Transcript D-Day
D-Day Omaha Beach by Jürgen What does D-day stand for? In English military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. While the initial D in D-day does not stand for anything, it often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will or has occurred. General Eisenhower In December 1943, it was announced that Eisenhower would be Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. In these positions he was charged with planning and carrying out the Allied assault on the coast of Normandy in June 1944 under the code name Operation Overlord, the liberation of western Europe and the invasion of Germany. Adolf Hitler Leader of the Axis power. Led Germans through World War One. And World War two. At the beginning of World War 2, Germany invaded Poland, causing France, Great Britain and Canada to declare war on Germany. By the spring of 1940, the German army was ready to invade France, defended by not only the French military, but also a sizable British force as well. Within six weeks, the Germans defeated the Allies and seized control of France. By 1944, the Germans knew that the Allies, which now also included the United States, among others, would attempt an invasion of France to liberate Europe from Germany. Lieutenant General Omar Bradly Omaha Beach was part of the invasion area assigned to the U.S. 1st Army, under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley. The assault sectors at Omaha were code-named (from west to east) Charlie, Dog (consisting of Green, White, and Red sections), Fox (Green and Red sections), and Easy (Green and Red sections). Bernard Law Montgomery Under Eisenhower, Montgomery reviewed the plan for Operation Overlord (as the Normandy Invasion was codenamed "Neptune") and recommended expanding the size of the invading force and landing area. Eisenhower approved the expansion plan and Montgomery commanded all ground forces in the initial stages of the invasion, launched on June 6, 1944. Erwin Rommel Hitler’s leader of the Normandy Invasion. Disliked how Hitler was running “his” war He wanted to assassinate Hitler but got into a car accident during the invasion. Getting Ready In preparation for the invasion, artillery equipment is loaded aboard LCTS at Brixham, England on June 1, 1944, five days before the assault. General Eisenhower The Supreme Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, talks with men of Company E, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, at the 101st Airborne Division's camp at Greenham Common, England, June 5, 1944. Just a few hours after this photo was taken, these men, along with 13,000 other Allied paratroopers, were en route to Normandy. A U. S. boat team heads toward Omaha Beach in their LCVP just before HHour, 6:30 a.m., June 6, 1944. Note the M-1 rifles encased in Plio film plastic bags in the center of the photo. The bags were designed to protect the weapons from salt water and the sand Omaha Beach The Allied forces, based in Britain, decided to begin the invasion by landing a huge army at a place called Normandy Beach, which is located on the northwest coast of France. Code-named "Operation Overlord“, the Allies landed on June 6, 1944 at five beaches in the Normandy area with the codenames of: Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach. Following sequence, troops in LCVPs, (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) reaching their objective area Omaha Beach 6 June 44 Storming Omaha beach Omaha Beach “Omaha” code name for the second beach from the right of the five landing areas in Normandy. 6 miles long, was the largest assault area. Omaha Beach German machine guns would clear out a pack of American troops. American soldiers would retaliate after ever reloading of the machine gun. Day Of Defeat (DoD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h vxnQTsT7y0 German Bunker Facts about Omaha Beach 150,000 troops stormed Normandy beaches. About 2,500 GI's died on the beaches and 2,600 paratroopers died. And 3,100 Germans died. The vast majority of DDay deaths occurred at Omaha Beach where it is believed around 2,200 Americans died. Facts About Omaha Beach Museums and cemeteries, scattered from Cherbourg to Caen, commemorate the historical episode. At Omaha Beach, next to Colleville-sur-Mer and just east of the Pointe du Hoc, almost 10,000 American graves stretch over an achingly beautiful 200 acre coastal reserve. The grounds of this American Cemetery, which officially belong to the United States, contain a simple marble chapel and an impressive Memorial, both dedicated to the glory of the buried victors' spirits. Sculptors on Omaha Beach and -Today The Big Red One A memorial to the U.S. landing at Omaha Beach. Eric Weider (left) with his father Ben Weider (right) and Viscount David Montgomery. He is the only son of famous British General Bernard L. Montgomery often called, "Monty Robert Rice is a Omaha Beach, D-Day, World War II Veteran. Patricia is WWII Veteran. She served as a nurse in General Patton's 3rd Army Mobile Field Hospital. Boyd & Loyd Lewis, 18 years old. Both young Marines landed on Iwo Jima, February, 19, 1945. Boyd was killed in action on Iwo Jima.. Loyd was critically injured after throwing himself on a hand grenade to save his Marine buddies. Loyd lives today in Logan, Utah. Chuck Lindberg and Larry Cappetto. Chuck is a World War II Veteran of Iwo Jima. He is the only living veteran who raised the first flag on Iwo Jima, Feb. 23, 1945.