For the time leading up to the invasion, a lot of people were getting excited because they were thinking this invasion would lead to the end of World War II. This invasion was known as "Operation Overlord" but became to be known as D-Day. Nobody expected what actually happened on the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. The people expected an invasion that wouldn't take many casualties and resulting in the momentum swinging to the side of the allies. On D-Day alone there was estimated 10,000 casualties. This really shocked all family and friends of the allies that either died, were wounded, missing, or captured. All of this has affected the people of today.
Before the invasion, the U.S. and Great Britain built up their land, naval, and air forces to prepare for Operation Overlord. The Allied force's planes had bombed railroads, photographed the enemy's defenses, dropped supplies to the allies, and attacked Germany's industries.
A LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) from th...
Allied invasion plans and german positions in the ...
Landing craft and tanks at Omaha beach during the ...The Allied force's navies were controlling the English Channel and escorting convoys. Operation Overlord involved more than 150,000 men and 5,000 ships from the American, British, Canadian, Polish, and Free French armies under
General Dwight D. Eisenhower's command. The invasion of Normandy was scheduled for sometime in May of 1944 but difficulties in assembling postponed the invasion for June. June 5 became the real day they were going to invade Normandy but as all the troops began to get ready, bad weather came resulting in a postponement for the next day, June 6.
At dawn, battleships opened fire on the beaches. At 6:30 in the morning, American, British, and Canadian troops set out for Normandy in their ships. The British and Canadians landed on Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches and easily defeated the Germans. The Americans also had an...
D-Day
You've written a good essay on one of the more momentous days in military history. It is hard to overstate the importance of the successful Allied invasion in Normandy. Much of the reason the bloodshed wasn't far worse on the beaches of Normandy is that Hitler had been thoroughly hoodwinked into believing that the invasion would occur at the Pas de Calais. Field Marshall Rommel, who had been assigned overall responsibility for the German defenses of the French northwestern coast, knew that the invasion had to be defeated on the beaches or all would be lost for Germany. History at least proved him right on this point.
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