|
Storm Clouds |
Mobilization |
Fall of France |
Battle of Britain |
Pacific War |
Hong Kong |
Conscription |
Dieppe |
Spartan | Battle of
the Atlantic | Sicily |
Italy |
Overlord | Falaise |
Occupation |
Holland |
Germany 45 |
VE | VJ
Normandy Maps |
Atlantic Wall |
Airborne |
Juno Beach |
The Plan |
The Enemy
Situation |
Final Preparations |
Assault Plan |
June 6th D-day |
Consolidation |
Comments
|
June 6, 1944, was
truly the longest day. The landing of Allied forces on
the Normandy beaches in France was the beginning of the
end for Nazi Germany. When the British forces and some
French forces evacuated the beaches during the miracle
of Dunkirk in 1940, many felt that the war was
essentially over. Just a few weeks later, Hitler stood
as master of all he surveyed in mainland Europe and only
a demoralized, shattered, and isolated Britain remained
opposing him.
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| D-Day Video |
The 4 long years
before then and D-Day had seen the unfolding of dramatic
events which had spread the war throughout the world,
brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union into the war as
Britain's allies, witnessed an explosion of Japanese
aggression and victories throughout Southeast Asian and
the Pacific and the spread of Nazi occupied Europe
from the Caucasus to Calais and from the Arctic circle to
the North African deserts. It had been a long four years
for the Allies fighting off Rommel in Egypt, invading
and taking Sicily and working their way of the boot of
Italy. The long called for 2nd front in Western Europe
was essential for the defeat of Hitler's Germany.
Operation Overlord, the invasion of
France had been conceived of in some form, even as the
British troops clambered off the fishing boat navy after
Dunkirk and in 1942 the bloody lessons learned at Dieppe
clarified how difficult the invasion was going to be.
The was hinged on this day because if it failed,
fortress Europe would have withstood the best the Allies
could throw at her. The allies may have been tempted to
negotiate terms rather then continue to call for
unconditional surrender. The Germans may have been able
to shift large numbers of troops to the Eastern Front
and Italy. The war may have dragged on for many more
years.
The invasion of North-West Europe marked
the beginning of the final phase of the war with Germany
and led, less than a year later, to the final German
collapse. Canadian forces played an important part in
the operation, which was tremendously complicated and
carried out on a vast scale.
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Battle: |
Overlord |
June 6th - July
12 |
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Campaign: |
France
1944 |
June 6th - September |
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War: |
World War II |
1939 - 1945 |
| |
|
Where: |
Normandy
Peninsula |
|
Western Front |
|
France |
| |
| |
Opponents |
|
Belligerents: |
Canada |
Germany |
|
Britain |
|
France |
|
United States |
| Allies |
|
| |
|
Commanders: |
| Dwight Eisenhower -
US |
| Bernard Montgomery -
GB |
| Omar Bradley - US |
| Miles Dempsey - GB |
|
| Gerd von Rundstedt -
Ger |
| Erwin Rommel - Ger |
| Friedrich Dollmann -
Ger |
| |
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|
Forces: |
1,332,000 Men |
380,000 Men |
| |
|
Result: |
Allied Victory |
|
|
Casualties: |
Canada, US, Britain, France & Allies |
Germany |
|
Casualties - 120,000 |
Casualties -
113,059 |
|
