Transcript D-Day
World War II The Military Conflict Two Theaters of Operation • The European Theater • The Pacific Theater The Big Three • FDR, Churchill, and Stalin The European Theatre • Allies determined that the war effort would first focus on defeating Germany and then on Japan • Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (U.S.) – Supreme Allied Commander The European Theatre • Soviets fought Germans on the Eastern Front • Americans, British, & Free French fought on the Western Front The European Theater • Turning Point – Battle of Stalingrad (1944) • Soviets defeat German forces and begin pushing Germans back through Eastern Europe Important Battles • Operation Torch (Nov.1942) – Allied Invasion of N. Africa • Allied Invasion of Sicily and Italy(July 1943) • Operation Overlord (June 6, 1944) – Allied Invasion of France • Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944) – German Counterattack in Belgium • German Surrender (May 8, 1945) Operation Torch • • • • Allies attack Germans in North Africa November 1942 North Africa Huge allied landing forces German forces to retreat to Tunisia where they are surrounded by British and American forces The North Africa Campaign: The Battle of El Alamein, 1942 Gen. Ernst Rommel, The “Desert Fox” Gen. Bernard Law Montgomery (“Monty”) Stalingrad • Germans surrender at Stalingrad • February 1943 • Central Russia • Germans surrender after fierce hand to hand fighting and huge causalities for each side – An estimated 2 million causalities for both sides Stalingrad • Fighting in Stalingrad was brutal • Both Hitler and Stalin were determined to win the battle • The German Luftwaffe bombed the city into ruble Stalingrad • The Germans came close to taking the city but the Russians held on in pockets along the Volga River • The Germans were unable to dislodge the Russian forces Stalingrad • Fighting was done street by street, building by building • Winter weather moved in and made conditions extremely difficult for the Germans • This is when the Russian Red Army began to push back Stalingrad German Gen. Paulis requested to Hitler that he be allowed to withdraw from Stalingrad. Gen. Paulis’s Request • "...Effective command no longer possible... further defense senseless. Collapse inevitable. Army requests immediate permission to surrender in order to save lives of remaining troops." >> General Paulus' radio message to Hitler on January 24, 1943 Hitler’s Response • "...Capitulation is impossible. The 6th Army will do its historic duty at Stalingrad until the last man, the last bullet..." >> Hitler's response to General Friedrich Paulus' request to withdraw from the city Paulis ignored Hitler’s order and surrendered on Jan. 31, 1943 Germans Surrender at Tunisia • May 1943 • Tunisia, North Africa • Over 250,000 German and Italian troops are captured and Allies prepare to invade Sicily and Italy German and Italian prisoners after the fall of Tunisia Allies invade Sicily and Italy • July 1943 • Sicily • 250,000 American and British troops land in Sicily and then Italy George C . S cott P la y ingG enera l P atton in the 196 M o 8 v ie , “P atton ” Italy Surrenders • September 1943 • Italy • Although Italian troops quit fighting the Allies, Germans continue fierce fighting. Rome surrenders on June 4, 1944 The Allies Liberate Rome: June 5, 1944 The Death of Mussolini • Mussolini is executed by the new Italian government on April 28, 1945 • He was shot and his body was hung from the roof of building and stoned by civilians Operation O v erl ord D-Da y In v asion • June 6, 1944 • Normandy, Coast of France • Allies use 4,600 ships to invade German held France • Suffering heavy causalities the allies were able to retake Paris in August D-Day • Stalin had been pushing FDR and Churchill to open up a second front in the west to relive the Soviet forces in the east • The Germans had been expecting that the Allies would eventually attempt to invade France – They constructed a formidable defense of the French coastline known as the Atlantic wall – German Gen. Rommel was placed in charge of these defenses The Atlantic Wall • The Atlantic Wall consisted of fortified bunkers, gun batteries, observation posts, and radar towers • The beaches were fortified with mines, and other obstacles designed to prevent landing craft from landing men on the beaches D-Day • The Germans believed that the Allies would attack at the Pas de Calais – Shortest distance between Britain and France • The Allies wanted the Germans to believe this is where the attack would occur – Placed Gen. Patton in charge of a fake army – used spies and double agents to give Germans fake information that this was where the attack was going to occur D-Day – The D-Day invasion was planned for June 5, 1944 • Stormy seas and bad weather forced Eisenhower to call off the invasion – Eisenhower was told that weather should improve on June 6 • Eisenhower gives the go ahead to launch the invasion – German commanders believed that the conditions were so poor that an attack would not come The first stage of the invasion involved dropping American paratroopers and British commandos behind German lines after 12 am on June 6. Eisenhower expected that the 82nd and 101st airborne units would suffer 80% causalities. Here he is meeting with members of the 101st airborne before they departed D-Day • American units were to secure the left flank and protect the beaches from a German counterattack • Pilots bringing in the airborne units came under heavy AAA fire and ended up dropping paratroopers over the wrong drop zones – Paratroopers were scattered over Normandy – One unit was dropped into a German garrison in Ste Mare Eglse – Germans had flooded fields causing some to drown under the weight of their gear D-Day • British commandos were to protect the right flank by securing bridges and taking out a German artillery battery threatening the invasion beaches The second stage involved bombing German coastal defenses by air and sea. American, British, and Canadian units then landed on the invasion beaches Utah Omaha Gold Juno Sword Soldiers were brought to the beaches in Higgin’s boats. These were some of the most important boats in the war D-Day • Men had to cross the beaches under heavy fire • The heaviest causalities occurred at Omaha Beach • Amphibious tanks that were suppose to provide cover for the men sank before reaching the beaches D-Day • Despite the difficulties the Allies faced they were able to develop a beachhead – More reinforcements arrived – A harbor was built bringing in supplies and weapons Mulberry Harbor D-Day • The Allies had to fight the Germans in the hedgerows of Normandy • The Allies began to push the Germans back towards Paris and eventually liberate that city The Liberation ofP aris: August 25, 1944 De Gaulle in Triumph! . S . Troops inP aris, 1944 U Battle of the Bulge • December 1944 • Ardennes Forest (French/German/B elgium border) • German counteroffensive almost succeeds in retaking Belgium but is crushed with allied reinforcements The Battle of the Bulge Russians Take Berlin • April 1945 • Berlin, Germany • Russians take the German capital after house to house fighting. Hitler commits suicide V-E Day • May 7, 1945 • Europe • German government issues unconditional surrender to allied forces Review