>General Patton gave the French credit for enabling his successful advances in France and Eisenhower gave the French credit for the Allies successful invasion of Normandy. But of course Eisenhower and Patton didn’t know what they were talking about according to most on this board!!!
The French didn’t land at Normandy. What are you talking about?
Ever heard of Ouistreham?
Well, actually there were some French who landed at Normandy, but that is beside the point. Eisenhower was talking about the vulnerability of the Normandy landings in the first few days and the disaster that could have occurred had the 2nd Panzer Division, Das Reich, succeeded in reaching Normandy within three days which would have been normal. Due to the French Resistance it took fragments of Das Reich between a week and three weeks to reach Normandy by which time the Allies were well entrenched. Rommel had said, “The war will be won, or lost, on the beaches.” He was correct.
Das Reich was badly beaten up when they arrived having been constantly harassed and attacked by the Resistance. Bridges had been blown up, rail lines designed to transport the troops and tanks destroyed, ambushes everywhere, roads blocked by fallen trees, and even the destruction of the telephone connection between the sub pens and the interior. Havoc was the word of the day according to my husband who was part of it all.