Transcript The D-Day Invasion - St Flannan's College History

6th June 1944
Operation Overlord
Mr D Vaughan
St Flannan’s College Ennis
D Day
 In 1944, a huge army of British, US and Canadian troops
gathered in Southern England.
 They were to invade France and free it from German
occupation.
 Stalin had long demanded that the Allies open a 2nd front
in the west.
 The operation was code-named Operation Overlord.
 They chose the Normandy coast because of its beaches,
shallow water and it was near England.
 A double agent convinced the Germans that the Allied
attack was to take place at Calais
Allied Commander Eisenhower’s
orders morning of June 6th.
 You will bring about the destruction of the German
war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the
oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for
ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy
one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and
battle-hardened. He will fight savagely....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 blessings
of Almighty God upon this great and noble
undertaking.
The five beaches
were code-named
Utah, Omaha,
Gold, Juno and
Sword.
D Day numbers
 4000 ships used
 over 150,000 men
 nearly 30,000 vehicles across the channel to the French
beaches.
 Six parachute regiments -- over 13,000 men -- were
flown from nine British airfields in over 800 planes.
 More than 300 planes dropped 13,000 bombs over
coastal Normandy immediately in advance of the
invasion.
 By the end of June 6th, 9,000 Allies were dead but
100,000 made it ashore.
 Allied troops set up artificial harbours called
mulberries to allow tanks and trucks to land in France.
Mulberry Pier
 An undersea pipeline called Pluto was laid down to
provide fuel for the invading armies.
 10,000 British and US aircraft provided ‘air cover’ for
the invading troops.
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=P6PhbL
xLGno
 The invasion succeeded and nearly a million
soldiers had landed in France by the end of June.
 On 18th of August 1944, Allied troops liberated
Paris from German control.
 They then pushed eastwards towards Germany.
 With the Russians attacking from the East, Hitler
was being attacked from both sides.
 The liberation of Western Europe from Nazi
occupation had begun.
 On 7th May 1945 the Nazis surrendered.