1. The Tide Turns in WWII
June 1944 – May 1945

2. The Allied success in Rome was followed by the biggest Allied invasion of the war
June 6, 1944 – “D-Day” – codenamed Operation Overlord, was launched – a full scale invasion of the European continent
5 landing beaches along an 80 km stretch of beach on the Normandy coast (N. France)
Sword / Gold (GB)
Omaha / Utah (US
Juno (Cdn)

4. The night before the invasion, US paratroopers were dropped behind German lines

5. The Allied troops had 2 advantages:
1) massive air and naval support (+1 million troops)
2) unlike Dieppe, the attack had been kept secret – German meteorologists had decided the Allies would not attempt a landing in bad weather!

7. Germany surrendered to the Allies May 7, 1945
After weeks of fighting, the Allies moved inland…and then began their 11 month advance through France and Belgium and towards Germany
In March 1945, the Americans and British attacked Germany from the West and the Soviets attacked from the East
The Canadians were given a separate task – the liberation of the Netherlands
By May, the Germans were surrounded
The Canadians made air drops of food and supplies
Germany surrendered to the Allies May 7, 1945

11. German General Alfred Jodl surrenders to US General Dwight Eisenhower at Reims, France