D-Day Remembrance: Eisenhower and His Paratroopers

Retain Mike | June 6, 2019 | Self

[Retain Mike]

General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in London January 2, 1944 to command Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) and to direct the last five months of planning for D-Day; the most difficult and complicated military operation ever attempted. He brought with him a confident, battle tested team that had led successful landings in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He was able to expand the landing front from three to five divisions, to select his own division commanders, to enlist the help of the French Resistance, and to direct the strategic bombers for a campaign isolating the area of assault by destroying the French and Belgian railroads. These achievements called for extraordinary skill in persuading and directing the military/political alliance.

Ike’s leadership also required sustaining unprecedented initiatives in the face of well-reasoned apprehensions. The air assault exemplifies the frightful uncertainties plaguing this “Day of Days”. The night before D-Day, 20,400 American and British paratroopers were scheduled to drop behind the Normandy beaches from 1,250 C-47 aircraft plus gliders. No other initiative offered greater rewards and risked greater tragedies. This massive assault was to be attempted just seventeen years after Charles Lindberg flew the Atlantic solo for the first time.

To the last moment Ike's air commander, British Air Chief Marshall Leigh-Mallory, saw only tragic forebodings reinforced by memories of American paratroop losses in Italy and Sicily, and the German catastrophe on Crete. The German losses there were so severe that Hitler forbid any further massive air assaults. Leigh-Mallory anticipated over half the planes and gliders would be destroyed before reaching the drop zones with surviving paratroopers fighting isolated until they were killed or captured.

The unescorted air transports would arrive over Normandy the night of June 5 in three streams from 160 to 300 miles long; thereby allowing the Germans up to two hours to reposition night fighters and anti-aircraft artillery for maximum slaughter of the transports. Most pilots were flying their first combat mission, and many would make multiple trips that night. Leigh-Mallory had received specific intelligence the German 91st Air Landing Division, specialists in fighting paratroopers, and the 6th Parachute Regiment inexplicably moved into the area around St. Mere-Eglise, where the American divisions were scheduled to land. The question arose whether these movements meant the deception plan for D-Day directing attention to Pas de Calais was breaking down.

Despite ongoing doleful estimates, Ike remained strategically committed to the airborne assault. In the American sector it would enable the early capture of Cherbourg. Without port facilities, the limited logistic support across the beaches could doom the entire invasion. In the British sector the paratroopers would secure the left flank of the entire invasion by destroying or capturing seven bridges and silencing a German heavy artillery battery that could devastate the Sword Beach landing.

At the same time, he was devoted to the men. The evening before D-Day, Eisenhower left SHAEF headquarters at 6 PM and traveled to Newbury where the 101st Airborne was boarding for its first combat mission. Ike arrived at 8 PM and did not leave until the last C-47 was airborne over three hours later.

In My Three Years with Eisenhower, Navy Captain Harry C. Butcher says, "We saw hundreds of paratroopers with blackened and grotesque faces, packing up for the big hop and jump. Ike wandered through them, stepping over, packs, guns, and a variety of equipment such as only paratroop people can devise, chinning with this and that one. All were put at ease. He was promised a job after the war by a Texan who said he roped, not dallied, his cows, and at least there was enough to eat in the work. Ike has developed or disclosed an informality and friendliness with troopers that almost amazed me". The famous picture of Eisenhower supposedly forcefully delivering last minute encouragement to the troopers actually involved talking about his experience working in a store when he was a kid.

In Crusade in Europe, General Eisenhower says, "I found the men in fine fettle, many of them joshingly admonishing me that I had no cause for worry, since the 101st was on the job, and everything would be taken care of in fine shape. I stayed with them until the last of them were in the air, somewhere about midnight. After a two-hour trip back to my own camp, I had only a short time to wait until the first news should come in”.

One of the first D-Day reports was from Leigh-Mallory with news only 29 of 1,250 C-47's were missing and only four gliders were unaccounted for. That morning Leigh-Mallory sent Ike a message frankly saying it is sometimes difficult to admit that one is wrong, but he had never had a greater pleasure than in doing so on this occasion. He expressed regret for finding necessary an analysis adding to Ike’s personal burdens during those last tense days before D-Day and congratulated him on the wisdom and courage of his command decision.

Today we rest in the comfort of historic certainty and can never understand the courage required to live into and through this history. The above represents only one of many crushing uncertainties Eisenhower persevered through. Planning discussions often aroused the specter of Gallipoli, the Somme, and Passchendaele, where the British incurred murderous losses for gains of only yards. And this time the allies were intending to undertake an amphibious and air assault much more daunting than any campaign of WW I.

Partial bibliography: Crusade in Europe by General Dwight Eisenhower My Three Years with Eisenhower by Captain Harry C. Butcher

The Secret Life of Stewart Menzies Spymaster to Winston Churchill by Anthony Cave Brown

D-Day by Steven E. Ambrose

Summary of the 6th Airborne Division engagements https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/d-day/air-operations/commonwealth

Top 10 Deadliest Battles of World War I http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-bloodiest-battles-of-world-war-i.php Battle of Messines (1917) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Messines_(1917)#Casualties Invasion of Normandy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Normandy

The Battle of Messines, 1917 https://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/messines.htm

The Battle of Messiness helps one appreciate the anxieties aroused from memories of Gallipoli, the Somme and Passchendaele, where the British suffered catastrophic losses for gains of only yards. By some historian assessments, the most successful attack by British forces in WW I was the Battle of Messines in 1917. The battle lasted June 1-12, and involved 216,000 men of whom 24,562 became casualties. They attacked on a five-mile front and penetrated 10 miles.

Taking this battle as a starting point, the Normandy invasion from five beachheads established a lodgment about 10 miles deep on a 40 miles front. The effort required 50 days. Therefore, a WW I veteran could make an optimistic estimate of about 400,000 casualties, given he completely disregarded the fact that the D-Day landings were significantly more hazardous than any offensive attempted on the Western Front. In fact, by July 24 there were 120,000 casualties.

Picture of Eisenhower http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/pings?more=330525619

D-Day Pictures http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/06/05/the-65th-anniversary-of-d-day-on-the-normandy-beaches/# D-Day: Presidential radio address to the nation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jeI3vwz3p4

JUNE 6, 1944: THE GREATEST DAY OF THE 20TH CENTURY http://usdefensewatch.com/2017/06/june-6-1944-the-greatest-day-of-the-20th-century-2/

List of German World War II night fighter aces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_World_War_II_night_fighter_aces

Complete Broadcast D-Day NBC https://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay/CBD-440606_NBC0730-News.mp3

Password Overlord page 221

Ronald Reagan’s D-Day Address http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganddayaddress.html

[Retain Mike]

This essay is my way to remember annually the extraordinary men I met growing up; men who seemed to consider their WW II service as a common rite of passage. I often ended up as a dishwasher at the country club and noticed the chef always limped as he moved around the kitchen. He saw my puzzled look, and said he got the limp from a wound received when he was with the Rangers at Pointe De Hoc. Such is one of the stories I remember among so many others I could tell or have forgotten.

[dfwgator]

As Stephen Ambrose wrote: “A minute earlier (Ike) had been the most powerful man in the world. ...The moment he uttered the word, however, he was powerless.”

[centurion316]

I am an Army brat and part of my youth was in the 50’s with the 16th Infantry Regiment in Germany and at Ft. Riley. Much later, I had to honor to command a battalion of the 16th Infantry. I came to know many veterans of D-Day over the years who were friends of my parents, veterans still with the 16th, and as visiting veterans when they could still do that sort of thing. Hard fighters by reputation and from my own experience with them in Vietnam. They were also hard drinkers, some of them, but everyone of them were hard soldiers and good men.

[Trump Girl Kit Cat]

Very hard to believe that in 75 short years our country has become what it is today, looking back at these World War II (kids) soldiers and the whiny millennials of today WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED???

[missthethunder]

https://archive.org/details/NBCCompleteBroadcastDDay

Thanks for this.

I’m listening to this now and it’s very moving.

Can’t imagine being a wife or mother in the US or anywhere else
of a man/boy on that day and not knowing if they were there or not.

[dfwgator]

I prefer the CBS coverage

https://archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day

[Carriage Hill]

The gene pool took a crap.

[Equine1952]

I listened to men while growing up who were part of the war in Europe and men who were fighting the Japanese. These men didn’t brag about the fighting, they talked of the leaves and R&R. The relief of being away from the battle. I learned early don’t ask about the hard times. My awe for June 6th 1944 and what happened lay in realizing, the USA was fighting a two front war. Both were bloody, cruel, God awful events. The guys in the Pacific theater were hanging on word about the day. It was a morale boost to be holding the landing areas at Normandy to the folks in the Pacific. What ever could shorten the war was being prayed for by all the allies, world wide. Lest We Forget.

[missthethunder]

Thank you.

I will probably listen to both now.

[Starboard]

A sobering account of the horrors of Omaha Beach.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-06/churchill-ike-epic-human-tragedy-first-wave-omaha

[I cannot think of a name]

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED???”

The worst scourge that could ever befall any civilization:

Liberalism

Disgusting Liberalism

[Starboard]

Disgusting Liberalism

**************

Well that, and several generations that have no appreciation for what they have. In fact they resent the success and greatness of this country.

[I cannot think of a name]

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED???”

The worst scourge that could ever befall any civilization:

Liberalism

Disgusting Liberalism

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[Retain Mike]

It certainly was. I am amazed there were enough survivors to piece together what happened.

[Retain Mike]

I always include the references for my essays partly because there is so much more. Here is the speech FDR made at the time of the invasion.

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home – fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas – whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them – help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too – strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt