1. D-Day June 6, 1944 The turning point in WWII The largest
*seaborne invasion in historyThe beginning of the end of German
control over Europe Only the beginning of a bitter battle as the
Alliesfinally reach Paris and eventually Germany itself
2.
Prior Events
Germany Invades Poland on September 1, 1944
This causes Britain, France, and Canada to declare war on
Germany, *commencing WWII.
Invasion of France
Germany invades France in June of 1941
Pearl Harbor
Japan, an ally to Germany (Axis Powers), attacks US naval base
on
December 7, 1941. US joins the Allies the following day. Major
Allies Major Axis . United States . Germany . Great Britain . Italy
. France . Japan . Soviet Union
3.
Introduction
Allies decide that an invasion into France was necessary to
free the rest of Europe.
Picture of General Eisenhower speaking to soldiers before mission.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme Allied Commander. US General
Omar Bradley British Marshal Montgomery
The Big Three
From left to right: Joseph Stalin, FDR, Winston Churchill
4.
Objectives
To land on five beaches, stretching 50 miles along the coast of
Normandy, France.
Beach code names:
Utah
5. Omaha
6. Gold
7. Juno
8. Sword
To secure the coastline inorder tomobilize troopsto liberate
France fromGerman control. Then tomake their way on toGermany
itself. On toending with Hitler's ruleover Europe.
Attack Divisions . Utah- US . Omaha- US . Gold- Britain . Juno-
Canada . Sword- Britain * * *
9.
Objectives (cont.)
Make Germany believe the attack would be at Pas de Calais.
10. To form the largest armyand naval armada theworld had ever
seen.
Plan
Massively build up fake armiesand equipment in Kent to
foolGermans into thinking Pas deCalais was the intended
target.
Canvas and rubber tanks were assembled to confuse any German
*reconnaissance aircraft.
Inflatable Rubber Tank Canvas Aircraft
11.
German Defense
Despite Allied efforts, Germany suspected an Allied invasion
somewhere in France.
12. Hitler appoints two of his *ablest generals to take charge
of strengthening the French coast line from attack.
13. Tens of thousands of Russian POWs are put to work to
construct elaborate defenses.
They build approximately 15,000 *fortifications.
Atlantic Wall
To efficiently secure the coast, Hitler ordered the
fortifications to cover from Norway to the south of France.
14. The line was, by no means, complete or evenly spread by the
time of D-Day.
Hitler's plan was to have his German soldiers set up on the
beaches with high powered machine guns and they would shoot the
Allies coming out the carrier boats.
Rommel inspecting defenses on the Atlantic Wall. Beach obstacles as
part of the Atlantic Wall in Northern France.
15.
Operation of Normandy Landings
Also known as Operation Overlord, Operation Neptune. -June 5-6,
1944
British and American *paratroopers take off to Normandy to
secure bridge heads, towns, and other vital locations.
16. Air assault lands 24,000 American, British, and Canadian
troops shortly after midnight.
17. Bombings start at about 0500 hours.
-Many bombers were confused by the cloud covers and bombed too
late and failed targets.
Paratrooper's main task was to capture bridges. This would
eliminate the possibility if effective German counter- attack.
18. Three hours into attack, 5,000 Allied fighters defeated 119
enemy aircraft.
Paratroopers. Operation was conducted in two phases: By Air: Aerial
picture of Normandy landing area.
19.
Operation of Normandy Landings (cont.)
By Sea and Land:
Allied soldiers arrive to the beaches in carrier boats to be
dropped off.
20. Troops board the largest fleet of ships ever seen.
(7,000)
21. During first few hours, commanders (including Gen. Bradley)
consider abandoning the beachhead but eventually small units of
infantry, along with naval artillery and surviving tanks
*infiltrate the coastal defenses.
-Within these few hours, 5,000 Allied troops die and 1,200
German soldiersare wounded or dead.
Utah Beach had the lightest casualties of any beach.
22. Omaha was the most heavily fortified beach.
- Of the 16 tanks that landed upon the shores ofOmaha, only 2
survived the landing.
Infantrymen heading towards Omaha .
23.
Operation Overview
Casualties on both sides was approximately 425,000 men.
24. By the end of D-Day, the Allies landed 130,000 troops by
land, and 29,000 men by air.
25. D-Day was such a risk in Eisenhower's mind that he had
prepared a letter to be released to press that Operation Overlord
was a failure.
26. The Allies were successful in part because the German
defenders have been surprised, and because of their fight against
the Red Army in the east.
27. The battles that took place on D-Day and the several days
after it, are considered by some to some of the most devastating
battles that ever took place in the history of mankind.
28. Allies then move permanently to the offensive as the armies
marched through Europe to liberate the other conquered
nations.
29. D-Day was a big step towards the ending of the Hitler
Empire in Europe, and WWII.
German soldiers surrendering to Allies after D-Day. Alfred Jodl,
Chief of the Operations Staff in the German High Command, signs the
document of unconditional German surrender. Ending WWII. May 7,
1945.
30.
Why if it all had failed?
WWII would have lasted at least another year.
31. The longer the war lasted, the more Jews would have been
killed, probably wiping out the last of them.
32. The atomic bomb, created in the summer of 1945, would have
been used on Germany first instead of Japan.
33. Weakened Germany could have allowed the Russian army to
role right through Europe, leaving Communism in their wake.
George W. Bush in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial .
Graves of Jewish-American soldiers were marked with a Star of David
instead of a cross .