Transcript d-day 4th `07

d-day
By Nicole Leighton, Ailie Kerr, and
Alan Nolan
background
• Nazis had control of
France and the
majority of Europe.
• Without intervention,
Hitler’s military would
continue to conquer.
• A front needed to be
mounted in the west
of France.
beginnings
• The British began planning
informal plans for an
invasion of Europe as early
as 1940.
• The US began planning
after Hitler declared war on
them on December 11,
1941.
• By 1942, Stalin urged
Roosevelt and Churchill to
mount a western second
front.
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planning
• Official planning began in
1943 when they met in
Iran and decided
“Operation Overlord”
would occur in May 1944.
• The plan was once they
got control of northwest
France on the English
Channel, the Allies could
continue conquering Nazi
occupied country.
Object.
1. The object of Operation “Overlord” is to mount and
carry out an operation, with forces and equipment
established in the United Kingdom, and with target
date the 1st May, 1944, to secure a lodgement on the
Continent from which further offensive operations can
be developed. The lodgement area must contain
sufficient port facilities to maintain a force of some
twenty-six to thirty divisions, and enable that force to
be augmented by follow-up shipments from the United
States or elsewhere of additional divisions and
supporting units at the rate of three to five divisions per
month.
challenges
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Hitler appointed Erwin Rommel as
the inspector of Costal Defenses
• The US army was still
forming while no boat
existed to carry the army
and cross the English
Channel.
• Hitler knew that a
Channel attack was
inevitable, but chose to
ignore it November 1943,
when he recognized it
and announced that
France defense would be
reinforced.
Attack in Normandy
• June 6, 1944… D-Day
• June 5: 3,000 landing crafts,
2,500 other ships, and 500
naval vessels leave from
England as well as 822
aircrafts, part of 13,000
aircrafts used.
• The Allies, Britain and U.S.
landed on Omaha and Utah
Beach.
The Germans were Prepared with many
obstacles on the beach, such as hedgehogs
(crossed steel beams) and log ramps and
posts with mines attached. Getting to the
actual beach was a battle in itself
The ever popular trenches were dug on
the cliffs lining the coast, being above
the Alliances was an advantage but not
enough of one.
Omaha Beach
• Before landing naval
gunshots and air
bombardments were set
off to scare the Germans
• It didn’t work and German
defense was thick
• Some abandoned the
beach because it was so
dangerous, but slowly the
Allies made their way
inland.
Utah Beach
• 2 airborne divisions
dropped soldiers from the
101st division randomly
behind German lines
• The Germans didn’t know
where Americans were
and so they could close in
from another front than
the beach
At the End of the Day…
• The Alliances had
high expectations,
and not all of them
were met, however
they did make
progress and gained
back some of the
French territory.
• D-Day lead to many
other important
victories.
Significance of D-Day
• D-Day was the first very successful
attack the allied forces made on the
new German Empire
• The American, British, and Canadian
forces were the only significant armies
that had any part in the storming of
the beach, but navies from France,
the Netherlands, Norway Poland, and
Greece helped to bomb the
beachhead from a distance
Invasion of Normandy
• Prior to the invasion by sea from the
navies of these countries the 101st from
the United States was dropped in behind
the Germans and made their way to attack
the beach from behind
• The invasion was all along the beaches in
between Cherbourg and Ouistreham
Impact of D-Day
• The success at Normandy was the base of
the allies breakdown of the Germans
• Once the beach was taken it was possible
for the allies to move farther into Germany
slowly breaking down their bases of
operations
The Invasion Plans
What This Led To
bibliography
• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_dda
y/index.html
• http://www.britannica.com/dday