Transcript Operation Overload aka the Battle of Normandy

Operation Overlord
aka the Battle of Normandy
Erika Kumar, Will Kimball, & Charles Liu
Period 4 – Sprague
Thesis
Operation Overlord was the turning point
in World War II, the Allie’s biggest and
most significant victory, and leading to the
eventual defeat of the Nazis. Without it the
Russians would have fallen and the
Germans would have taken over, affecting
us today.
Overview
Largest seaborne invasion in history and the most
successful Allied operation of WWII
Objective: take France back from the Germans
Consisted on many smaller operations
Target: Normandy Coast
Americans: Utah and Omaha Beaches
British: Sword and Gold Beaches
Canadians: Juno Beach
Timeline of 1944
April
June
August
September
Statistics
The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing
craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from
eight allied countries.
• Almost 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the
United States invaded the first day.
• 10,300 casualties from the three countries during the
landing.
• By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and
570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy
shores.
•
Details
The invasion (aka Operation Neptune) was preceded by a
night drop of paratroops to secure the flanks and destroy
key transportation choke points to prevent Germans
reinforcement
Surprise factor was the biggest advantage: an elaborate
hoax with dummy tanks and empty camps were set up to
mislead the Germans
U.S. and British aircraft worked to isolate the landing
areas and soften German defenses
Achieved total air supremacy
A combination of cloudy weather and unplanned combat led to the
scattering of the Allied troops
• Every unit but one mislanded
• This however ended up further confusing the Germans
• The original landing location was heavily guarded and many
would have died
Impact
Drew large German forces away from the Eastern front
that would otherwise have slowed the Soviet advance
Huge psychological blow for Germany’s military (a
repetition of the two-front war of WWI)
Beginning of the end for Hitler and the Nazis
Paris was liberated; France was regained!
Of the two million plus Allied troops in northern
France, 206,700 causalities occurred
Roughly 159,000 Germans were lost
Works Cited
Murray, Kelley. "The Longest Day." Mount Holyoke College, n.d.
Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
"Operation Overlord Timeline." World History Project. The History of
the World, n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Tucker, Spencer C. "Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social,
and Military History." PBS. ABC-CLIO, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.