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D-Day (The Beginning of the End of WW II) June 6, 1944
History.com ^ | June, 2023 | History.com Staff

Posted on 06/06/2023 7:46:39 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

D-Day was the name given to the June 6, 1944, invasion of the beaches at Normandy in northern France by troops from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries during World War II. France at the time was occupied by the armies of Nazi Germany, and the amphibious assault—codenamed Operation Overlord—landed some 156,000 Allied soldiers on the beaches of Normandy by the end of the day. Despite their success, some 4,000 Allied troops were killed by German soldiers defending the beaches. At the time, the D-Day invasion was the largest naval, air and land operation in history, and within a few days about 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed. By August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and in spring of 1945 the Allies had defeated the Germans. Historians often refer to D-Day as the beginning of the end of World War II.

After World War II began, Germany invaded and occupied northwestern France beginning in May 1940. The Americans entered the war in December 1941, and by 1942 they and the British (who had been evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in May 1940 after being cut off by the Germans in the Battle of France) were considering the possibility of a major Allied invasion across the English Channel. The following year, Allied plans for a cross-Channel invasion began to ramp up. In November 1943, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), who was aware of the threat of an invasion along France’s northern coast, put Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) in charge of spearheading defense operations in the region, even though the Germans did not know exactly where the Allies would strike. Hitler charged Rommel with finishing the Atlantic Wall, a 2,400-mile fortification of bunkers, landmines and beach and water obstacles.

OI January 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969) was appointed commander of Operation Overlord. In the months and weeks before D-Day, the Allies carried out a massive deception operation intended to make the Germans think the main invasion target was Pas-de-Calais (the narrowest point between Britain and France) rather than Normandy. In addition, they led the Germans to believe that Norway and other locations were also potential invasion targets. Many tactics were used to carry out the deception, including fake equipment; a phantom army commanded by George Patton and supposedly based in England, across from Pas-de-Calais; double agents; and fraudulent radio transmissions.

A Weather Delay: June 5, 1944

Eisenhower selected June 5, 1944, as the date for the invasion; however, bad weather on the days leading up to the operation caused it to be delayed for 24 hours. On the morning of June 5, after his meteorologist predicted improved conditions for the following day, Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord. He told the troops: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”

Later that day, more than 5,000 ships and landing craft carrying troops and supplies left England for the trip across the Channel to France, while more than 11,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

D-Day Landings: June 6, 1944

By dawn on June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already on the ground behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit roads. The amphibious invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture beaches codenamed Gold, Juno and Sword, as did the Americans at Utah Beach. U.S. forces faced heavy resistance at Omaha Beach, where there were over 2,000 American casualties. However, by day’s end, approximately 156,000 Allied troops had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches. According to some estimates, more than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing.

Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy.

Remainder at link:

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day

TOPICS: Education; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 19440606; dday; history; military; worldwareleven; wwii
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I don’t know how true it was back in Eisenhower’s day. But today, most officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel are politicians. They factor politics into all of their major decisions.

Maybe they’re forced into such situations by high-ups. Or maybe they are careerists first, and military officers second.

But I’m not too depressed by that. In times of great trouble, the best officers are eventually recognized. Grant and Eisenhower are two examples.


21 posted on 06/06/2023 8:45:35 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

I see the invasion of illegals as an extreme dishonor to the brave soldiers who gave their lives in defense of our freedom. I believe that all illegals should be shot on sight and their enablers be strung up and left to rot as a warning to all other traitors.


22 posted on 06/06/2023 8:47:16 AM PDT by CletusVanDamme (The breaking point will be reached soon. )
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To: Leaning Right
Thank you for sharing that amazing story!

How long ago did this happen?
23 posted on 06/06/2023 8:59:55 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Last year I got to go to Normandy and meet Maj. Gen. LaNeve, the commander of the 82nd Airborne in Turqueville.

https://www.facebook.com/82ndAirborneDivision/videos/robert-heurgue-returns-home/542692334169601/

An experience I will never forget.


24 posted on 06/06/2023 9:00:53 AM PDT by rednesss (fascism is the union,marriage,merger or fusion of corporate economic power with governmental power )
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To: Dan in Wichita

My story from post #5 happened in the late 1970s. Doesn’t seem so long ago to me. But I guess it was.


25 posted on 06/06/2023 9:04:43 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Just for the record.... google home screen today is 2023s google doodle winner of some Mexicans playing in a sunflower field.


26 posted on 06/06/2023 9:54:59 AM PDT by MrRelevant
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D-Day and 19440606 keywords, sorted, duplicates and (most) garbage out:
27 posted on 06/06/2023 9:59:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Imagine the noise that 11,000 propeller driven aircraft make!


28 posted on 06/06/2023 10:00:51 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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