[Iscool]

My dad survived Normandy...Supposedly Normandy was somewhat of a secret operation...Apparently the Germans weren't surprised...

I have wondered why they didn't bomb and shell the daylights out of the Germans before the landing...Seems like a few thousand napalm bombs would have fried them...

[JLS]

Let's see:

1. The operation was highly secret with much deception that kept several Panzer Divisions out of the fight until the Allies established a foothold in France.

2. They did have a large aerial bombardment and a shorter naval bombardment. But it was cloudy and the aerial bombs mostly fell too far inland.

[VOA]

I have wondered why they didn't bomb and shell the daylights out of the Germans
before the landing...Seems like a few thousand napalm bombs would have fried them...

My understanding is that in the months before D-Day, there was a huge amount of bombing.
And that the Allies did something like make sure that for every bomb dropped
in the Normandy sector, they dropped four bombs in other sectors.
And I think on June 6, there was a huge naval bombardment by Allied ships
(battleships and cruisers).

Plus, the loss of many of the "swimming" Sherman tanks in the rough water made the
situation perilous for the soldiers who made it to the beach.

But, all that being said, my naive amateur brain has always wondered why
more Mustangs and Typhoons weren't sweeping the beaches and hitting
German emplacements with bombs, missles and .50cal gunfire.

All I can think is that since this was an Army operation...and the Marines/Navy were
busy perfecting the art of close-in air support, that wasn't tried and lots of
other strategems were employed (some not so good).

But when the Luftwaffe can send only 2 Messerschmitts up to just see what's happening
on the beaches (see "The Longest Day") and a LOT of Panzers are held in reserves
for the "real attack" at Calais, and Rommel even goes home for a family
celebration because the Germans percieved the weather to be too bad for an
amphibious invasion...
that would tell us that it was a relative, but not complete, suprise to the Germans.

Thank G-d there was at least some element of suprise...otherwise we'd been
driven into the sea.

But for those guys who endured (or didn't survive) that first wave landing...
no thought of "partial suprise" could have brought any comfort.

[usapatriot28]

Apparently the Germans weren't surprised...

Uh, better check your facts there. It was two or three days before Hitler and Rommel were convinced that Normandy was the real attack and not a diversion from Calais. By that time there were 1.5 million allied soldiers in France.

Also, if your father is still alive, thank him for me. If not then may God Bless him.

[Mrs.Liberty]

Read Steven Amrose's D Day....the Germans were surprised...Hitler had been expecting an invasion elsewhere in France..and the great majority of the armaments and better trained soldiers were deployed there, not at Normandy.