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

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UNITS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM OTHER OPERATIONAL AREAS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

4. PLANNING FOR D-DAY 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”)
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

5. OPERATION OVERLORD JUNE 6, 1944 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)
U.S.:
U.S. ARMY: AIRBORNE, AIR CORPS, INFANTRY, RANGERS
U.S. NAVY
U.S. COAST GUARD
BRITS.:
ARMY: AIRBORNE, INFANTRY
R.A.F.
ROYAL NAVY
CANADIANS: INFANTRY
FREE FRENCH: INFANTRY, NAVY
WHERE? NORMANDY BEACHES, FRANCE
GERMANS EXPECTED ATTACK TO ARRIVE IN DIFFERENT PART OF FRANCE
WHY?
GEORGE S. PATTON USED AS “DECOY”
HITLER WOULD NOT ALLOW REINFORCEMENTS MOVED TO NORMANDY

6. HITLER’s ATLANTIC WALL, 1944

9. ALLIED ASSAULT AREAS, NORMANDY, 1944

10. OPERATION OVERLORD

13. U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT PULBIC SERVICE POSTER, 1944

14. U.S. “DAKOTA” C-47 TRANSPORT PLANE

15. DAKOTA C-47 & RE-ENACTORS, PRESENT-DAY

19. U.S. AIRBORNE TROOPERS PREPARE FOR DROP, D-DAY

20. U.S. AIRBORNE DROP, NORMANDY, JUNE 6, 1944

23. U.S. AIRBORNE DROP, ST. MERE-EGLISE, NORMANDY, JUNE 6, 1944

24. ST. MERE-EGLISE, NORMANDY, FRANCE, PRESENT-DAY

27. U.S. ARMY ASSAULT AREAS, D-DAY UTAH BEACH, POINTE-DU-HOC, AND OMAHA BEACH

28. POINTE-DU-HOC, NORMANDY

29. POINTE-DU-HOC, NORMANDY

30. U.S. ARMY 2nd RANGER BATTALION SCALING POINTE-DU-HOC CLIFFS, JUNE 6, 2014

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

32. U.S. ARMY 2nd RANGERS ASSAULT POINTE-DU-HOC

36. POINTE-DU-HOC, NORMANDY, FRANCE

37. WWII GERMAN BEACH OBSTACLES, NORMANDY

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

48. U.S ARMY SECOND WAVE ASSAULTS OMAHA BEACH

51. BRIGADIER GENERAL THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR. U. S
BRIGADIER GENERAL THEODORE ROOSEVELT, JR. U.S. 4th INFANTRY DIVISION, RECIPIENT – MEDAL OF HONOR

53. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 4TH INFANTRY DIV. , 1ST INFANTRY DIV
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: 4TH INFANTRY DIV., 1ST INFANTRY DIV., 29TH INFANTRY DIV.

54. OPERATION OVERLORD ATTACK BEGINS:
NIGHT, JUNE 5-6: ALLIED AIRBORNE ASSAULT
0600, JUNE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON NORMANDY BEACHES
HEAVY CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES:
ALLIES: KIA
U.S.: 2500 KIA
GERMANS: EXACT FIGURE UNKOWN; 4000 – 9000KIA
EISENHOWER ALMOST CANCELS ATTACK
GERMAN PROBLEMS:
-GERMANS AT NORMANDY CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS
-HITLER CAN’T BE REACHED – REINFORCEMENTS AREN’T MOVED QUICKLY
ALLIES TAKE BEACHES – ESTABLISH BEACHHEAD, MOVE INLAND

71. BREAKOUT FROM NORMANDY
June – August, 1944: Allies slowly drive Germans form Normandy
August, 1944: Allies seize Paris
Early Fall, 1944: Allies prepare to:
Attack German forces in Low Countries
Move into Germany
RESULT? OPERATION MARKET GARDEN
WHEN? September, 1944
WHAT? MASSIVE ALLIED AIRBORNE/ARMORED ASSAULT INTO HOLLAND/N.W. GERMANY
OBJECTIVE: SEIZE RHINE RIVER BRIDGES TO LAUNCH ATTACK INTO GERMANY
RESULT? FAILURE – HEAVY ARIBORNE LOSSES

74. OPERATION MARKET GARDEN, SEPTEMBER, 1944

75. OPERATION MARKET GARDEN OBJECTIVES, SEPTEMBER, 1944

77. THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE Germany is going to lose war, UNLESS…
NOV./DEC., 1944: GERMANS ARE LOSING WAR ON ALL FRONTS
Eastern Front: Soviets rapidly advancing through Hungary and Poland towards Germany
Western Front: U.S./U.K. forces have liberated France and the Low Countries and have stopped at German border
Mediterranean Front: German forces have been reduced to small pockets in N. Italy
Scandinavia: Germans have withdrawn from Norway and pulled back into Denmark, N. Germany
Germany is going to lose war, UNLESS…
They can win decisive battle, giving them time to regroup
They can convince the U.S./U.K. to agree to an armistice, separate from Russians

80. THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE HITLER ORDERS WINTER OFFENSIVE
WHERE? THE ARDENNES REGION – FRANCE-BELGIUM-LUXEMBOURG BORDER
WHY THERE?
U.S. FORCES THERE ARE THINLY SPREAD ON THE FRONT
U.S. FORCES THERE ARE UNDERSTRENGTH
ALLIES THINK GERMANS CAN’T LANUCH A WINTER OFFENSIVE
GOALS:
MASSIVE ARMORED/INFANTRY THRUST TO ANTWERP, BELGIUM
SPLIT ALLIED FORCES IN TWO
FORCE ANGLO-ALLIES TO SIGN AN ARMISTICE

86. GRUPPENFUHRER JOACHIM PEIPER, COMMANDING OFFICER, 1st S. S
GRUPPENFUHRER JOACHIM PEIPER, COMMANDING OFFICER, 1st S.S. PANZER REGIMENT

87. DEAD U. S. TROOPERS, MALMEDY, BELGIUM; MEN WERE EXECUTED BY PEIPER’s S
DEAD U.S. TROOPERS, MALMEDY, BELGIUM; MEN WERE EXECUTED BY PEIPER’s S.S. UNIT

89. WAFFEN-SS TROOPER, THE ARDENNES, DECEMBER, 1944

90. NEW YORK TIMES HEADLINE, DEC., 1944

92. GERMAN “PANTHER” TANK, PRESENT-DAY

93. GERMAN “KING TIGER” TANK

98. BATTLE OF THE BULGE (cont’d.)
DEC., 1944:
GERMANS LAUNCH MASSIVE ASSAULT ON U.S. FORCES
200,000+ TROOPS; 600+ ARMORED VEHICLES (TANKS, APCs, etc.)
INTIAL ATTACK PUSHES U.S. BACK
FURTHEST GERMAN PENETRATION IS approx Miles
BAD WEATHER PREVENTS ALLIED AIR SUPPORT UNTIL LATE DEC./EARLY JAN.
JANUARY:
WEATHER/VISIBILITY IMPROVES
ALLIED AIR COVER ATTACKS GERMAN SUPPLY LINES
LATE JAN., 1945: GERMANS WITHDRAW

100. BATTLE OF THE BULGE (cont’d.)
FINAL RESULTS:
GERMANS HAVE USED UP THEIR LAST SIZEABLE RESERVES
PERMANENTLY ON THE DEFENSIVE – OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGNS IMPOSSIBLE
GERMANS WITHDRAW INSIDE GERMAN BORDERS
CONQUEST OF GERMANY IS INEVITABLE
CASUALTIES:
GERMANS: 67,000 – 100, 000 (approx. KIA, WIA, MIA, etc.)
U.S.: 90,000 (approx. total)
KIA: 19,000; WIA: 48,000; MIA/POW: 23,000