1. Operation Overlord
June 6th 1944

2. The Players .
Eisenhower
Rommel
Montgomery
Von Rundstedt

3. The Allies spent 18 months planning and training for D-Day.
Most troops green.

4. New Technology Paratroopers were used for the 1st time. Higgins boats
Temporary harbors

5. A decoy operation in Calais, kept the Germans “in the dark”

6. Normandy
The Allies planned to land the invasion force on the beaches of Normandy, France.

7. The Atlantic Wall
Under Rommel’s command the Nazi’s built the Atlantic Wall to stop an Allied invasion

8. Belgian Gates, Teller mines and ramps were built along the beach to keep the Allies from invading.

10. Hedgehogs and barbed wire provided more layers of defense
Hedgehogs and barbed wire provided more layers of defense. ½ million obstacles in all.

11. 2 rows of heavy artillery were protected by 13 foot steel reinforced concrete walls.

12. The Beaches
US: Utah/Omaha
GB: Gold/Sword
Canada: Juno

13. Breaking through the Atlantic Wall
The night before 20,000 Paratroopers landed behind enemy lines to secure bridges and roads

15. D-Day June 6th
Pre dawn bombardment of Nazi guns to “soften of the Wall”

16. But, Paratroopers did not land in the desired locations.
Heavy clouds prevented aerial bombardment to “soften up” the shore

17. The Armada The Allies hit the shores with: Causalities predicted: 10%
150,000 men (11 divisions)
1500 tanks
5300 ships
12,000 planes
355 gliders
Causalities predicted: 10%

18. Allied troops came ashore in Higgins boats. (LCVP)

22. The Germans were caught off guard.
Rommel had returned to Germany to see his wife.
None of the German officers wanted to call the High Command with news of the attack.
The High command did not learn of the attack until 11am.

23. Within 24 hours, the Allies were on the beaches
Within 24 hours, the Allies were on the beaches. It took Hitler 4 years to build the Atlantic Wall.

25. Within in 7 days the Allies controlled 80 miles of the coast.

26. 4,900 American soldiers were killed on D-Day
2000 at Omaha Beach
Colville sur Mer 9,386 graves

27. August 25, 1944 Paris Liberated
4 years of occupation were over

28. September 1944, all of France is liberated.

29. Success, but at what price
1.2 million American GI’s took part in the D-day invasion and liberation of France.
126, 000 Causalities
25,000 dead
95,000 wounded

30. UK loses: German 6 cemeteries 83,000 causalities 16,000 killed
58,000 wounded
9,000 MIA
German
6 cemeteries
77,936 graves