GERMANS LOSE – CAN’T REPLACE LOSSES 120,000 KIA/MIA, 600 TANKS, 1600 PLANES 120,000 KIA/MIA, 600 TANKS, 1600 PLANES APRIL, 1945: SOVIETS SEIGE BERLIN APRIL, 1945: SOVIETS SEIGE BERLIN BATTLE OF BERLIN: BATTLE OF BERLIN: –HITLER COMMITS SUICIDE –UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER –THIRD REICH HAS ENDED MAY 8, 1945: V-E DAY MAY 8, 1945: V-E DAY

V-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITES V-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITES

RED ARMY TROOPS IN STREET FIGHTING, BERLIN, APRIL, 1945

ADOLF HITLER’s “CORPSE”, PHOTO TAKEN BY SOVIET TROOPS, BERLIN, 1945

U.S. MILITARY NEWSPAPER, STARS AND STRIPES, HEADLINE, MAY, 1945

BATTLE OF BERLIN, MAY 1945 BATTLE OF BERLIN, MAY 1945

RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE REISCHSTAG FLAG RAISING, APRIL, 1945

“REICHSTAG” FLAG, BERLIN, 1945 “REICHSTAG” FLAG, BERLIN, 1945

RED ARMY TROOPS ADVANCE TOWARDS REICHSTAG BUILDING

RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE CAPTURE OF THE REICHSTAG RED ARMY TROOPS CELEBRATE CAPTURE OF THE REICHSTAG

HITLER’S BUNKER TODAY HITLER’S BUNKER TODAY