The landing of Anglo-American troops in Normandy became the largest amphibious assault operation in history, in which about 7,000 ships took part. She owes much of her success to her careful preparation.
The decision to open a Second Front - a large-scale invasion of Western France— was adopted by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In January 1943, at a conference in Casablanca, the leaders of the two countries Anti-Hitler coalition discussed current issues with members of the US and UK Joint Chiefs of Staff. In pursuance decision taken The general staffs of both countries formed a working group led by British General Frederick Morgan, which began to develop a plan for the future operation.
OPERATION OVERLORD
The preparations for the operation, called “Overlord,” were carried out by the Anglo-American command carefully and on a large scale. The production of landing and anti-submarine weapons, special equipment and weapons necessary for landing was sharply expanded, extremely expensive collapsible artificial harbors “Mulberry” were developed and built, which were then planned to be assembled on the French coast. In England, special access roads for equipment were built to the intended loading sites. At the end of May 1944, troops were concentrated in assembly areas, after which emergency measures were taken to ensure secrecy. At first it was planned to begin the operation in May, but then Bernard Montgomery insisted on landing troops also on the Cotentin Peninsula (the future Utah site), so D-Day, the landing date, had to be postponed somewhat. The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, American General Dwight Eisenhower, set a final date of June 5, 1944. But on June 4, the weather suddenly deteriorated and the landing was canceled. The next day, the weather service reported to Eisenhower that the weather would improve slightly on June 6. The general ordered preparations for landing.
D-DAY
Operation Normandy, called Operation Neptune, was part of the larger Operation Overlord, which involved clearing German troops from all of Northwestern France. During Operation Neptune, 156,000 British and American troops were to land on the Normandy coast. Previously, in the first hour of the night, 24,000 paratroopers were thrown behind enemy lines, who were supposed to cause panic in the enemy ranks and capture strategically important objects.
The main stage of the operation - the actual landing of British and American troops from ships - began at 6:30 in the morning. For the landing, the Allied command, after much thought and discussion, chose an 80-kilometer section of the Normandy coast from the mouth of the Orne River to the commune of Ozville (the canton of Montbourg in the Cherbourg-Octeville region of the Manche department). In total, the landing was carried out in five areas: on three - "Gold", "Juno" and "Sword" - troops of the 2nd British Army landed, on two - "Utah" and "Sword". Omaha - 1st US Army.
LANDING OF BRITISH FORCES
83,115 people landed in British areas (including 61,715 British, the rest Canadians). In the Gold sector, British troops managed, with relatively small losses, to suppress the German units defending here and break through the line of their fortifications.
The fact that British troops in this sector managed to successfully break into the depths of French territory was largely possible thanks to the use of special equipment - Sherman tanks equipped with Hobbart strike trawls for clearing minefields. In the Juneau sector, the brunt of the fighting fell on the shoulders of the Canadians, who faced fierce resistance from the German 716th Infantry Division. Nevertheless, after a difficult battle, the Canadians still managed to gain a foothold on the coastal bridgehead, and then push back the enemy and establish contact with British troops landing in neighboring areas.
Despite the fact that the Canadians were unable to fully complete the task, they were able to gain a foothold in their occupied positions and did not jeopardize the further course of the operation. In the Sword sector, British troops quickly crushed the weak enemy units on the coast, but then reached the 2nd, stronger line of defense, where their advance stalled. They were then counterattacked by motorized units of the German 21st Panzer Division. Although the British losses were generally small, they were unable to complete their main task - to take the French city of Caen - after reaching it only six kilometers.
By the end of D-Day, despite some setbacks, it could be stated that the landing of British troops had taken place, and the losses were quite low for such a complex operation.
D-Day: American Sectors
The landing of American troops on June 6, 1944 took place in difficult conditions, and at some point the American command even considered canceling the operation and withdrawing the troops that had already landed.
Units of the 1st US Army landed in the American sector of the Normandy coast - a total of 73 thousand soldiers, including 15,600 paratroopers. During the first stage of Operation Neptune, an airborne assault was carried out, which formed parts of the 82nd and 101st American airborne divisions. Landing zone - behind the Utah site on the Cotentin Peninsula, north of the city Carentan.
SECTION "UTA"
The task of the American paratroopers was to capture dams across meadows and bridges flooded by the Germans in the area of the cities of Sainte-Mère-Eglise and Carentan. They were successful: the Germans did not expect a landing here and were not preparing for a serious resistance. As a result, the paratroopers reached their intended targets, pinning down the enemy at Sainte-Mère-Eglise. This town became the first French settlement liberated during the Normandy campaign.
The amphibious landing in the Utah sector was carried out almost perfectly. First, the positions of the weak 709th German stationary division were hit by shells from the main caliber of American warships. They were followed by an armada of medium bombers, completely undermining the will to resist the already not very reliable enemy units. At exactly 6:30, as planned, units of the 4th American Infantry Division began to land. They approached several kilometers south of the planned site, which played into their hands - the coastal fortifications here turned out to be much weaker. One after another, waves of troops landed on the shore, crushing the demoralized German units.
The losses of American troops in the Utah sector amounted to only 197 people killed; even the losses of the US fleet were greater - a destroyer, two infantry landing boats and three small tank landing ships were blown up by mines and sank. At the same time, all the goals set for the troops were achieved: more than 21 thousand soldiers and officers, 1,700 pieces of equipment landed ashore, a 10 x 10 km bridgehead was created and contacts were established with American paratroopers and troops in neighboring areas.
OMAHA SITE
If on the Utah section events developed according to plan, then on the eight-kilometer Omaha section, stretching from Saint-Honorine-de-Perth to Vierville-sur-Mer, the situation was completely different. Although here the German troops (352nd Infantry Division) consisted largely of inexperienced and poorly trained soldiers, they occupied fairly well-prepared positions along the coast. The operation did not go well from the very beginning.
Due to the fog, naval artillery and bomber aircraft, which were supposed to suppress the enemy’s defenses, were unable to find their targets and did not cause any damage to the German positions. Following them, difficulties began for the crews of the landing ships, who also could not lead them to the planned targets. When the American soldiers began to get ashore, they came under heavy fire from the Germans occupying convenient positions. Losses began to grow rapidly, and panic began to develop in the ranks of the landing troops. It was at this moment that the commander of the 1st American army General Omar Bradley came to the conclusion that the operation had failed and decided to stop the landing, and evacuate the troops that had already landed on the Omaha from the Normandy coast. It was only by miracle that Operation Neptune did not fail. With enormous efforts, American sappers managed to break through several passes in the defense and minefields enemy, but traffic jams immediately formed at these narrow passages. Pandemonium on the coastal line did not allow new troops to land.
Now the Americans acted only in scattered groups that tried to hide somewhere from German fire. By the evening of June 6, the Americans, at the cost of heavy losses, managed to capture only two small bridgeheads. And yet, Operation Neptune was completed successfully in all areas. The necessary bridgeheads with a depth of 3-5 km and the prerequisites for the development of Operation Overlord were created. The losses of the American army in the Omaha sector amounted to about 3 thousand people, the Germans lost about 1,200 people.
You might be interested:
On the night of June 5-6, 1944, the landing of Allied forces in Normandy began. In order for the most ambitious landing operation in history not to end in an equally enormous failure, the Allied command needed to achieve the most high level coordination of all types of troops that took part in the landing. The exceptional complexity of the task, of course, did not allow the gigantic invasion mechanism to work without a single glitch; There were enough hiccups and problems. But the main thing is that the goal was achieved, and the Second Front, the opening of which had been awaited for so long in the East, began to function in full force.
Already at the early stage of preparation for the invasion, it was clear to the Allied command that without gaining absolute air superiority, any actions by naval and ground forces were doomed to failure. According to the preliminary plan, actions air force were to take place in four stages. The first stage is the bombing of strategic targets in Germany. The second is a strike on railway junctions, coastal batteries, as well as airfields and ports within a radius of about 150 miles from the invasion zone. At the third stage, aviation was supposed to cover the troops during the crossing of the English Channel. The fourth stage included close air support ground forces, preventing the transfer of reinforcements for German army, holding airborne operations and ensuring air supply of troops with necessary cargo.
Let us note that it was quite difficult to establish interaction between aviation and other branches of the military. The British Air Force, after leaving the subordination of the army and navy in 1918, tried with all its might to maintain independence.
The American Air Force also strived for maximum independence. At the same time, both the British and the Americans were confident that the bombers would be able to crush the enemy with minimal participation of soldiers and sailors.
There was some truth in this belief. Since the autumn of 1943, British and American strategic bombers launched attacks on Germany aimed at destroying industrial centers and reducing the Germans' will to resist. The use of “flying fortresses” and “Liberators” accompanied by fighters led to the fact that the Germans, repelling air attacks, lost not only cars, but also pilots in battles with fighter escorts (which was much more serious, since it was impossible to quickly train a good pilot ). As a result average level The skill of Luftwaffe pilots had dropped greatly by the time Operation Overlord began.
A major success of Allied aviation was that due to constant bombing from May to August 1944, the level of production of synthetic fuel and aviation alcohol in Germany fell sharply. According to some researchers, if the “flying fortresses” of General Karl Spaatz had continued to operate in the same spirit, then Germany could have been defeated by the end of 1944. How true this belief is can only be guessed, because from the very beginning of the year, the generals who were working on the landing plans tried to subordinate strategic aviation to their interests. And after much debate, the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, Dwight Eisenhower, achieved his goal: bomber aviation was transferred to the subordination of the joint Anglo-American Chiefs of Staff.
The British Bomber Command of A. Harris, the 8th American Army of Strategic Aviation of K. Spaats and the Allied Expeditionary Air Force as part of the 9th American Air Force and the British Second Tactical Air Force were allocated to participate in the operation. This formation was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory. The latter was not satisfied with the existing division of forces. He stated that without the participation of bomber forces, he would not be able to provide cover for the fleet during the crossing of the English Channel, as well as adequate support for ground forces. Leigh-Mallory wanted one headquarters to direct all air operations. Such a headquarters was deployed in the town of Hillingdon. Air Marshal Conyngham became chief of staff.
A two-stage plan for the use of bombers was developed. In accordance with this idea, at first strategic aviation was supposed to inflict maximum damage railways France and Belgium to reduce their capacity. Then, immediately before the landing, it was necessary to concentrate on bombing all communication routes, bridges, etc. 
transport rolling stock in the landing zone and adjacent territories, thereby blocking the movements of German troops. Leigh-Mallory identified 75 targets that should be destroyed first.
The command decided to test the plan in practice. To begin with, on the night of March 7, about 250 British bombers “worked” on the Trapp station near Paris, putting it out of action for a month. Then, over the course of a month, eight more similar strikes were carried out. Analysis of the results showed that Leigh-Mallory was right in principle. But there was an unpleasant moment: such bombings inevitably entailed casualties among civilians. If it were the Germans, the Allies would not be too worried. But France and Belgium were to be bombed. And death civilians would hardly have contributed to a friendly attitude towards the liberators. After much debate, it was decided: strikes should only be carried out where there is a risk of casualties among civilian population will be minimal. On April 15, the final list of targets was approved and brought to the attention of the strategic aviation commanders.
By the beginning of the Allied landings, about 80 objects had been bombed, which were hit by a total of more than 66 thousand tons of bombs. As a result, the movement of German troops and supplies by rail was greatly hampered, and when Operation Overlord began, the Germans were unable to organize the rapid transfer of forces for a decisive counterattack.
The closer the date of the attack got, the more active the Allied air raids became. Now bombers destroyed not only railway junctions and industrial facilities, but also radar stations, trains, military and transport airfields. Coastal artillery batteries were subjected to heavy attacks, not only those located in the landing zone, but also others located on the French coast.
In parallel with the bombing, the Allies were engaged in providing air cover for troop concentration areas. Continuous fighter patrols were organized over the English Channel and in the surrounding area. The command order stated: the appearance of German aircraft over southern England must be completely excluded. However, the Luftwaffe was no longer capable of a serious air offensive, so a few reconnaissance missions could not reveal the Allied plans.
The Germans, of course, understood that the landing of Anglo-American troops on the continent was inevitable. But they did not receive vital knowledge about where exactly this would happen. Meanwhile, the German army did not have the strength to provide reliable defense of the entire coast. And the so-called “Atlantic Wall,” whose impregnable fortifications only the deaf had never heard of in Germany, was more a propaganda fiction than a real defensive structure. When Field Marshal Rommel was appointed commander of Army Group B, he made an inspection tour of the Val and was unpleasantly surprised by what he saw. Many fortifications existed only on paper, construction works were conducted with impermissible disregard, and existing 
there were not always enough troops available even to fill the already built fortifications. And the worst thing that Rommel realized then was that no amount of effort would be enough to change this situation for the better.
At the start of Operation Overlord, the Air Force had two main tasks: to cover the invasion fleet and the landing of troops, and to deliver glider and parachute units of airborne troops to their destination. Moreover, gliders were even to some extent more important, because they carried anti-tank guns, cars, heavy weapons and other massive loads.
The airborne landing began on the night of June 5-6. 1,662 aircraft and 500 gliders from the American Air Force and 733 aircraft and 335 gliders from the British took part in it. military aviation. Overnight, 4.7 thousand soldiers, 17 guns, 44 Willys vehicles and 55 motorcycles were dropped on Normandy territory. Another 22 gliders with people and cargo crashed during landing.
In parallel with the airborne landing, diversionary operations were carried out in the area of Le Havre and Boulogne. Near Le Havre, 18 British ships maneuvered demonstratively, and bombers dropped metal strips and mirror reflectors so that a lot of interference was displayed on the German radar screens and it seemed that a large fleet was heading towards the continent.
At the same time, in the north-west of France, another performance was played out: stuffed paratroopers and pyrotechnics were dropped from airplanes to simulate shooting.
While the fleet was approaching the shores of Normandy, allied aircraft bombed the locations of German troops, headquarters, and coastal batteries. Anglo-American Air Force aircraft dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on the main batteries, and almost 1,800 tons on the defensive structures in the Bay of the Seine.
Opinions regarding the effectiveness of this raid are quite contradictory. In any case, it is known for sure that many batteries, even after intense bombing, fired at the Allied amphibious assault. And the bombing itself was not always accurate. In the town of Merville, the 9th Parachute Battalion was hit by its own bombs. The unit suffered heavy losses.
At about 10 a.m., when the naval landing was already in full swing, approximately 170 fighter squadrons were in the air. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses and participants, there was real chaos in the air: due to low clouds, the Mustang and Typhoon planes were forced to fly at low altitude. Because of this, German anti-aircraft artillery managed to shoot down 17 and damage a large number of winged cars.
The few German air forces were taken by surprise. In general, the Germans did not have the slightest chance of establishing resistance to the winged armada of the Allies, since out of the four hundred combat aircraft available to the 3rd Air Fleet, less than two hundred could take off. In fact, only a few planes took off, which did not have the slightest impact on the situation. 
influence.
Small groups of Focke-Wulf and Me-110 fighters attempted to operate against the invasion fleet. Between 6 and 10 June they managed to sink an American destroyer and one landing craft. On the scale of the landing these were absolutely negligible losses.
On the morning of June 7, 175 German bombers attempted to attack the landing troops. RAF Spitfires repelled this attack, and the only thing the Germans managed to do was throw a small number of mines into the Seine Bay. Several landing ships were blown up on them.
By June 10, the Allies managed to complete the construction of the first airfield in Normandy. Three squadrons from the 144th air wing of the Canadian Air Force began operating from it. By other units, this and other airfields that were rapidly being built on the continent were initially used as refueling and ammunition replenishment points, and as the front line moved away from the coast, Allied aircraft began to use them as permanent ones.
The losses of German aviation in the period from June 6 to September 5 amounted to more than 3,500 aircraft, the British lost 516 aircraft. One of the results of this defeat was that the number of ace pilots in the Allied Air Forces decreased, as the likelihood of meeting the enemy in the air dropped sharply.
The importance of the Air Force during the preparatory stage of the invasion of Normandy and directly during Operation Overlord cannot be overestimated. Allied strategic aviation caused severe damage to transport communications in the occupied territories of France and Belgium. Fighters and light bombers seized unconditional air supremacy over the landing zone, thanks to which German aviation, already not very strong, was neutralized almost one hundred percent. The German anti-aircraft artillery physically could not cope with the armadas of aircraft that the Allies took into the air. Even despite the mistakes made and the rather dubious effectiveness of aviation in a number of moments, it was a clear victory.
70 years ago, on June 6, 1944, thousands of soldiers and officers were preparing to take part in the operation that marked the end of World War II. The Allied landings in Normandy, which involved more than 130 thousand troops, had been planned for more than a year. By the evening of that “longest day,” more than 10 thousand people were killed, wounded and captured. This operation became the largest naval battle in world history.
You can get acquainted with the most iconic ones, including little known facts that operation and see rare photographs.
1. Deadly D-Day rehearsal
On July 28, 1944, eight ships carrying American infantry and equipment left the shores of British Devon and began rehearsing for the planned Normandy landings. However, not everything went smoothly. The ships used radio frequencies that were intercepted by German intelligence officers. Due to a poorly established communications system, the ships became easy targets for the submarines of Hitler's army. As a result, about 800 people died.
Concerned about the leakage of classified information, the command of the armies of the allied states froze all data archives. Consequently, some families were never able to find out how their loved ones died.
2. Temptation
Jonathan Mayo's book “D-Day” tells about an unusual test that Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway gave his military unit. He wanted to be sure that before landing the soldiers would not spill the beans about the planned operation. To test the soldiers' strength, Otway asked the most beautiful girls from the air squadron to go to the pub, seduce the military men who were relaxing there, and find out the secret. None of the military fell into the trap.
3. What was Churchill thinking about on the eve of the operation?
Winston Churchill, a brilliant orator known for his ability to persuade any audience, did not feel too confident on the eve of D-Day. He shared his fears with his wife: “Do you understand that tomorrow morning, when you wake up, 20,000 soldiers will never wake up? “- asked the British Prime Minister.
4. Codenames for “D-Day”
In preparing the operation, a number of code names. “Utah,” “Omaha,” “Gold,” and “Sordo” designated beaches on the Normandy coast. “Neptune” is the name of the
landing, and “Overlord” - the entire operation to liberate Normandy from the Nazis. ‘Bigo’ is the code name for those who had clearance at the highest level.
This secret data was hidden behind seven locks. How frightened the command was when, shortly before the start of the operation, the Daily Telegraph published a crossword puzzle containing as many as five code names, including “Utah,” “Omaha” and “Neptune.” British intelligence sounded the alarm, suspecting that in this way someone was trying to transfer secret information to the enemy. However, searches in the house of the crossword puzzle author yielded nothing.
5. Disinformation campaign
When developing the invasion plan, the Allies relied heavily on the belief that the enemy did not know two critical details - the location and time of Operation Overlord.
To ensure the secrecy and surprise of the landing, the largest disinformation operation in history (Operation Fortitude) was developed and successfully carried out.
To misinform the enemy, the Allied armies developed false codes and operation plans.
Early in the morning of June 6, troops of drummers in military uniform landed in Normandy and Pas-de-Calais. They had special noise equipment that simulated the sound of gunfire and air raids. This episode went down in history under the name “Titanic”. His main goal was to divert the enemy's attention from the main forces of the Allies, who had landed a little to the west of this place.
6. What does the “D” in the term “D-Day” mean?
Over the years, people have wondered what the “D” in D-Day, as the Normandy operation is known, stood for.
“D-Day” is a generally accepted military term for the day a military operation began. It was used both before and after the Allied landings in France.
The military terms “D-day” and “H-hour” denote the start time of any operation, the actual duration of which cannot be clearly determined and where strict secrecy is observed.
As a rule, “D” and “H” are generally unknown in advance. The start time of action is announced on the day of the offensive. In documents on planning actions during a military operation, time is calculated approximately as follows: the preparation time for the operation is “H” minus XX hours XX minutes, and all subsequent actions are “H” plus XX hours XX minutes.
7. Letter from General Eisenhower in case of defeat
US General Eisenhower wrote a letter that would have to be published in the event of defeat.
“The landing of our troops in the Cherbourg-Le Havre zone did not bring successful results and I recalled our troops. My decision to strike this moment is based on reliable information. Our sea and air force demonstrated unprecedented courage. If anyone is to blame for their defeat, it is only me,” said the letter, which the general accidentally signed on July 5, and not June 5.
8. The weather was on the side of the allies
The Normandy landings were originally planned for June 5, but bad weather forced General Eisenhower to postpone the operation for a day. According to documents from the US Maritime Library, the German command expected the Allied invasion at the end of May, when there was a full moon, high tide and light winds. a little wind. When the weather worsened in early June, the Germans relaxed and let down their guard. At this point, the Allied weather service gave a favorable forecast and the operation began.9. Crack the Enigma code
In Germany, the Enigma cipher machine has been used since 1920. The unique machine created the possibility of more than two hundred trillion letter combinations and was considered indestructible. However, shortly before the landing in Normandy, the Allies managed to unravel the code of the device, and Berlin did not know about it. The decrypted data revealed the coordinates of the location of Nazi troops in Normandy and confirmed that the Germans bought into disinformation about fake landing plans.
10. “The Man Who Won the War”
General Dwight Eisenhower once said, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us.”
So who is Andrew Higgins?
Higgins is a self-taught boat design genius who designed and built the amphibious landing craft that carried Allied forces across the English Channel. “If Higgins had not created these ships, we would never have been able to land on the open beach. The strategy of the entire war would have been completely different.”
Both the escape from the European continent () and the landing in Normandy ("Overlode") are very different from their mythological interpretation...
Original taken from jeteraconte in Allied landing in Normandy... Myths and reality.
I I think that every educated person knows that on June 6, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy, and finally, the full opening of the second front. T Only the assessment of this event has different interpretations.
The same beach now:
Why did the Allies wait until 1944? What goals did you pursue? Why was the operation carried out so ineptly and with such significant losses, despite the overwhelming superiority of the Allies?
This topic has been raised by many at different times, I will try my best in clear language talk about the events that took place.
When you watch American films like: "Saving Private Ryan", games " Call of Duty 2" or you read an article on Wikipedia, it seems that the greatest event of all times is described, and it was here that the entire Second World War was decided...
Propaganda has always been the most powerful weapon. ..
By 1944, it was clear to all politicians that the war was lost by Germany and its allies, and in 1943, during the Tehran Conference, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill roughly divided the world among themselves. A little more and Europe, and most importantly France, could have become communist if they had been liberated Soviet troops, so the allies were forced to rush in time to share the pie and fulfill their promises to contribute to the overall victory.
(I recommend reading “Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR with the Presidents of the USA and Prime Ministers of Great Britain during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" released in 1957, in response to the memoirs of Winston Churchill.)
Now let’s try to figure out what really happened and how. First of all, I decided to go and look at the terrain with my own eyes, and assess exactly what difficulties the troops landing under fire had to overcome. The landing zone takes about 80 km, but this does not mean that throughout these 80 km, paratroopers landed on every meter; in fact, it was concentrated in several places: "Sword", "Juno", "Gold", "Omaha Beach" and "Pointe d'oc".
I walked along this territory on foot along the sea, studying the fortifications that have survived to this day, visited two local museums, sifted through a lot of different literature about these events and talked with residents in Bayeux, Caen, Sommur, Fecamp, Rouen, etc.
It is very difficult to imagine a more mediocre landing operation, with the complete connivance of the enemy. Yes, critics will say that the scale of the landing is unprecedented, but the mess is the same. Even according to official sources, non-combat losses! were 35%!!! from total losses!
We read Wiki, wow, how many Germans resisted, how many German units, tanks, guns! By what miracle did the landing succeed???
The German troops on the Western Front were spread thinly over the territory of France and these units performed mainly security functions, and many could only be called combat ones. What is the division, nicknamed the “White Bread Division” worth? An eyewitness, English author M. Shulman, says: “After the invasion of France, the Germans decided to replace it with o. Walcheren regular infantry division, a division whose personnel suffered from stomach diseases. Bunkers on the island Walcheren was now occupied by soldiers who had chronic ulcers, acute ulcers, wounded stomachs, nervous stomachs, sensitive stomachs, inflamed stomachs - in general, all known gastritis. The soldiers vowed to stand until the end. Here, in the richest part of Holland, where white bread, fresh vegetables, eggs and milk were in abundance, the soldiers of the 70th Division, nicknamed the "White Bread Division", awaited the imminent Allied offensive and were nervous, for their attention was equally divided between the problematic threat and side of the enemy and real stomach disorders. This division of disabled people was led into battle by the elderly, good-natured Lieutenant General Wilhelm Deiser... Horrific losses among senior officers in Russia and North Africa, were the reason that he was returned from retirement in February 1944 and appointed commander of a stationary division in Holland. His active service ended in 1941 when he was discharged due to heart attacks. Now, being 60 years old, he was not enthusiastic and did not have the ability to turn the defense of Fr. Walcheren in the heroic epic of German weapons."
In the German "troops" on the Western Front there were disabled and crippled people; to perform security functions in good old France, you do not need to have two eyes, two arms or legs. Yes, there were full-fledged parts. And there were also collected from various rabble, like the Vlasovites and the like, who only dreamed of surrendering.
On the one hand, the Allies assembled a monstrously powerful group, on the other hand, the Germans still had the opportunity to inflict unacceptable damage on their opponents, but...
Personally, I got the impression that the command of the German troops simply did not prevent the Allies from landing. But at the same time, he could not order the troops to raise their hands or go home.
Why do I think this? Let me remind you that this is the time when a conspiracy of the generals against Hitler is being prepared, secret negotiations are underway between the German elite on a separate peace, behind the back of the USSR. Allegedly, due to bad weather, aerial reconnaissance was stopped, torpedo boats curtailed reconnaissance operations,
(Most recently before this, the Germans sank 2 landing ships, damaged one during exercises in preparation for the landing and another was killed by “friendly fire”),
the command flies to Berlin. And this is at a time when the same Rommel knows very well from intelligence data about the impending invasion. Yes, he might not have known about the exact time and place, but it was impossible not to notice the gathering of thousands of ships!!!, preparation, mountains of equipment, training of paratroopers! What more than two people know, so does a pig - this old saying clearly reflects the essence of the impossibility of hiding preparations for such a large-scale operation as an invasion across the English Channel.
I'll tell you a few interesting points. Zone landings Pointe du Hoc.
It is very famous; a new German coastal battery was supposed to be located here, but they installed old French 155 mm cannons, manufactured in 1917. In this very small area, bombs were dropped, 250 356 mm shells were fired from the American battleship Texas, as well as a lot of shells of smaller calibers. Two destroyers supported the landing with continuous fire. And then a group of Rangers on landing barges approached the shore and climbed the steep cliffs under the command of Colonel James E. Rudder, captured the battery and fortifications on the shore. True, the battery turned out to be made of wood, and the sounds of shots were imitated with explosive packages! The real one was moved when one of the guns was destroyed during a successful air raid a few days ago, and it is its photograph that can be seen on websites under the guise of the gun destroyed by the Rangers. There is a statement that the rangers did find this relocated battery and ammunition depot, oddly enough not guarded! Then they blew it up.
If you ever find yourself on Pointe du Hoc , you will see what used to be a “lunar” landscape.
Roskill (Roskill S. Fleet and War. M.: Voenizdat, 1974. T. 3. P. 348) wrote:
“Over 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped, and although there were few direct hits on the gun casemates, we managed to seriously disrupt enemy communications and undermine their morale. With the onset of dawn, the defensive positions were attacked by 1630 “liberators”, “flying fortresses” and medium bombers of the 8th and 9th air forces of the US Air Force... Finally, in the last 20 minutes before the approach of the assault waves, fighter-bombers and medium The bombers carried out a bomb attack directly on the defensive fortifications on the shore...
Shortly after 0530, the naval artillery unleashed a hail of shells along the entire 50-mile front of the coast; Such a powerful artillery strike from the sea had never been delivered before. Then the light guns of the advanced landing ships came into action, and finally, just before hour “H”, tank landing ships armed with missile launchers moved towards the shore; firing intensely with 127 mm rockets into the depths of the defense. The enemy practically did not respond to the approach of the assault waves. There was no aviation, and the coastal batteries did not cause any damage, although they fired several salvos at transports.”
A total of 10 kilotons of TNT equivalent, this is equivalent in power atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima!
Yes, the guys who landed under fire, at night on wet rocks and pebbles, who climbed a steep cliff, are heroes, but... Big question How many Germans survived who were able to resist them after such air and artillery treatment? The rangers advancing in the first wave are 225 people...Losses in killed and wounded are 135 people. Data on German losses: more than 120 killed and 70 prisoners. Hmm... Great battle?
From 18 to 20 guns with a caliber of more than 120 mm were fired against the landing allies from the German side... In total!
With absolute Allied air supremacy! With the support of 6 battleships, 23 cruisers, 135 destroyers and destroyers, 508 other warships. 4,798 ships took part in the attack. In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1,213 - combat, 4,126 - transport, 736 - auxiliary and 864 - merchant ships (some were in reserve)). Can you imagine the salvo of this armada along the coast over an area of 80 km?
Here's a quote:
In all sectors, the Allies suffered relatively small losses, except...
Omaha Beach, American landing zone. Here the losses were catastrophic. Many drowned paratroopers. When they hang 25-30 kg of equipment on a person, and then force him to parachute into the water, where the bottom is 2.5-3 meters, for fear of getting closer to the shore, then instead of a fighter, you get a corpse. At best, a demoralized person without weapons... The commanders of the barges carrying amphibious tanks forced them to land at depth, afraid to come close to the coast. In total, out of 32 tanks, 2 floated ashore, plus 3, which, the only captain who did not chicken out, landed directly on the shore. The rest drowned due to rough seas and the cowardice of individual commanders. There was complete chaos on the shore and in the water, the soldiers were rushing confusedly along the beach. The officers lost control of their subordinates. But still there were those who were able to organize the survivors and begin to successfully resist the Nazis.
It was here that Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of President Theodore Roosevelt, fell heroically,
who, like the deceased Yakov, Stalin’s son, did not want to hide in headquarters in the capital...
The casualties in this area are estimated at 2,500 Americans. The German corporal machine gunner Heinrich Severlo, later nicknamed the “Omaha Monster,” contributed his talents to this. He uses his heavy machine gun, as well as two rifles, while in a strong pointWiderstantnest62 killed and wounded more than 2,000 Americans! Such data makes you wonder if he had not run out of ammunition, would he have shot everyone there??? Despite huge losses The Americans captured the empty casemates and continued the offensive. There is evidence that certain areas of the defense were surrendered to them without a fight, and the number of prisoners captured at all landing sites was surprisingly large. Why is it surprising though? The war was coming to an end and only the most fanatical adherents of Hitler did not want to admit it...
Mini museum between landing zones:
View of Pont d'Oc from above, craters, remains of fortifications, casemates.
View of the sea and rocks there:
Omaha Beach view of the sea and landing zone: 
Tankers!
From June 5 9:00 (Moscow time) to June 8 8:30 (Moscow time) The game will host an event dedicated to the anniversary of Operation Overlord. At this time you are expected to:
Bonuses and discounts
During the promotion you will receive 3 times more free experience for every fight (15% instead of 5% ).
And also a bonus when converting experience into free experience:
35 for 1 instead 25 .
And that is not all:
30% discount on researchable vehicles from the USA, Germany, France and the UKVI-VII levels.
The discount does not apply to cars participating in the Asya Sharit promotion..
Combat missions
« Operation Overlord, part 1»
« Operation"Overlord", part 2 "
| Target |
Execute 10 times task " Operation Overlord, part 1" |
| Reward |
for rent for 3 days |
| Restrictions |
The task can be completed only once per account |
accrued upon completion of a combat mission " Operation "Overlord", part 2" along with a temporary slot in the Hangar and a crew 50% trained in their main specialty. If you already have this vehicle in your Hangar, compensation for it will not be awarded.
Go into battle on a rental Can within 3 days from the moment the task is completed. After the rental period ends, there are two options: you can purchase the tank permanently or remove the rental vehicle from the Hangar (both actions are available in the context menu). In the second case, it is necessary to manually disembark the crew from the tank, as well as remove the equipment.
If at the end of the rental period you do not remove the vehicle manually or do not purchase it, it will remain in the Hangar, but you will not be able to go into battle with it.
« Landing on the beach “Gold”»
« Landing at Juno Beach"
| Goals |
|
| Reward |
|
| Restrictions |
|
« Landing on Sord Beach"
| Goals |
|
| Reward |
|
| Restrictions |
|
« Landing on Omaha Beach"
| Goals |
|
| Reward |
|
| Restrictions |
|
« Landing on Utah Beach"
| Goals |
|
| Reward |
|
| Restrictions |
|
Besides, From June 5 9:00 (Moscow time) to June 15 8:30 (Moscow time) players who complete a combat mission will be able to complete another one:
« The landing was successful»
| Goals |
|
| Reward |
10% more experience for the fight |
| Restrictions |
|
Rewards for completing combat missions can be cumulative subject to all conditions and restrictions.
Good luck on the battlefields!
Historical reference
On June 6, 1944, the strategic Operation Overlord began to land Allied troops in Normandy - the largest amphibious landing in the history of war. More than three million people took part in it. Operation Overlord was opened Western Front in the European theater of operations in World War II.
At the preparation stage, the operation was extremely secret. The military personnel who were supposed to be part of the operation were prohibited from leaving their places of deployment. Preparations for Overlord were accompanied by a massive disinformation campaign.
Allied forces included the armies of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, as well as Free French troops and French Resistance units. The operation was commanded by General Dwight Eisenhower. The landing zones were divided between Omar Bradley's 1st American Army (Omaha and Utah sites) and Miles Dempsey's British 2nd Army (Sword, Juneau, and Gold sites).
Shortly after midnight, American and British paratroopers landed on the occupied territory. Their tasks were to capture bridges, small settlements and providing cover for the landing.
The landings on the beaches of Normandy began around 6:30 am. Throughout the day, American and British troops fought against the German defensive line. The most stubborn enemy resistance was in the Omaha sector in the American zone of responsibility. Here the landing troops suffered their heaviest losses. The British also faced serious opposition in the Sword sector.
By the end of the day, the Allies managed to land about 150 thousand people and a large amount of equipment ashore. In some areas, the advance of British and American troops amounted to eight kilometers inland. A powerful springboard for developing an offensive deep into Europe was ready.
