Allied invasion of Normandy. "Heroic Landing" of the Allies in Normandy (12 photos). Image in art

"Many battles claim to be the main battle of the Second World War. Someone believes that this is the battle near Moscow, in which the fascist troops suffered their first defeat. Others believe that the Battle of Stalingrad should be considered as such, the third one thinks that the main battle was the Battle of Kursk In America (and more recently in Western Europe) no one doubts that the main battle was the Normandy landing operation and the battles that followed it.It seems to me that Western historians are right, although not in everything.

Let's think about what would happen if the Western allies once again hesitated and did not land troops in 1944? It is clear that Germany would have been defeated anyway, only the Red Army would have ended the war not near Berlin and on the Oder, but in Paris and on the banks of the Loire. It is clear that it would not have been General de Gaulle, who arrived in the train of the Allies, who would have come to power in France, but one of the leaders of the Comintern. Similar figures would be found for Belgium, Holland, Denmark and all other large and small countries Western Europe(how they were found for countries of Eastern Europe). Naturally, Germany would not have been divided into four occupation zones, therefore, a single German state would have been formed not in the 90s, but in the 40s, and it would not be called the FRG, but the GDR. In this hypothetical world, there would be no place for NATO (who would enter it except the USA and England?), but the Warsaw Pact would unite all of Europe. Ultimately, the Cold War, if it had ever taken place, would have had a very different character, and would have had a very different outcome. However, I am not at all going to prove that everything would have been exactly this way and not otherwise. But there is no doubt that the results of World War II would have been different. Well, the battle, which largely determined the course of post-war development, should rightfully be considered the main battle of the war. That's just a battle to call it a stretch.

atlantic wall
This was the name of the German defense system in the west. According to films and computer games, this shaft appears to be something very powerful - rows of anti-tank hedgehogs, followed by concrete pillboxes with machine guns and guns, bunkers for manpower, etc. However, remember, have you ever seen a photograph where all this could be seen? The NDO's best-known and widely replicated photograph shows landing barges and American soldiers plodding waist-deep in water, taken from the shore. We were able to track down the photos of the landing sites you see here. Soldiers land on a completely empty shore, where, apart from a few anti-tank hedgehogs, there are no defensive structures. So what was the Atlantic Wall anyway?
For the first time this name sounded in the autumn of 1940, when four long-range batteries were built on the coast of Pas de Calais in a short time. True, they were intended not to repulse the landing, but to disrupt navigation in the strait. Only in 1942, after the unsuccessful landing of the Canadian Rangers near Dieppe, the construction of defensive structures began, mainly all in the same place, on the English Channel coast (it was assumed that this was where the Allies would land), while for the rest of the sections, labor and materials were allocated according to the residual principle. There were not so many left, especially after the intensification of raids on Allied Germany (it was necessary to build bomb shelters for the population and industrial enterprises). As a result, the construction of the Atlantic Wall was completed in general by 50 percent, and even less directly in Normandy. More or less, the only sector was ready for defense, the one that later received the name of the Omaha bridgehead. However, he did not look at all like it is depicted in a game well known to you.

Think for yourself, what is the point of placing concrete fortifications on the very shore? Of course, the guns installed there can fire on landing craft, and machine-gun fire can hit enemy soldiers as they trudge waist-deep in water. But the bunkers standing right on the shore are perfectly visible to the enemy, so that he can easily suppress them with naval artillery. Therefore, only passive defensive structures are created directly at the water's edge (minefields, concrete gouges, anti-tank hedgehogs). Behind them, preferably along the crests of dunes or hills, trenches are torn off, and dugouts and other shelters are built on the reverse slopes of the hills, where the infantry can wait out the artillery attack or bombardment. Well, even further, sometimes a few kilometers from the coast, closed artillery positions are created (this is where you can see the powerful concrete casemates that we love to show in the movies).

Approximately according to this plan, the defense in Normandy was built, but, I repeat, its main part was created only on paper. For example, about three million mines were put up, but according to the most conservative estimates, at least sixty million were needed. The artillery positions were mostly ready, but the guns were far from being installed everywhere. I'll tell you this: long before the start of the invasion, the French Resistance movement reported that the Germans had installed four 155-mm naval guns on the Merville battery. The firing range of these guns could reach 22 km, so that there was a danger of shelling warships, so it was decided to destroy the battery at any cost. This task was entrusted to the 9th Battalion of the 6th Parachute Division, which had been preparing for it for almost three months. A very accurate model of the battery was built, and the battalion fighters attacked it from all sides day after day. Finally, D-Day came, with great noise and din, the battalion captured the battery and found there ... four French 75-mm cannons on iron wheels (from the First World War). Positions were indeed made for 155-mm guns, but the Germans themselves did not have guns, so they put what was at hand.

It must be said that the arsenal of the Atlantic Wall generally consisted mainly of captured cannons. For four years, the Germans methodically dragged there everything that they got from the defeated armies. There were Czech, Polish, French and even Soviet guns, and many of them had a very limited supply of shells. The situation was approximately the same with small arms, either captured or decommissioned on the Eastern Front got into Normandy. In total, the 37th Army (namely, it had the brunt of the battle) used 252 types of ammunition, and 47 of them were long out of production.

Personnel
Now let's talk about who exactly had to repel the invasion of the Anglo-Americans. Let's start with commanders. Surely you remember the one-armed and one-eyed Colonel Staufenberg, who made an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler. Have you ever wondered why such a disabled person was not fired outright, but continued to serve, albeit in the reserve army? Yes, because by the 44th year, the requirements for fitness in Germany were significantly reduced, in particular, the loss of an eye, a hand, severe concussion, etc. were no longer grounds for dismissal from the service of higher and secondary officers. Of course, there would be little use for such monsters on the Eastern Front, but it was possible to plug holes with them in the units stationed on the Atlantic Wall. So about 50% of the command staff there belonged to the category of "limited fit."

The Fuhrer did not bypass his attention and the rank and file. Take, for example, the 70th Infantry Division, better known as the "White Bread Division". It consisted entirely of soldiers suffering from various kinds of stomach diseases, because of which they had to constantly be on a diet (naturally, with the start of the invasion, it became difficult to follow a diet, so this division disappeared by itself). In other units, there were entire battalions of soldiers suffering from flat feet, kidney disease, diabetes, and so on. In a relatively calm environment, they could carry out rear service, but their combat value was close to zero.

However, not all soldiers on the Atlantic Wall were sick or crippled, there were quite a few quite healthy ones there, only they were over 40 years old (and the fifty-year-olds served in the artillery at all).

Well, the last, most amazing fact - there were only about 50% of native Germans in infantry divisions, while the rest was all trash from all over Europe and Asia. It is a shame to admit it, but there were many of our compatriots there, for example, the 162nd Infantry Division consisted entirely of the so-called "Eastern legions" (Turkmen, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, etc.). The Vlasovites were also on the Atlantic Wall, although the Germans themselves were not sure that they would be of any use. For example, the commander of the Cherbourg garrison, General Schlieben, said: "It is very doubtful that we will be able to persuade these Russians to fight for Germany in France against the Americans and the British." He was right, most of the eastern troops surrendered to the allies without a fight.

Bloody Omaha Beach
American troops landed on two sites, "Utah" and "Omaha". On the first of them, the battle did not work out - in this sector there were only two strong points, each of which was defended by a reinforced platoon. Naturally, they could not offer any resistance to the 4th American division, especially since both were practically destroyed by naval artillery fire even before the landing began.

By the way, there was an interesting incident that perfectly characterizes the fighting spirit of the allies. A few hours before the start of the invasion, airborne assault forces were landed in the depths of the German defenses. Due to pilot error, about three dozen paratroopers were dropped on the very shore near the W-5 bunker. The Germans destroyed some of them, while others were taken prisoner. And at 4.00 these prisoners began to beg the commander of the bunker to immediately send them to the rear. When the Germans asked what was so impatient for them, the brave warriors immediately reported that in an hour artillery preparation from the ships would begin, followed by a landing. It is a pity that history has not preserved the names of these "fighters for freedom and democracy" who gave the hour for the beginning of the invasion in order to save their own skins.

Let us return, however, to the Omaha bridgehead. There is only one landing area in this area, 6.5 km long (steep cliffs stretch for many kilometers to the east and west of it). Naturally, the Germans were able to prepare it well for defense; on the flanks of the site there were two powerful bunkers with guns and machine guns. However, the cannons from them could only fire at the beach and a small strip of water along it (from the sea side, the bunkers were covered with rocks and a six-meter layer of concrete). Behind a relatively narrow strip of the beach, hills began, up to 45 meters high, along the crest of which trenches were dug. This whole system of defense was well known to the Allies, but they hoped to suppress it before the landings began. Fire on the bridgehead was to be carried out by two battleships, three cruisers and six destroyers. In addition, field artillery was supposed to fire from the landing craft, and eight landing barges were converted into rocket launchers. In just thirty minutes, more than 15 thousand shells of various calibers (up to 355 mm) were to be fired. And they were released ... into the world like a pretty penny. Subsequently, the allies came up with many excuses for the low effectiveness of shooting, here there was heavy seas, and predawn fog, and something else, but one way or another, neither the bunkers, nor even the trenches were damaged by shelling.

Allied aviation acted even worse. An armada of Liberator bombers dropped several hundred tons of bombs, but none of them hit not only the enemy fortifications, but even the beach (and some bombs exploded five kilometers from the coast).

Thus, the infantry had to overcome a completely undamaged enemy defense line. However, the troubles for the ground units began even before they were on the shore. For example, out of 32 floating (DD Sherman) 27 sank almost immediately after launching (two tanks reached the beach under their own power, three more were unloaded directly onto the shore). The commanders of some landing barges, not wanting to enter the sector shelled by German guns (the Americans in general have a much better sense of duty, and indeed all other feelings, have a much better instinct for self-preservation), threw back the ramps and proceeded to unload at depths of about two meters, where most of the paratroopers successfully drowned .

Finally, at the very least, the first wave of troops was landed. It included the 146th sapper battalion, whose fighters were supposed, first of all, to destroy concrete gouges so that they could start landing tanks. But it wasn’t there, behind every gouge lay two or three brave American infantrymen, who, to put it mildly, objected to the destruction of such a reliable shelter. The sappers had to lay explosives from the side facing the enemy (naturally, many of them died in the process, out of 272 sappers 111 were killed). To help the sappers in the first wave, 16 armored bulldozers were attached. Only three reached the shore, and only two of them were able to use the sappers - paratroopers hid behind the third and, threatening the driver, forced him to stay in place. It seems that there are quite enough examples of "mass heroism".

Well, then we begin solid riddles. In any source devoted to the events at the Omaha bridgehead, there are necessarily references to two "fire-breathing bunkers on the flanks", but none of them say who, when and how suppressed the fire of these bunkers. It seems that the Germans fired, fired, and then stopped (perhaps this was the case, remember what I wrote above about ammunition). Even more interesting is the situation with machine guns firing at the front. When the American sappers smoked out their comrades because of the concrete gouges, they had to seek refuge in the dead zone at the foot of the hills (in some ways this can be considered an offensive). One of the squads hiding there discovered a narrow path leading to the summit.

Cautiously advancing along this path, the foot soldiers reached the crest of the hill, and found completely empty trenches there! Where did the Germans defending them go? But they were not there, in this area the defense was occupied by one of the companies of the 1st battalion of the 726th grenadier regiment, which consisted mainly of Czechs, forcibly drafted into the Wehrmacht. Naturally, they dreamed of surrendering to the Americans as soon as possible, but you must admit, throwing out a white flag even before the enemy attacks you is somehow undignified even for the descendants of the good soldier Schweik. The Czechs lay in their trenches, from time to time firing a line or two towards the Americans. But after a while, they realized that even such formal resistance was holding back the enemy’s offensive, so they collected their belongings and retreated to the rear. There they were finally taken prisoner to the general pleasure.

In short, having shoveled through a pile of materials devoted to the NDO, I managed to find one single story about a military clash at the Omaha bridgehead, I quote it verbatim. "E Company, which landed in front of Colleville, after a two-hour battle, captured a German bunker on a hilltop and took 21 people prisoner." Everything!

The main battle of World War II
In this brief review, I have only covered the first hours of the Normandy landing operation. In the days that followed, the Anglo-Americans had to face many difficulties. There is also a storm that practically destroyed one of the two artificial ports; and supply confusion (field hairdressers were delivered to the beachhead very late); and the inconsistency of the actions of the allies (the British launched an offensive two weeks earlier than planned, obviously, they were less dependent on the presence of field hairdressers than the Americans). However, the opposition of the enemy among these difficulties is in the very last place. So should this be called a "battle"?"

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Operation Neptune

Allied landings in Normandy

date of	June 6, 1944
A place	Normandy, France
Cause	The need to open a second front in the European theater
Outcome	Successful Allied landings in Normandy
Changes	Opening of the Second Front

Opponents

Commanders

Side forces

Operation Neptune(eng. Operation Neptune), day "D" (eng. D-Day) or landing in Normandy (eng. Normandy landings) - a naval landing operation carried out from June 6 to July 25, 1944 in Normandy during World War II wars by the forces of the USA, Great Britain, Canada and their allies against Germany. It was the first part of the strategic operation "Overlord" (Eng. Operation Overlord) or the Normandy operation, which included the capture of northwestern France by the Allies.

common data

Operation Neptune was the first phase of Operation Overlord, and consisted of forcing the English Channel and seizing a foothold on the coast of France. To support the operation, the Allied naval forces were assembled under the command of the English Admiral Bertram Ramsey, who had experience in similar large-scale naval operations for the transfer of manpower and military equipment(See Allied evacuation from Dunkirk, 1940).

Characteristics of the parties involved

German side

Land units

In June 1944, the Germans had 58 divisions in the West, eight of which were stationed in Holland and Belgium, and the rest in France. About half of these divisions were coastal defense or training divisions, and of the 27 field divisions, only ten were tank divisions, of which three were in the south of France and one in the Antwerp area. Six divisions were deployed to cover two hundred miles of the Normandy coast, four of which were coastal defense divisions. Of the four coastal defense divisions, three covered the forty-mile stretch of coast between Cherbourg and Caen, and one division was deployed between the Orne and Seine rivers.

Air Force

The 3rd Air Fleet (Luftwaffe III) under the command of Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle, intended for the defense of the West, nominally consisted of 500 aircraft, but the qualifications of the pilots remained below average. By early June 1944, the Luftwaffe had 90 bombers and 70 fighters on alert in the West.

coastal defense

Coastal defense included artillery pieces of all calibers, ranging from 406 mm coastal defense turrets to French 75 mm field guns from the First World War. On the coast of Normandy between Cape Barfleur and Le Havre there was one battery of three 380-mm guns, located 2.5 miles north of Le Havre. On the 20-mile stretch of coastline on the east side of the Cotentin Peninsula, four casemate batteries of 155-mm guns were installed, as well as 10 howitzer batteries, consisting of twenty-four 152-mm and twenty-four 104-mm guns.

Along the northern coast of the Bay of the Seine, at a distance of 35 miles between Isigny and Ouistreham, there were only three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and one battery of 104 mm guns. In addition, there were two more open-type batteries of 104-mm guns and two batteries of 100-mm guns in this area.

On the seventeen-mile stretch of coast between Ouistreham and the mouth of the Seine, three casemate batteries of 155-mm guns and two open batteries of 150-mm guns were installed. The coastal defenses in this area consisted of a system of strong points at intervals of about a mile from each other with a layered depth of 90-180 m. Casemate guns were installed in concrete shelters, whose roofs and walls facing the sea were up to 2.1 meters thick. Smaller tarmac artillery shelters containing 50 mm anti-tank guns were positioned to keep the coast under longitudinal fire. A complex system of communication passages connected artillery positions, machine-gun nests, mortar positions and a system of infantry trenches with each other and with the living quarters of personnel. All this was protected by anti-tank hedgehogs, barbed wire, mines and anti-amphibious barriers.

Naval Forces

German command structure navy in France, it closed on the commander-in-chief of the naval group "West" Admiral Kranke, whose headquarters was in Paris. The group "West" included an admiral of the naval forces, commander in the territory of the English Channel coast with headquarters in Rouen. Three district commanders were subordinate to him: the commander of the Pas de Calais section, which stretched from the Belgian border south to the mouth of the Somme River; commander of the Seine-Somme region, the boundaries of which were determined by the coast between the mouths of these rivers; commander of the Normandy coast from the mouth of the Seine west to Saint-Malo. There was also an admiral in command of the section of the Atlantic coast, whose headquarters was in Angers. The last commander was subordinate to the three commanders of the regions of Brittany, Loire and Gascony.

The boundaries of the naval areas did not coincide with the boundaries of the military districts, there was no direct interaction between the military, naval and aviation administrations necessary for operations in a rapidly changing environment as a result of the Allied landings.

The grouping of the German Navy, which is at the direct disposal of the command of the Canal zone (English Channel), consisted of five destroyers (base in Le Havre); 23 torpedo boats (8 of which were in Boulogne and 15 in Cherbourg); 116 minesweepers (distributed between Dunkirk and Saint-Malo); 24 patrol ships(21 in Le Havre and 23 in Saint-Malo) and 42 artillery barges (16 in Boulogne, 15 in Fécamp and 11 in Ouistreham). Along the Atlantic coast, between Brest and Bayonne, there were five destroyers, 146 minesweepers, 59 patrol ships and one torpedo boat. In addition, 49 submarines were designated for antiamphibious service. These boats were based in Brest (24), Lorien (2), Saint-Nazaire (19) and La Pallice (4). There were another 130 large ocean-going submarines in the bases of the Bay of Biscay, but they were not adapted to operations in the shallow waters of the English Channel and were not taken into account in the plans for repulsing the landing.

In addition to the listed forces, 47 minesweepers, 6 torpedo boats and 13 patrol ships were based in various ports in Belgium and Holland. Other naval forces of Germany, consisting of battleships Tirpitz And Scharnhorst , "pocket battleships" Admiral Scheer And Lutzow, heavy cruisers Prince Eugene And Admiral Hipper, as well as four light cruisers Nurnberg , Koln And Emden, along with 37 destroyers and 83 torpedo boats, were either in Norwegian or Baltic waters.

The few naval forces that were subordinate to the commander of the Zapad naval group could not constantly be at sea in readiness for action in the event of possible enemy landings. Beginning in March 1944, enemy radar stations detected our ships as soon as they left their bases ... Losses and damage became so noticeable that, if we did not want to lose our few naval forces even before it came to enemy landings , we did not have to carry a constant outpost, not to mention reconnaissance raids to the enemy's coast.

Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy Grand Admiral Doenitz

In general, the planned antiamphibious measures of the German fleet consisted of the following:

the use of submarines, torpedo boats and coastal artillery to strike landing craft;
the laying of a large number of mines of all types, including new and simple types, known as mine KMA (contact mine for coastal areas), along the entire length of the European coast;
the use of ultra-small submarines and human torpedoes to strike ships in the invasion area;
intensification of attacks on allied convoys in the ocean using new types of ocean-going submarines.

Allies

Naval part of the operation

The task of the Allied Navy was to organize the safe and timely arrival of convoys with troops to the enemy coast, to ensure the uninterrupted landing of reinforcements and fire support for the assault. The threat from the enemy navy was not considered particularly great.

The command system for the invasion and subsequent escort of convoys was as follows:

Eastern sector:

Eastern Naval Task Force: Commander Rear Admiral Sir Philip Wyen. Flagship Scylla.
Force "S" (Sword): Commander Rear Admiral Arthur Talbot. The flagship "Largs" (3rd British Infantry Division and 27th Tank Brigade).
Force "G" (Gold): Commander Commodore Douglas-Pennant. Flagship "Bulolo" (50th British Infantry Division and 8th Tank Brigade).
Force "J" (Juneau): Commander Commodore Oliver. Flagship, Hilary (3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade).
Forces of the second echelon "L": Commander Rear Admiral Parry. The flagship "Albatross" (7th British Panzer Division and 49th Infantry Division; 4th Armored Brigade and 51st Scottish Infantry Division).

Western sector:

Western Naval Task Force: Commander US Navy Rear Admiral Alan Kirk. flagship american heavy cruiser Augusta .
Force "O" (Omaha): Commanding Rear Admiral US Navy D. Hall. The flagship "Ancon" (US 1st Infantry Division and part of the 29th Infantry Division).
U Force (Utah): Commanding Rear Adm. US Navy D. Moon. The flagship of the amphibious transport "Bayfield" (4th US Infantry Division).
Forces of the second echelon "B": Commander Commodore of the US Navy S. Edgar. The flagship "Small" (2nd, 9th, 79th and 90th American divisions and the remainder of the 29th division).

The naval commanders of the Operational Formations and Landing Forces were to remain senior commanders in their respective sectors until the army units were firmly entrenched in the bridgehead.

Among the ships allocated to bombard the Eastern Sector were the 2nd and 10th cruiser squadrons, under the command of Rear Admirals F. Delraymple-Hamilton and W. Petterson. Being senior in rank to Task Force Command, both admirals agreed to renounce their seniority and act according to Task Force Command's instructions. In the same way, this problem was solved to everyone's satisfaction in the Western Sector. Rear Admiral of the Free French Navy Jojar holding his flag on the cruiser Georges Leygues, also agreed with a similar command system.

Composition and distribution of naval forces

In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1213 - combat, 4126 - transport, 736 - auxiliary and 864 - merchant ships).

For artillery support, 106 ships were allocated, including artillery and mortar landing craft. Of these ships, 73 were in the Eastern Sector and 33 in the Western. When planning artillery support, a large consumption of ammunition was foreseen, so measures were taken to use lighters loaded with ammunition. Upon returning to port, the lighters were to be loaded immediately, which ensured that the artillery support ships returned to bombardment positions with minimal delay. In addition, it was envisaged that artillery support ships might need to change their guns due to the wear of the barrels due to the intensity of their use. Therefore, in the ports of southern England, a stock of gun barrels of 6-inch caliber and below was created. However, ships in need of replacement 15-inch guns (battleships and monitors) had to be sent to the ports of northern England.

Operation progress

Operation Neptune began on June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day), and ended on July 1, 1944. Its goal was to conquer a foothold on the continent, which lasted until July 25.

40 minutes before the landing, planned direct artillery preparation began. Fire was fired by 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 23 cruisers, 74 destroyer destroyers. The heavy guns of the combined fleet fired at the discovered batteries and reinforced concrete structures of the enemy, the explosions of their shells, in addition, had a very strong effect on the psyche of the German soldiers. As the distance shortened, lighter naval artillery entered the battle. When the first wave of landings began to approach the coast, a stationary barrage was placed at the landing sites, which stopped as soon as the troops reached the coast.

Approximately 5 minutes before the start of the landing of the assault detachments, rocket mortars mounted on barges opened fire to increase the density of fire. When firing at close range, one such barge, according to the landing party, Captain 3rd Rank K. Edwards, replaced more than 80 light cruisers or almost 200 destroyers in terms of fire power. Approximately 20,000 shells were fired at British landing sites and about 18,000 shells at American landing sites. The artillery fire of the ships, rocket artillery strikes, which covered the entire coast, turned out, in the opinion of the landing participants, to be more effective than air strikes.

The following trawling plan was adopted:

for each of the invading forces, two channels must be cleared through the mine barrier; each channel is trawled by a flotilla of squadron minesweepers;
carry out trawling of the coastal fairway for shelling by ships of the coast and other operations;
as soon as possible, the cleared channel should be widened to create more maneuvering space;
after landing, continue to monitor the enemy's minefield operations and carry out minesweeping of newly laid mines.

date of	Event	Note
On the night of 5 to 6 June	Trawling of approach fairways
June 5-10, 6	warships along the swept fairways, they arrived in their areas and anchored, covering the flanks of the landing force from possible enemy counterattacks from the sea
June 6, morning	Artillery preparation	7 battleships, 2 monitors, 24 cruisers, 74 destroyers took part in the shelling of the coast
6-30 June 6	Start of disembarkation amphibious assault	First in the western zone, and an hour later in the eastern zone, the first detachments of amphibious assault landed on the shore
June 10th	Completed assembly of artificial port facilities	2 complexes of artificial ports "Mulberry" and 5 artificial breakwaters "Gooseberry" to protect the ports
June 17	American troops reached the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in the Carteret area	German units on the peninsula were cut off from the rest of Normandy
June 25-26	The advance of the Anglo-Canadian troops on Caen	The goals were not achieved, the Germans put up stubborn resistance
27th of June	Cherbourg taken	By the end of June, the Allied bridgehead in Normandy reached 100 km along the front and from 20 to 40 km in depth.
July 1	The Cotentin Peninsula is completely cleared of German troops
first half of July	Restored port in Cherbourg	The port of Cherbourg played a significant role in supplying the Allied troops in France.
July 25	The allies reached the line south of Saint-Lo, Caumont, Caen	Normandy landing operation ended

Losses and results

In the period from June 6 to July 24, the American-British command succeeded in landing expeditionary forces in Normandy and occupying a bridgehead about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. The size of the bridgehead was approximately 2 times smaller than that envisaged by the operation plan. However, the absolute dominance of the allies in the air and at sea made it possible to concentrate a large number of forces and means here. The landing of the Allied expeditionary forces in Normandy was the largest landing operation of strategic importance during the Second World War.

During D-Day, the Allies landed 156,000 men in Normandy. The American component numbered 73,000: 23,250 amphibious assaults on Utah Beach, 34,250 on Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne assaults. 83,115 troops landed on the British and Canadian beachheads (of which 61,715 were British): 24,970 Gold Beach, 21,400 Juno Beach, 28,845 Sord Beach and 7,900 Airborne.

11,590 air support aircraft of various types were involved, which made a total of 14,674 sorties, 127 combat aircraft were shot down. For the airborne assault during June 6, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders were involved.

The navy engaged 6,939 ships and vessels: 1,213 combat, 4,126 amphibious, 736 auxiliaries and 864 cargo. To ensure the fleet allocated: 195,700 sailors: 52,889 - American, 112,824 - British, 4,988 - from other countries of the coalition.

By June 11, 1944, there were already 326,547 soldiers on the French coast, 54,186 units of military equipment, 104,428 tons of military equipment and supplies.

Allied losses

During the landing, the Anglo-American troops lost 4,414 people dead (2,499 - Americans, 1,915 - representatives of other countries). Overall, the total Allied casualties on D-Day were about 10,000 (6,603 Americans, 2,700 British, 946 Canadians). Allied casualties include the dead, the wounded, the missing (whose bodies have never been found), and prisoners of war.

In total, the Allies lost 122,000 people between June 6 and July 23 (49,000 British and Canadians and about 73,000 Americans).

Losses of the German forces

The losses of the Wehrmacht troops on the day of the landing are estimated to be from 4,000 to 9,000 people.

The total damage of the Nazi troops during the period of almost seven weeks of fighting amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and captured, 2117 tanks and 345 aircraft.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 French civilians died during the invasion - mostly from Allied aircraft bombing

Evaluation of the event by contemporaries

Notes

Image in art

Literature and sources of information

Pochtarev A.N. "Neptune" through the eyes of Russians. - Independent Military Review, No. 19 (808). - Moscow: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2004.

Image Gallery

Both the flight from the European continent () and the landing in Normandy ("Overlod") are very different from their mythological interpretation ...

Original taken from jeteraconte in Allied landings in Normandy... Myths and reality.

I I think that everyone educated person, knows that on June 6, 1944, there was an allied landing in Normandy, and finally, a full-fledged opening of a second front. T Only the assessment of this event has different interpretations.
Same beach now:

Why did the Allies last until 1944? What goals were pursued? Why was the operation carried out so incompetently and with such sensitive losses, with the overwhelming superiority of the allies?
This topic has been raised by many different time, I will try to describe the events that took place in the most understandable language.
When you watch American movies like: "Saving Private Ryan", games " Call of Duty 2" or reading a Wikipedia article seems to describe greatest event of all times and peoples, and it was here that the whole second World War...
Propaganda has always been the most powerful weapon. ..

By 1944, it was clear to all politicians that Germany and its allies had lost the war, and in 1943, during the Tehran Conference, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill roughly divided the world among themselves. A little more and Europe, and most importantly France, could become communist if they were liberated by Soviet troops, so the allies were forced to rush in order to catch the pie and fulfill their promises to contribute to the common victory.

(I recommend reading the "Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR with the Presidents of the United States and Prime Ministers of Great Britain during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" published in 1957 in response to the memoirs of Winston Churchill.)

Now let's try to figure out what really happened and how. First of all, I decided to go and see with my own eyes the terrain, and assess what kind of difficulties the troops landing under fire had to overcome. The landing zone occupies about 80 km, but this does not mean that paratroopers landed on every meter throughout these 80 km, in fact it was concentrated in several places: "Sord", "Juno", "Gold", "Omaha Beach" and Pointe d'oc.
I walked this territory along the sea, studying the fortifications that have survived to this day, visited two local museums, shoveled a lot of different literature about these events and talked with residents in Bayeux, Caen, Saumur, Fécamp, Rouen and others.
It is very difficult to imagine a more mediocre landing operation, with the complete connivance of the enemy. Yes, critics will say that the scale of the landing is unprecedented, but the mess is the same. Even according to official sources, non-combat losses! accounted for 35%!!! from total losses!
Reading "Wiki", wow, how many Germans opposed, how many German units, tanks, guns! By what miracle did the landing succeed?
German troops on Western front, were smeared with a thin layer across the territory of France, and these units performed mainly security functions, and many of them could only be called combat units conditionally. What is the division nicknamed the "White Bread Division" worth. An eyewitness, the English author M. Shulman, says: “After the invasion of France, the Germans decided to replace Fr. Walcheren an ordinary infantry division, division, personnel, which suffered from stomach diseases. Bunkers on about. Walcheren was now occupied by soldiers who had chronic ulcers, acute ulcers, wounded stomachs, nervous stomachs, sensitive stomachs, inflamed stomachs - in general, all known gastritis. The soldiers vowed to stand to the end. Here, in the richest part of Holland, where white bread, fresh vegetables, eggs and milk abounded, the soldiers of the 70th Division, nicknamed the "White Bread Division", expected the imminent Allied offensive and were nervous, for their attention was equally divided between the problematic threat with side of the enemy and real stomach upsets. The elderly, good-natured Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Deiser led this division of invalids into battle ... Terrifying losses among senior officers in Russia and North Africa were the reason that he was returned from retirement in February 1944 and was appointed commander of a stationary division in Holland. His active service ended in 1941 when he was discharged due to heart attacks. Now, being 60 years old, he did not burn with enthusiasm and did not have the ability to turn the defense about. Walcheren in the heroic epic of German weapons.
In the German "troops" on the Western Front there were invalids and cripples, to perform security functions in good old France, you do not need to have two eyes, two arms or legs. Yes, there were full-fledged parts. And there were also, collected from various rabble, like the Vlasovites and the like, who only dreamed of surrendering.
On the one hand, the allies gathered a monstrously powerful group, on the other hand, the Germans still had the opportunity to inflict unacceptable damage on their opponents, but ...
Personally, I got the impression that the command of the German troops simply did not prevent the Allies from landing. But at the same time, he could not order the troops to raise their hands or go home.
Why do I think so? Let me remind you that this is the time when a conspiracy of the generals against Hitler is being prepared, secret negotiations are underway, the German elite about a separate peace, behind the back of the USSR. Allegedly due to bad weather, aerial reconnaissance was stopped, torpedo boats curtailed reconnaissance operations,
(Most recently before this, the Germans sank 2 landing craft, damaged one during an exercise in preparation for the landing and another was killed by "friendly fire"),
command flies to Berlin. And this at a time when the same Rommel knows very well from intelligence about the impending invasion. Yes, he might not have known about the exact time and place, but it was impossible not to notice the gathering of thousands of ships!!!, preparations, mountains of equipment, training of paratroopers! What more than two people know, the pig knows - this old saying clearly captures the essence of the impossibility of hiding the preparations for such a large-scale operation as the invasion of the English Channel.
Let me tell you some interesting things. Zone landings Pointe du Hoc. It is very famous, a new German coastal battery was supposed to be located here, but old French 155 mm guns, 1917, were installed. On this very small area, bombs were dropped, 250 pieces of 356 mm shells were fired from American battleship"Texas", as well as a lot of shells of smaller calibers. Two destroyers supported the landings with continuous fire. And then a group of rangers on landing barges approached the coast and climbed the sheer cliffs under the command of Colonel James E. Rudder, captured the battery and fortifications on the coast. True, the battery turned out to be made of wood, and the sounds of shots were imitated by explosives! The real one was moved when one of the guns was destroyed during a successful air raid a few days ago, and it is his photo that can be seen on the sites under the guise of a gun destroyed by the Rangers. There is a claim that the rangers still found this moved battery and ammunition depot, oddly not guarded! Then they blew it up.
If you ever find yourself on Pointe du Hoc , you will see what used to be a "lunar" landscape.
Roskill (Roskill S. Fleet and War. M .: Military Publishing House, 1974. Vol. 3. S. 348) wrote:
“More than 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped, and although there were few direct hits on the gun casemates, we managed to seriously disrupt enemy communications and undermine his morale. With the onset of dawn, defensive positions were attacked by 1630 “liberators”, “flying fortresses” and medium bombers of the 8th and 9th air formations of the US Air Force ... Finally, in the last 20 minutes before the approach of the assault waves, fighter-bombers and medium bombardiers bombed directly on the defensive fortifications on the coast ...
Shortly after 05.30, naval artillery brought down a hail of shells on the coast of the entire 50-mile front; such a powerful artillery strike from the sea had never been delivered before. Then the light guns of the advanced landing ships entered into action, and, finally, just before the hour "H", tank landing ships armed with rocket launchers moved to the shore; conducting intense fire with 127-mm rockets into the depths of defense. The enemy practically did not respond to the approach of the assault waves. There was no aviation, and the coastal batteries did not cause any harm, although they fired several volleys at the transports.
A total of 10 kilotons of TNT, this is equivalent in power to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima!
Yes, the guys who landed under fire, at night on wet rocks and pebbles, climbed a steep cliff, are heroes, but ... The big question is how many Germans survived, who were able to resist them, after such air and art processing? Rangers advancing in the first wave 225 people ... Losses killed and wounded 135 people. Data on the losses of the Germans: more than 120 killed and 70 captured. Hmm... Great battle?
From 18 to 20 guns from the German side with a caliber of more than 120 mm fired against the landing allies ... In total!
With the absolute dominance of the allies in the air! With the support of 6 battleships, 23 cruisers, 135 destroyers and destroyers, 508 other warships. 4798 ships participated in the attack. In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1213 - combat, 4126 - transport, 736 - auxiliary and 864 - merchant ships (some were in reserve)). Can you imagine a volley of this armada along the coast in a section of 80 km?
Here's a quote for you:

In all sectors, the Allies suffered relatively small losses, except ...
Omaha Beach, American Landing Zone. Here the losses were catastrophic. Many drowned paratroopers. When 25-30 kg of equipment is hung on a person, and then they are forced to land into the water, where it is 2.5-3 meters to the bottom, fearing to come closer to the shore, then instead of a fighter, you get a corpse. IN best case a demoralized man without a weapon... The commanders of barges carrying amphibious tanks forced them to land at depth, being afraid to come close to the coast. In total, out of 32 tanks, 2 floated ashore, plus 3, which, the only captain who was not afraid, landed directly on the shore. The rest drowned due to rough seas and the cowardice of individual commanders. On the shore and in the water there was complete chaos, the soldiers were confusedly rushing along the beach. The officers lost control of their subordinates. But still, there were those who were able to organize the survivors and begin to successfully resist the Nazis.
It was here that Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of President Theodore Roosevelt, fell heroically., who, like the deceased Yakov, the son of Stalin, did not want to hide in headquarters in the capital ...
Losses killed in this area are estimated at 2,500 Americans. The German corporal machine gunner Heinrich Severlo, later nicknamed "The Omaha Monster", applied his talents to this. He is from his heavy machine gun, as well as two rifles, being in a strong pointWiderstantnest62 killed and wounded over 2,000 Americans! Such data make you think, if he hadn’t run out of ammunition, would he have shot everyone there ??? Despite huge losses, the Americans captured the empty casemates and continued the offensive. There is evidence that individual sections of the defense were handed over to them without a fight, and the number of prisoners captured in all areas of the landing was surprisingly large. But why is it surprising? The war was coming to an end and only the most fanatical followers of Hitler did not want to admit it ...

Mini museum between drop zones :

View of Pont d'Oc from above, funnels, remains of fortifications, casemates.

View of the sea and rocks in the same place:

Omaha Beach sea view and landing area:

Author Vladimir Veselov.
"Many battles claim to be the main battle of the Second World War. Someone believes that this is the battle near Moscow, in which the fascist troops suffered their first defeat. Others believe that the Battle of Stalingrad should be considered as such, the third one thinks that the main battle was the Battle of Kursk In America (and more recently in Western Europe) no one doubts that the main battle was the Normandy landing operation and the battles that followed it.It seems to me that Western historians are right, although not in everything.

Let's think about what would happen if the Western allies once again hesitated and did not land troops in 1944? It is clear that Germany would have been defeated anyway, only the Red Army would have ended the war not near Berlin and on the Oder, but in Paris and on the banks of the Loire. It is clear that it would not have been General de Gaulle, who arrived in the train of the Allies, who would have come to power in France, but one of the leaders of the Comintern. Similar figures could be found for Belgium, Holland, Denmark and all other large and small countries of Western Europe (as they were found for the countries of Eastern Europe). Naturally, Germany would not have been divided into four occupation zones, therefore, a single German state would have been formed not in the 90s, but in the 40s, and it would not be called the FRG, but the GDR. In this hypothetical world, there would be no place for NATO (who would enter it except the USA and England?), but the Warsaw Pact would unite all of Europe. Ultimately, the Cold War, if it had ever taken place, would have had a very different character, and would have had a very different outcome. However, I am not at all going to prove that everything would have been exactly this way and not otherwise. But there is no doubt that the results of World War II would have been different. Well, the battle, which largely determined the course of post-war development, should rightfully be considered the main battle of the war. That's just a battle to call it a stretch.

atlantic wall
This was the name of the German defense system in the west. According to films and computer games, this shaft appears to be something very powerful - rows of anti-tank hedgehogs, followed by concrete pillboxes with machine guns and guns, bunkers for manpower, etc. However, remember, have you ever seen a photograph where all this could be seen? The NDO's best-known and widely replicated photograph shows landing barges and American soldiers plodding waist-deep in water, taken from the shore. We were able to track down the photos of the landing sites you see here. Soldiers land on a completely empty shore, where, apart from a few anti-tank hedgehogs, there are no defensive structures. So what was the Atlantic Wall anyway?
For the first time this name sounded in the autumn of 1940, when four long-range batteries were built on the coast of Pas de Calais in a short time. True, they were intended not to repulse the landing, but to disrupt navigation in the strait. Only in 1942, after the unsuccessful landing of the Canadian Rangers near Dieppe, the construction of defensive structures began, mainly all in the same place, on the English Channel coast (it was assumed that this was where the Allies would land), while for the rest of the sections, labor and materials were allocated according to the residual principle. There was not so much left, especially after the intensification of allied air raids on Germany (it was necessary to build bomb shelters for the population and industrial enterprises). As a result, the construction of the Atlantic Wall was completed in general by 50 percent, and even less directly in Normandy. More or less, the only sector was ready for defense, the one that later received the name of the Omaha bridgehead. However, he did not look at all like it is depicted in a game well known to you.

Approximately according to this plan, the defense in Normandy was built, but, I repeat, its main part was created only on paper. For example, about three million mines were put up, but according to the most conservative estimates, at least sixty million were needed. The artillery positions were mostly ready, but the guns were far from being installed everywhere. I'll tell you this story: long before the start of the invasion, the French resistance movement reported that the Germans had installed four 155-mm naval guns on the Merville battery. The firing range of these guns could reach 22 km, so that there was a danger of shelling warships, so it was decided to destroy the battery at any cost. This task was entrusted to the 9th Battalion of the 6th Parachute Division, which had been preparing for it for almost three months. A very accurate model of the battery was built, and the battalion fighters attacked it from all sides day after day. Finally, D-Day came, with great noise and din, the battalion captured the battery and found there ... four French 75-mm cannons on iron wheels (from the First World War). Positions were indeed made for 155-mm guns, but the Germans themselves did not have guns, so they put what was at hand.

Personnel
Now let's talk about who exactly had to repel the invasion of the Anglo-Americans. Let's start with the command staff. Surely you remember the one-armed and one-eyed Colonel Staufenberg, who made an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler. Have you ever wondered why such a disabled person was not fired outright, but continued to serve, albeit in the reserve army? Yes, because by the 44th year, the requirements for fitness in Germany were significantly reduced, in particular, the loss of an eye, a hand, severe concussion, etc. were no longer grounds for dismissal from the service of senior and middle officers. Of course, there would be little use for such monsters on the Eastern Front, but it was possible to plug holes with them in the units stationed on the Atlantic Wall. So about 50% of the command staff there belonged to the category of "limited fit."

Bloody Omaha Beach
American troops landed on two sites, "Utah" and "Omaha". On the first of them, the battle did not work out - in this sector there were only two strong points, each of which was defended by a reinforced platoon. Naturally, they could not offer any resistance to the 4th American division, especially since both were practically destroyed by naval artillery fire even before the landing began.

Thus, the infantry had to overcome a completely undamaged enemy defense line. However, the troubles for the ground units began even before they were on the shore. For example, out of 32 amphibious tanks (DD Sherman), 27 sank almost immediately after launching (two tanks reached the beach under their own power, three more were unloaded directly onto the shore). The commanders of some landing barges, not wanting to enter the sector shelled by German guns (the Americans in general have a much better sense of duty, and indeed all other feelings, have a much better instinct for self-preservation), threw back the ramps and proceeded to unload at depths of about two meters, where most of the paratroopers successfully drowned .

Finally, at the very least, the first wave of troops was landed. It included the 146th sapper battalion, whose fighters were supposed, first of all, to destroy concrete gouges so that they could start landing tanks. But it wasn’t there, behind every gouge lay two or three brave American infantrymen, who, to put it mildly, objected to the destruction of such a reliable shelter. The sappers had to lay explosives from the side facing the enemy (naturally, many of them died in the process, out of 272 sappers 111 were killed). To help the sappers in the first wave, 16 armored bulldozers were attached. Only three reached the shore, and only two of them were able to use the sappers - paratroopers hid behind the third and, threatening the driver with weapons, forced him to stay in place. It seems that there are quite enough examples of "mass heroism".

The main battle of World War II
In this brief review, I have only covered the first hours of the Normandy landing operation. In the days that followed, the Anglo-Americans had to face many difficulties. There is also a storm that practically destroyed one of the two artificial ports; and supply confusion (field hairdressers were delivered to the beachhead very late); and the inconsistency of the actions of the allies (the British launched an offensive two weeks earlier than planned, obviously, they were less dependent on the presence of field hairdressers than the Americans). However, the opposition of the enemy among these difficulties is in the very last place. So should this be called a "battle"?"

"Second front". For three years it was opened by our soldiers. That's what the American stew was called. And yet the "second front" existed in the form of aircraft, tanks, trucks, non-ferrous metals. But the real opening of the second front, the landing in Normandy, took place only on June 6, 1944.

Europe as one impregnable fortress

In December 1941, Adolf Hitler announced that he would create a belt of giant fortifications from Norway to Spain and this would be an insurmountable front for any enemy. This was the Führer's first reaction to the US entry into World War II. Not knowing where the landing of the allied troops would take place, in Normandy or elsewhere, he promised to turn all of Europe into an impregnable fortress.

It was absolutely impossible to do this, however, for another year no fortifications were built along the coastline. And why was it done? The Wehrmacht was advancing on all fronts, and the victory of the Germans by themselves seemed simply inevitable.

Start of construction

At the end of 1942, Hitler now seriously ordered the construction of a belt of structures on the western coast of Europe, which he called the Atlantic Wall, in a year. Nearly 600,000 people worked on the construction. All of Europe was left without cement. Even materials from the old French Maginot line were used, but it was not possible to meet the deadline. The main thing was missing - well-trained and armed troops. Eastern front literally devoured the German divisions. So many units in the west had to be formed from the elderly, children and women. The combat effectiveness of such troops did not inspire any optimism in the commander-in-chief on the Western Front, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. He repeatedly asked the Fuhrer for reinforcements. Hitler eventually sent Field Marshal Erwin Rommel to help him.

New curator

The aged Gerd von Rundstedt and the energetic Erwin Rommel did not get along right away. Rommel did not like that the Atlantic Wall was only half built, there were not enough large-caliber guns, and despondency reigned among the troops. In private conversations, Gerd von Rundstedt called the defenses a bluff. He believed that his units should be withdrawn from the coast and attack the Allied landing site in Normandy after. Erwin Rommel strongly disagreed with this. He intended to defeat the British and Americans right on the shore, where they could not bring reinforcements.

To do this, it was necessary to concentrate armored and motorized divisions. Erwin Rommel declared: “The war will be won or lost on these sands. The first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive. The landing of troops in Normandy will be included in military history as one of the most unfortunate thanks to the valiant German army." In general, Adolf Hitler approved of Erwin Rommel's plan, but left the panzer divisions under his command.

The coastline is getting stronger

Even under these conditions, Erwin Rommel did a lot. Almost the entire coast of French Normandy was mined, and tens of thousands of metal and wooden slingshots were installed below the water level at low tide. It seemed that an amphibious landing in Normandy was impossible. The barrier structures were supposed to stop the landing craft so that the coastal artillery had time to shoot at enemy targets. The troops were engaged in combat training without interruption. There was not a single part of the coast left that Erwin Rommel would not have visited.

Everything is ready for defense, you can rest

In April 1944, he would say to his adjutant: "Today I have only one enemy, and that enemy is time." All these worries so exhausted Erwin Rommel that in early June he went on a short vacation, however, like many German military commanders on the west coast. Those who did not go on vacation, by a strange coincidence, ended up on business trips far from the coast. The generals and officers who remained on the ground were calm and relaxed. The weather forecast until mid-June was the most unsuitable for the landing. Therefore, the Allied landing in Normandy seemed something unrealistic and fantastic. Heavy seas, squally winds and low clouds. No one guessed that an unprecedented armada of ships had already left English ports.

Great battles. Landing in Normandy

The Normandy landings were called "Overlord" by the Allies. Literally translated, it means "ruler". It became the largest landing operation in the history of mankind. The landing of the allied forces in Normandy took place with the participation of 5,000 warships and landing craft. The commander-in-chief of the allied forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, could not postpone the landing because of the weather. Only three days - from June 5 to June 7 - there was a late moon, and immediately after dawn - low water. The condition for the transfer of paratroopers and landing on gliders was a dark sky and moonrise during landing. The low tide was necessary for the amphibious assault to see the coastal barriers. In stormy seas, thousands of paratroopers suffered from seasickness in the cramped holds of boats and barges. Several dozen ships could not withstand the assault and sank. But nothing could stop the operation. The landing in Normandy begins. The troops were to land at five places along the coast.

Beginning of Operation Overlord

At 0:15 on June 6, 1944, the sovereign entered the land of Europe. The operation was started by paratroopers. Eighteen thousand paratroopers scattered across the lands of Normandy. However, not everyone is lucky. About half ended up in swamps and minefields, but the other half completed their tasks. Panic broke out in the German rear. Communication lines were destroyed, and, most importantly, undamaged strategically important bridges were captured. By this time, the marines were already fighting on the coast.

The landing of American troops in Normandy was on the sandy beaches of Omaha and Utah, the British and Canadians landed on the sites of Sword, June and Gold. Warships fought a duel with coastal artillery, trying, if not to suppress, then at least to distract it from the paratroopers. Thousands of allied aircraft simultaneously bombed and stormed German positions. One English pilot recalled that the main task was not to collide with each other in the sky. The advantage of the Allies in the air was 72:1.

Memories of a German ace

On the morning and afternoon of June 6, the Luftwaffe offered no resistance to the coalition troops. Only two German pilots appeared in the landing area, this is the commander of the 26th Fighter Squadron - the famous ace Josef Priller, and his wingman.

Josef Priller (1915-1961) got tired of listening to confusing explanations of what was happening on the shore, and flew out on reconnaissance himself. Seeing thousands of ships at sea and thousands of aircraft in the air, he ironically exclaimed: "Today is truly a great day for the pilots of the Luftwaffe." Indeed, never before have the Reich Air Force been so powerless. Two planes swept low over the beach, firing cannons and machine guns, and disappeared into the clouds. That's all they could do. When the mechanics examined the plane of the German ace, it turned out that there were more than two hundred bullet holes in it.

Allied assault continues

The Nazi navy did a little better. Three torpedo boats in a suicide attack by the invasion fleet managed to sink one American destroyer. The landing of the Allied troops in Normandy, namely the British and Canadians, did not meet with serious resistance in their areas. In addition, they managed to safely transport tanks and guns ashore. The Americans, especially in the Omaha section, were much less fortunate. Here the defense of the Germans was held by the 352nd division, which consisted of veterans fired on different fronts.

The Germans let the paratroopers to four hundred meters and opened heavy fire. Almost all the American boats approached the shore east of the given places. They were swept away by a strong current, and thick smoke from fires made it difficult to navigate. The sapper platoons were almost destroyed, so there was no one to make passes in the minefields. The panic began. Then several destroyers came close to the shore and began to hit the German positions with direct fire. The 352nd division did not remain in debt to the sailors, the ships were seriously damaged, but the paratroopers under their cover were able to break through German defense. Thanks to this, in all areas of the landing, the Americans and the British were able to move several miles forward.

Trouble for the Fuhrer

A few hours later, when Adolf Hitler woke up, Field Marshals Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl cautiously reported to him that the Allied landings seemed to have begun. Since there were no exact data, the Fuhrer did not believe them. Panzer divisions remained in their places. At this time, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was sitting at home and also did not really know anything. The German military leaders lost their time. The attacks of the following days and weeks yielded nothing. The Atlantic Wall collapsed. The allies entered the operational space. Everything was decided in the first twenty-four hours. The Allied landing in Normandy took place.

Historic D-Day

A huge army crossed the English Channel and landed in France. The first day of the offensive was called D-day. The task is to gain a foothold on the coast and drive the Nazis out of Normandy. But bad weather in the strait could lead to disaster. The English Channel is famous for its storms. In a matter of minutes, visibility could drop to 50 meters. Commander-in-Chief Dwight Eisenhower required a minute-by-minute weather report. All responsibility fell on the chief meteorologist and his team.

Allied military assistance in the fight against the Nazis

1944 World War II has been going on for four years now. The Germans occupied all of Europe. British allied forces Soviet Union and the US needs a decisive blow. Intelligence reported that the Germans would soon begin to use guided missiles and atomic bombs. An energetic offensive was supposed to interrupt the plans of the Nazis. The easiest way is to go through the occupied territories, for example through France. The secret name of the operation is "Overlord".

The landing in Normandy of 150,000 Allied soldiers was scheduled for May 1944. They were supported by transport aircraft, bombers, fighters and a flotilla of 6,000 ships. The offensive was commanded by Dwight Eisenhower. The date of the landing was kept in the strictest confidence. At the first stage, the landing in Normandy in 1944 was to capture more than 70 kilometers of the French coast. The exact areas of the assault on the German troops were kept a closely guarded secret. The Allies chose five beaches from east to west.

Commander-in-Chief's Alerts

May 1, 1944 could potentially become the start date for Operation Overlord, but this day was abandoned due to the unavailability of the troops. For military and political reasons, the operation was postponed to the beginning of June.

In his memoirs, Dwight Eisenhower wrote: "If this operation, the landing of the Americans in Normandy, does not take place, then only I will be to blame." At midnight on June 6, Operation Overlord begins. Commander-in-Chief Dwight Eisenhower personally visits the 101st Air Division just before the flight. Everyone understood that up to 80% of the soldiers would not survive this assault.

"Overlord": a chronicle of events

The airborne landing in Normandy was to be the first to take place on the shores of France. However, everything went wrong. The pilots of the two divisions needed good visibility, they were not supposed to drop troops into the sea, but they did not see anything. The paratroopers disappeared into the clouds and landed a few kilometers from the collection point. Then the bombers had to clear the way for the amphibious assault. But they did not fix their goals.

12,000 bombs were to be dropped on Omaha Beach to destroy all obstacles. But when the bombers reached the coast of France, the pilots found themselves in a difficult situation. There were clouds all around. The bulk of the bombs fell ten kilometers south of the beach. Allied gliders were ineffective.

At 3.30 in the morning the flotilla headed for the shores of Normandy. A few hours later, the soldiers boarded small wooden boats to finally get to the beach. Huge waves rocked small boats like matchboxes in the cold waters of the English Channel. Only at dawn did the Allied amphibious landing in Normandy begin (see photo below).

Death awaited the soldiers on the shore. There were obstacles around, anti-tank hedgehogs, everything around was mined. The Allied fleet bombarded the German positions, but strong storm waves interfered with aimed fire.

The first landed soldiers were waiting for the furious fire of German machine guns and cannons. Soldiers died by the hundreds. But they continued to fight. It seemed like a real miracle. Despite the most powerful German barriers and bad weather, the largest landing force in history began its offensive. Allied soldiers continued to land on the 70-kilometer coast of Normandy. In the afternoon, the clouds over Normandy began to dissipate. The main obstacle for the allies was the Atlantic Wall, a system of permanent fortifications and rocks that protect the coast of Normandy.

The soldiers began to climb the coastal cliffs. The Germans fired on them from above. By the middle of the day, the Allied troops began to outnumber the fascist garrison of Normandy.

An old soldier remembers

Private american army Harold Gaumbert, 65 years later, recalls that closer to midnight all the machine guns fell silent. All Nazis were killed. D-Day is over. The landing in Normandy, the date of which is June 6, 1944, took place. The Allies lost almost 10,000 soldiers, but they captured all the beaches. It seemed that the beach was flooded with bright red paint and scattered bodies. Wounded soldiers were dying under the starry sky, while thousands of others moved forward to continue the fight against the enemy.

Continuation of the assault

Operation Overlord has entered its next phase. The task is to liberate France. On the morning of June 7, a new obstacle appeared before the Allies. Impenetrable forests have become another obstacle to attack. The intertwined roots of the Norman forests were stronger than the English ones on which the soldiers trained. The troops had to bypass them. The allies continued to pursue the retreating German troops. The Nazis fought desperately. They used these forests because they learned to hide in them.

D-Day was just a battle won, the war was just beginning for the Allies. The troops the Allies encountered on the beaches of Normandy were not the elite of the Nazi army. The days of heavy fighting began.

The scattered divisions could be defeated by the Nazis at any moment. They had time to regroup and replenish their ranks. On June 8, 1944, the battle for Carentan began, this city opens the way to Cherbourg. It took more than four days to break the resistance of the German army.

On June 15, the Utah and Omaha forces finally united. They took several cities and continued their offensive on the Cotentin Peninsula. The forces united and moved in the direction of Cherbourg. For two weeks, the German troops offered the most severe resistance to the Allied. On June 27, 1944, Allied troops entered Cherbourg. Now their ships had their own port.

Last attack

At the end of the month, the next phase of the Allied offensive in Normandy, Operation Cobra, began. This time the target was Cannes and Saint Lo. The troops began to advance deep into France. But the Allied offensive was opposed by serious resistance from the Nazis.

A French resistance movement led by General Philippe Leclerc helped the Allies enter Paris. Happy Parisians welcomed the liberators with joy.

On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his own bunker. Seven days later, the German government signed an unconditional surrender pact. The war in Europe was over.