For years, the question of where and how to invade Northern Europe had plagued Allied countries, their leaders and military generals. In December of 1943 Project Overlord began to take shape. German military leaders thought the Allies might land at Pas de Calais. This was because the Allies had planned an operation known as Fortitude so that the Axis powers would divert their attention from Normandy.
France was the logical choice for an invasion so there wasn’t a large amount of territory to select in order to mislead the Germans.
The Allied invasion at Normandy was the largest and most complex amphibious invasion in history. The Naval component was codenamed Neptune. Tens of thousands of troops needed to be moved across the Channel and in total, almost 160,000 Allied soldiers were set to land across 5 beaches which were given the code names: SWORD, JUNO, GOLD, OHMAHA & UTAH. The actual date of the invasion was pushed back a number of times due to changes in the plan.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and a half a million military vehicles would need to be brought over.
The first ships to cross the Channel were known as Minesweepers. In military operations it is considered an honor to be sent in first – it is also usually the most dangerous. These ships are designed to remove and detonate mines. Once the passageway is deemed safe, other ships can go through.
German fortifications were extensive. Erwin Rommel was put in charge of fortifying the Northern European coastline in preparation of an Allied invasion. Rommel was away on leave during the morning of the D-Day invasion. Hitler’s Atlantic Wall was 2,400-mile fortification of bunkers, landmines and beach and water obstacles. It was built between 1942 and 1944 and spans a distance from Norway all the way to the Spanish coast. He understood the superiority and the strength of the Allied forces after fighting them in other campaigns. To strengthen the Atlantic Wall, Rommel had hundreds of reinforced concrete pillboxes to house machine guns, antitank guns built on the beaches and in some cases slightly inland. To make a beach landing further difficult, he had Land mines and a variety of obstacles for military vehicles planted on the beaches. Just to give you an idea of how many land mines the Germans put down, just in Northern France, there is believed to have been 6 million mines. Major ports essentially became fortresses and Hitler ordered they be defended to the very end – even to the death. Rommel believed that if the Allied forces were successful in breaking through the beaches, the fight would be over for Germany. He also didn’t live to see the end of the war. He was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. He was strong armed into choosing to commit suicide to protect his reputation and his family.
As early as the 1930s, the US military began looking for ways to safely bring troops from ships to beaches. A shipbuilder in New Orleans named Andrew Jackson Higgins modified one of his boats to meet the US military’s specifications. It became known as the Higgins boat. These boats were a game changer. It allowed Allied troops to get to shore. This is why the US WWII museum is located in New Orleans. The area became essential to the war industry and the success of the war.
To limit Germany’s capability to respond to the invasion, a widespread bombing campaign against German aircraft production, airfields and fuel supplies was planned. It was widespread to continue to deceive Germany from knowing the precise location of the invasion. When deciding on the optimal date for the invasion weather patterns were studied closely. Certain conditions were deemed as being optimal: a full moon, landings would begin at Dawn between low and high tide. They wanted waves to be less than 5 feet. They wanted cloud cover but also wanted to have at least 50% visibility. Poor weather conditions on June 5th delayed the invasion until the next day, June 6, 1944.
General Dwight Eisenhower was made Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe. He even threatened to resign his position over disagreements on bombing locations in France to weaken the German position. His threat was enough to get the powers that be to sign off on his plan prior to the invasion of Normandy. He was in charge of the operation which involved 12 nations. On the morning of June, 6, 1944, General Eisenhower issued the following statement “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force: You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! Good luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
By the morning of the attack thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already behind enemy lines and had secured bridges and exit roads. The Amphibious assault began at 6:30 in the morning. The United States took Omaha and Utah, Great Britain took Sword & Gold and Canada took Juno. Their goal was to overpower German defenses, take the beach and head inland 25 miles and capture the strategic city of Saint – Lo. There are 7,000 ships and 13,000 planes all headed towards the beaches of Normandy with one goal in mind. Secure the beach. Soldiers on the landing boats were carrying 60 pounds of gear. They need to maneuver through water and waves. Beach defenses, sand, and bullets from machine guns along with land mines all while carrying 60 pounds of gear. Thousands of miles away across the United States, churches and synagogues were filled with people praying for the success of the mission and the safety of American soldiers.
At Omaha Beach - one of the American beaches the casualties were the highest. It took 11 hours to secure the beach. Once the soldiers got to the cliffs, they then had to secure a path that was safe from land mines. If you’ve ever seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, the beach scenes are so overwhelming. The onslaught is just nonstop. There are 5 machine gunners on the beach. Each can fire 25 bullets a second. Many of the men were so seasick they drowned and never made it to the beach. In the days that followed, Allied forces moved further inland and the death toll continued to rise. The soldiers who landed on the beaches of Normandy were young men; some 18 and 19 years old. The oldest person to land on the beaches of Normandy was Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., he was 56 years old and died 5 weeks after the invasion from a heart attack. The average age of the US soldier was 22 years old.
New military advances like DD Tanks. These tanks were capable of floating in the water. The tanks had propellers which helped them to move through the water. The goal was to have one of these tanks every 50 yards. The problem is that the waves were higher than the walls. Many of the tanks sank, only a handful made it to the beach. Couple that with the plan to bomb the German fortification on the cliffs failing because of the cloud cover. 13,000 bombs all missed their targets. The men landing on the beach were on their own. Paratroopers faced difficulties due to the purposely flooding of fields by the Germans. Many of the men landed in water and their harness was difficult to remove and many drowned. US warships stationed offshore to protect the vessels begin to head towards shore and engage the heavy German artillery. It provides much needed cover for the soldiers on the beach and the opportunity to secure the beach. They are able to head inland into France and begin to liberate the continent from Nazi control. After 5 days of fighting, all 5 beaches are secured.
German machine guns fired into the boats the second the ramps went down.
If you go to Normandy today, those five beaches are still known as Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword & Gold. The bodies of the fallen are buried at cemeteries nearby. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial holds the bodies of 9,388 American heroes. 45 pairs of brothers are buried at this cemetery, many of them buried next to each other. One such pair are two of former President Teddy Roosevelt’s sons. One was killed in WWII and the other during WWI – his body was exhumed and moved there. There 304 unknown soldiers buried here as well. On their grave markers is inscribed “HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD”. Grave markers are either a white marble cross or the star of David. The cemetery covers 172.5 acres and overlooks Omaha Beach. There is a French organization where volunteers go and lay flowers at the grave of a fallen hero when their families living in America are unable to do so. A photograph of flowers at their grave is then sent to the family. The people who volunteer with the organization flowers of memory consider it an honor. Similar practices are done in Belgium where there is a waiting list for individuals to have the opportunity to care for a grave.
