1. Canada and the end of the War

3. Remember Dieppe  Allied raid on the French coast at Dieppe in August 1942 had been a disaster resulting in heavy losses, particularly for Canada  Many lessons learned

4. Planning Normandy – Operation Overlord  Plan to invade in 1944  Planning lasted more than a year  Ground, sea and air forces rehearsed endlessly to make sure timing and coordination would be perfect  Troops, boats, tanks, supplies, equipment gathered in total secrecy in southern England  A long flexible pipe, called “Pluto” built to carry fuel under the sea from England to Normandy

5. Fortress Europe  Invasion would be difficult  Normandy beach littered with German land mines, barbed wire, heavy artillery batteries and machine-gun nests  Anti-tank walls, shelters constructed of thick concrete, anti-aircraft guns, many defensive positions  The coastline from Denmark to the south of France was known as “Fortress Europe” for this reason

6. A largely-intact German gun battery, overlooking the Normandy Coast 2012

7. On Land, By Sea, In the Air  Aircraft would pave the way for landings by bombing coastal defences in months leading up to attack  Paratroopers would land behind German lines  Aerial and naval bombardment of German shoreline defences  Landing craft packed with soldiers would head to the beaches  Landing Operations – Operation Neptune

8. D-Day  June 6, 1944 - Deliverance Day  The long awaited invasion of Europe began  130 000 Canadian, British, and US troops landed in Normandy, France  They faced fierce resistance from German troops  Canadians landed on Juno Beach (4 on the map)

17. Saving Private Ryan

18. Operation Bodyguard  Allied deception for Normandy landings  The invasion caught the Germans by surprise “Dummy” plane

19. Operation Fortitude  Mislead Germans as to location of invasion  Creation of fake field armies which threatened Norway and Pas de Calais (France)  Fake infrastructure and equipment

20.  The invading troops had massive support from 5000+ ships (1000 warships) and 1100 aircraft  The landing was successful and within one month the Allied troops were pushing the German armies out of France  Canadian troops advanced the furthest of all Allied troops on D-day D-Day

21. Normandy Massacres  One of the worst war crimes in Canadian history  As many as 156 Canadian soldiers, taken prisoner by German forces, were executed by their captors during various incidents in the Normandy countryside The Abbaye Ardenne (an ancient stone church), in the Normandy countryside south of Juno Beach where Canadian prisoners were taken and executed

22. Canadians Turn North  After the liberation of France Canadian troops turned north and fought the Germans in Belgium and the Netherlands.  Canadians were instrumental in the liberation of both of these countries  The fighting in Holland (Operation Marketgarden) was particularly intense  Canadian soldiers were greeted as heroes by the Dutch people

23. Canadian Advance

25. The End Nears  February 1945, Allied troops crossed the Rhine River and the invasion of Germany began.  Over 4 million Soviet troops were advancing toward Germany on the Eastern Front.  Germany was fighting on two major fronts  The Allies demanded Germany’s unconditional surrender

26. Germany’s Surrender  German cities were being bombed 24 hours a day  The Germans had no choice but to surrender  In one night alone, 1325 Allied bombers (including 70 Canadian aircraft) dropped about 2300 tonnes of explosives and firebombs on Dresden, Germany  Between 40 000 and 50 000 civilians burned to death or died of asphyxiation

30. End of the War in Europe  April 17, 1945, Mussolini and his mistress were caught by Italian underground resistance fighters as they were trying to escape  Both were shot and Mussolini’s body was dangled on a meat hook in the streets of Italy  As Russian troops entered Berlin on April 30, 1945, Hitler in his underground bunker, shot himself.

33. War Over!  On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally  May 8, 1945: V-E Day (Victory-Europe Day)