Part of World War II Assault landing one of the first waves at Omaha Beach as photographed by Robert F. Sargent. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Omaha Beach was the Code name for one of the principal landing points of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings Robert F Sargent was a Chief Photographer's Mate in the United States Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard caption identifies the unit as Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army &mdashnicknamed “ The Big Red One ” after its Shoulder patch; and also nicknamed " The Fighting Date June 6, 1944 – mid-July 1944 Location Normandy, France Result Decisive Allied victory Belligerents  Australia[1]  Canada Free France New Zealand The Netherlands  Norway[2]  Poland  United Kingdom  United States Germany Commanders Dwight Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Arthur Tedder (Deputy Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (21st Army Group, Ground Forces Commander in Chief) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (Air Commander in Chief) Bertram Ramsay (Naval Commander in Chief) Omar Bradley (U.S. 1st Army) Miles Dempsey (British 2nd Army) Gerd von Rundstedt (Oberbefehlshaber West) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Friedrich Dollmann (7.Armee Oberkommando) Strength 1,000,000 (by July 4)[3] 380,000 (by July 23)[4] Casualties and losses D-Day: United States: 1,465 dead, 5,138 wounded, missing or captured; United Kingdom: 2,700 dead, wounded or captured; Canada: 500 dead; 621 wounded or captured;[5] Total:10,264 D-Day: Nazi Germany: Between 4,000 and 9,000 dead, wounded or captured[6][7]

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France during Operation Overlord in World War II. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances Marshal of the Royal Air Force Arthur William Tedder 1st Baron Tedder of Glenguin, GCB (11 July 1890–3 June 1967 was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn The 21st Army Group was a formation comprising British and Canadian forces stationed in the United Kingdom Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar ( 11 July 1892 – 14 November 1944) was Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO ( January 20, 1883 - January 2, 1945) was a British Omar Nelson Bradley KCB ( February 12, 1893 &ndash April 8, 1981) was one of the main U The First United States Army was a field army of the United States Army. The British Second Army existed in both the First and Second World Wars World War I During World War I, the army was formed on Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German The German Army Command in the West ( Oberbefehlshaber West (German initials OB West) was the overall command of German Armed Forces ( Wehrmacht Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ( 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) (also known as the " Desert Fox " Wüstenfuchs Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II. Friedrich Dollmann ( February 2, 1882 - June 30, 1944) was a German general during World War II, most notably serving during the The 7th Army (7 Armee Oberkommando was a World War II field army Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including It covers from the initial landings on June 6, 1944 until the Allied breakout in mid-July. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

It was the largest seaborne invasion at the time,^[8] involving over 850,000 troops crossing the English Channel from the United Kingdom to Normandy by the end of June 1944. An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all or large parts of the Armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. ^[9]

Allied land forces that saw combat in Normandy on June 6 came from Canada, Free French Forces, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres FFL) were French fighters in World War II who decided to continue fighting against Axis forces The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In the weeks following the invasion, Polish forces also participated and there were also contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and the Netherlands. Polish Armed Forces in the West refers to the Polish military formations formed to fight along the Western Allies and against Nazi Germany and its allies The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands ^[10] Most of the above countries also provided air and naval support, as did the Royal Australian Air Force,^[11] Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Navy. The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The Royal Norwegian Navy (often abbreviated as RNoN) is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations ^[12]

The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, naval bombardments, an early morning amphibious landing and during the evening the remaining elements of the parachute divisions landed. Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment (see Glider infantry Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Naval gunfire support (NGFS is the use of Naval artillery to provide Fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range The "D-Day" forces deployed from bases along the south coast of England, the most important of these being Portsmouth. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which ^[13]

Allied preparations

Eisenhower speaks with 1st Lt. Wallace C. Strobel and Company E, 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on the evening of June 5, 1944. During World War II, the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment ( 502nd PIR) was a Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Main article: Normandy Campaign#Allied Preparations

The objective of the operation was to create a lodgement that would be anchored in the city of Caen (and later Cherbourg when its deep-water port would be captured). A lodgement is an enclave made by increasing the size of a Bridgehead, Beachhead or Airhead. As long as Normandy could be secured, the Western European campaign and the downfall of Nazi Germany could begin. About 6,900 vessels would be involved in the invasion, under the command of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay (who had been directly involved in the North African and Italian landings), including 4,100 landing craft. Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO ( January 20, 1883 - January 2, 1945) was a British Landing craft are Boats and seagoing vehicles used to convey a Landing force ( Infantry and Vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an A total of 12,000 aircraft under Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory were to support the landings, including 1,000 transports to fly in the parachute troops; 10,000 tons of bombs would be dropped against the German defenses, and 14,000 attack sorties would be flown. This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh Leigh-Mallory KCB, DSO & Bar ( 11 July 1892 – 14 November 1944) was Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit be it of Aircraft, Ship or in older times of columns of troops from a fort ^[14]

Some of the more unusual Allied preparations included armoured vehicles specially adapted for the assault. Developed under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Percy Hobart (Montgomery’s brother-in-law, and an armoured warfare specialist), these vehicles (nicknamed Hobart's Funnies) included "swimming" Duplex Drive Sherman tanks, the Churchill Crocodile flame throwing tank, mine-clearing tanks, bridge-laying tanks and road-laying tanks and the Armoured Vehicle, Royal Engineers (AVRE)–equipped with a large-caliber mortar for destroying concrete emplacements. Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified Tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom 's 79th Armoured Division DD tanks (for D uplex D rive but nicknamed Donald Duck-tanks were amphibious swimming Tanks developed during the The Churchill Crocodile was a British flame-throwing tank of late World War II, it was a variant of the Tank Infantry Mk VI (A22 ''Churchill VII'' The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps The Tank Infantry Mk IV (A22 was a heavy British Infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour and its use as the A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Some prior testing of these vehicles had been undertaken at Kirkham Priory in Yorkshire, England. The Ruins of Kirkham Priory are situated on the banks of the River Derwent, at Kirkham, North Yorkshire, England. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. The majority would be operated by small teams from the British 79th Armoured Division attached to the various formations. The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured unit formed as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June

U. S. soldiers of the 2nd Ranger Battalion march through Weymouth, a southern English coastal town, en route to board landing ships for the invasion of France. Weymouth (ˈweɪməθ is a town in Dorset, England situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast

Planning of the Invasion

Allied forces rehearsed their roles for D-Day months before the invasion. On April 28, 1944, in south Devon on the English coast, 638 U. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name S. soldiers and sailors were killed when German torpedo boats surprised one of these landing exercises, Exercise Tiger. History After the Treaty of Versailles most of Germany's military production was severely curtailed Exercise Tiger was the code name for two Military exercises held in the United Kingdom during the Second World War: The first conducted in 1942 ^[15]

In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a deception operation, Operation Fortitude aimed at misleading the Germans regarding the date and place of the invasion. Operation Fortitude was the codename for the Deception operations used by the Allied forces during World War II in connection with the Normandy landings

There were several leaks prior to or on D-Day. One such leak was the crossword that came out in The Herald and Review six days before the beach landings were to take place. Some of the answers consisted of Overlord, Neptune, Gold and other key terms to the invasions; the US government later declared that this was just a coincidence. Through the Cicero affair, the Germans obtained documents containing references to Overlord, but these documents lacked all detail. Iliaz Bazda ( Albanian: Iliaz Bazda born July 28 1904 in Priština, Kosovo - December 21 1970 in ^[16] Double Cross agents, such as Juan Pujol (code named Garbo), played an important role in convincing the German High Command that Normandy was at best a diversionary attack. See also Double agent The Double Cross System or XX System, was a World War II anti-espionage and deception operation of the British Garbo was the British Codename of Juan Pujol García MBE ( February 14 1912 &ndash October 10 1988 Another such leak was Gen. Charles de Gaulle's radio message after D-Day. Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ( 22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French General and statesman who led the Free French He, unlike all the other leaders, stated that this invasion was the real invasion. This had the potential to ruin the Allied deceptions Fortitude North and Fortitude South. For example, Gen. Eisenhower referred to the landings as the initial invasion. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general

Codenames

The Allies assigned codenames to the various operations involved in the invasion. Overlord was the name assigned to the establishment of a large-scale lodgement on the Continent. The first phase, the establishment of a secure foothold, was codenamed Neptune. According to the D-day museum:

"The armed forces use codenames to refer to the planning and execution of specific military operations. Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of northwest Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune. (. . . ) Operation Neptune began on D-Day (6 June 1944) and ended on 30 June 1944. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By this time, the Allies had established a firm foothold in Normandy. Operation Overlord also began on D-Day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "^[17]

Allied Order of Battle

D-day assault routes into Normandy.

D-Day

The following major units were landed on D-Day. A much more detailed order of battle for D-Day itself can be found at Normandy landings. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during

• British 6th Airborne Division. The 6th Airborne Division was an Airborne division in the British Army during World War II. ^[18]
• British I Corps, British 3rd Infantry Division and the British 27th Armoured Brigade. The I Corps was a military formation, specifically a field corps headquarters of the British Army The British 3rd Infantry Division, known at various times as the Iron Division, 3rd (Iron Division or as Iron Sides, was originally formed in 1809 The 27th Armoured Brigade was a Second World War British Army formation
• Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, Canadian 2nd Armoured Brigade
• British XXX Corps, British 50th Infantry Division and British 8th Armoured Brigade. History The formation of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was authorized on 17 May 1940. History Soon after 3rd Canadian Tank Brigade assumed the designation in summer 1943 of the original 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade, the new 2nd Tank was redesignated XXX Corps (30 Corps was a Corps within the British Army during World War II. The 50th (Northumbrian Infantry Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army division during the Second World War. The 8th Armoured Brigade was a Second World War British Army brigade formed in August 1941 from the redesigantion of 6th Cavalry Brigade when the ^[19]
• 79th Armoured Division
• U.S. V Corps, U.S. 1st Infantry Division and U.S. 29th Infantry Division. The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured unit formed as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June The V Corps ( Fifth Corps)—nicknamed the Victory Corps —is a Corps of the United States Army. The 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army &mdashnicknamed “ The Big Red One ” after its Shoulder patch; and also nicknamed " The Fighting The US 29th Infantry Division is a United States Infantry division that has existed since World War I as part of the Army National Guard ^[18][20]
• U.S. VII Corps, U.S. 4th Infantry Division. For the VII Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War see VII Corps (ACW. The 4th Infantry Division is a modular division of the United States Army based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with four Brigade combat ^[20]
• U.S. 101st Airborne Division. ^[20]
• U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. ^[21][20]

The total number of troops landed on D-Day was around 130,000^[22]-156,000^[23]

Subsequent days

The total troops, vehicles and supplies landed over the period of the invasion were:

• By the end of 11 June (D + 5), 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies. ^[24]
• By June 30th (D+24) over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies. ^[25]
• By July 4th one million men had been landed. ^[26]

Naval participants

Main article: Normandy landings

Large landing craft convoy crosses the English Channel on June 6, 1944. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The Invasion Fleet was drawn from 8 different navies, comprising 6,939 vessels: 1,213 warships, 4,126 transport vessels (landing ships and landing craft), and 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels. Landing craft are Boats and seagoing vehicles used to convey a Landing force ( Infantry and Vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an ^[18]

The overall commander of the Allied Naval Expeditionary Force, providing close protection and bombardment at the beaches, was Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay. Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay KCB, KBE, MVO ( January 20, 1883 - January 2, 1945) was a British The Allied Naval Expeditionary Force was divided into two Naval Task Forces: Western (Rear-Admiral Alan G Kirk) and Eastern (Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Vian). Alan Goodrich Kirk (born October 30 1888 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died October 1963 Washington D Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO and two bars, ( 15 July 1894 - 27 May

The warships provided cover for the transports against the enemy—whether in the form of surface warships, submarines, or as an aerial attack—and gave support to the landings through shore bombardment. A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability These ships included the Allied Task Force "O".

German Order of Battle

The number of military forces at the disposal of Nazi Germany reached its peak during 1944. Tanks on the east front peaked at 5,202 in November 1944, while total aircraft in the Luftwaffe inventory peaked at 5,041 in December 1944. By D-Day 157 German divisions were stationed in the Soviet Union, 6 in Finland, 12 in Norway, 6 in Denmark, 9 in Germany, 21 in the Balkans, 26 in Italy and 59 in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. ^[27] However, these statistics are somewhat misleading since a significant number of the divisions in the east were depleted; German records indicate that the average personnel complement was at about 50% in the spring of 1944. ^[28]

A more detailed order of battle for D-Day itself can be found at Normandy landings. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during

Atlantic Wall

Main articles: Atlantic Wall and English Channel

A map of the Atlantic Wall. The Atlantikwall ( English: Atlantic wall) was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by the German Third Reich

Standing in the way of the Allies was the English Channel, a crossing which had eluded the Spanish Armada and Napoleon Bonaparte's Navy. The Spanish Armada ( Spanish: Grande y Felicísima Armada, "Great and Most Fortunate Navy" or Armada Invencible, "Invincible Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Compounding the invasion efforts was the extensive Atlantic Wall, ordered by Hitler in his Directive 51. The Atlantikwall ( English: Atlantic wall) was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by the German Third Reich Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Believing that any forthcoming landings would be timed for high tide (this caused the landings to be timed for low tide), Rommel had the entire wall fortified with tank top turrets and extensive barbed wire, and laid a million mines to deter landing craft. The sector which was attacked was guarded by four divisions.

Divisional Areas

The following units were deployed in a static defensive mode in the areas of the actual landings:

• 716th Infantry Division (Static) consisted mainly of those 'unfit for active duty' and released prisoners. The 716th Static Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 for occupation duties in France
• 352nd Infantry Division, a well-trained unit containing combat veterans. The 352nd Infantry Division ( 352 Infanterie-Division) was an Infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during World War II.
• 91st Air Landing Division (Luftlande – air transported), a regular infantry division, trained, and equipped to be transported by air. The 91st Infantry Division was created in early 1944 and converted reorganized as the 91st Air Landing Division ( German Luftlandedivision) in the spring
• 709th Infantry Division (Static). The 709th 'Static' Infantry Division was raised in May 1941 and used for occupation duties during the German occupation of France in World War II until the Allied invasion Like the 716th, this division comprised a number of "Ost" units who were provided with German leadership to manage them.

Adjacent Divisional Areas

Other divisions occupied the areas around the landing zones, including:

• 243rd Infantry Division (Static) (Generalleutnant Heinz Hellmich), comprising the 920th Infantry Regiment (two battalions), 921st Infantry Regiment, and 922nd Infantry Regiment. The 243rd Static Infantry Division was raised in July 1943 It was stationed in the Cotentin Peninsula when the Allies invaded in June 1944 and destroyed in the Battle Heinz Hellmich ( June 9, 1890 &ndash June 17, 1944) was a German Generalleutnant during World War II. This coastal defense division protected the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula.
• 711th Infantry Division (Static), comprising the 731th Infantry Regiment, and 744th Infantry Regiment. This division defended the western part of the Pays de Caux. The Pays de Caux is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French département of Seine Maritime in Haute-Normandie
• 30th Mobile Brigade (Oberstleutnant Freiherr von und zu Aufsess), comprising three bicycle battalions. Bicycle infantry are Infantry Soldiers who maneuver on the battlefield using Bicycles The term dates from the late 19th century when the " Safety

Armoured reserves

Rommel's defensive measures were also frustrated by a dispute over armoured doctrine. In addition to his two army groups, von Rundstedt also commanded the headquarters of Panzer Group West under General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg (usually referred to as von Geyr). Leo Dietrich Franz Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg ( 2 March 1886 &ndash 27 January 1974) was a German cavalry officer in This formation was nominally an administrative HQ for von Rundstedt's armoured and mobile formations, but it was later to be renamed Fifth Panzer Army and brought into the line in Normandy. The 5th Panzer Army, also known as Panzer Group West and Panzer Group Eberbach (German 5 Von Geyr and Rommel disagreed over the deployment and use of the vital Panzer divisions.

Rommel recognised that the Allies would possess air superiority and would be able to harass his movements from the air. He therefore proposed that the armoured formations be deployed close to the invasion beaches. In his words, it was better to have one Panzer division facing the invaders on the first day, than three Panzer divisions three days later when the Allies would already have established a firm beachhead. Von Geyr argued for the standard doctrine that the Panzer formations should be concentrated in a central position around Paris and Rouen, and deployed en masse against the main Allied beachhead when this had been identified.

The argument was eventually brought before Hitler for arbitration. He characteristically imposed an unworkable compromise solution. Only three Panzer divisions were given to Rommel, too few to cover all the threatened sectors. The remainder, nominally under Von Geyr's control, were actually designated as being in "OKW Reserve". For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Only three of these were deployed close enough to intervene immediately against any invasion of Northern France, the other four were dispersed in southern France and the Netherlands. Hitler reserved to himself the authority to move the divisions in OKW Reserve, or commit them to action. On June 6, many Panzer division commanders were unable to move because Hitler had not given the necessary authorisation, and his staff refused to wake him upon news of the invasion. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year

Army Group B Reserve

• The 21st Panzer Division (Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger) was deployed near Caen as a mobile striking force as part of the Army Group B reserve. The 21st Panzer Division was a German Armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941 - 1943 during Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II. However, Rommel placed it so close to the coastal defenses that, under standing orders in case of invasion, several of its infantry and anti-aircraft units would come under the orders of the fortress divisions on the coast, reducing the effective strength of the division.

The other two armoured divisions over which Rommel had operational control, the 2nd Panzer Division and 116th Panzer Division, were deployed near the Pas de Calais in accordance with German views about the likely Allied landing sites. The 2nd Panzer Division ( 2 Panzer-Division) was created in 1935 and stationed in Austria after the Anschluss. Neither was moved from the Pas de Calais for at least fourteen days after the invasion.

OKW Reserve

The other mechanized divisions capable of intervening in Normandy were retained under the direct control of the German Armed Forces HQ (OKW) and were initially denied to Rommel:

Four divisions were deployed to Normandy within seven days of the invasion:

• The 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend (Brigadeführer Fritz Witt) was stationed to the southeast. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Fritz Witt ( 25 May 1908 – 14 June 1944) was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 1 Its officers and NCOs (this division had a very weak core of NCOs in Normandy with only slightly more than 50% of its authorised strength^[29]) were long-serving veterans, but the junior soldiers had all been recruited directly from the Hitler Youth movement at the age of seventeen in 1943. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth ( German:, It was to acquire a reputation for ferocity and war crimes in the coming battle.
• Further to the southwest was the Panzerlehrdivision (General major Fritz Bayerlein), an elite unit originally formed by amalgamating the instructing staff at various training establishments. The Panzerlehrdivision (also called Panzer-Lehr-Division commonly known as Panzer Lehr, was a German armored division during World Fritz Bayerlein ( 14 January 1899 – 30 January 1970) was a German Panzer general during the Second World War Not only were its personnel of high quality, but the division also had unusually high numbers of the latest and most capable armoured vehicles.
• 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was refitting in Belgium on the Netherlands border after being decimated on the Eastern Front. The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler ( SS-LAH) founded in September 1933 was Adolf Hitler 's personal Bodyguard Regiment.
• 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen (General major Werner Ostendorff) was based on Thouars, south of the Loire River, and although equipped with Assault guns instead of tanks and lacking in other transport (such that one battalion each from the 37th and 38th Panzergrenadier Regiments moved by bicycle), it provided the first major counterattack against the American advance at Carentan on June 13. The 17 SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen was a German Waffen-SS Mechanised infantry Thouars is a town and commune of France, situated in the département of Deux-Sèvres in the Poitou-Charentes The Loire River (lwaʁ in French) is the longest River in France. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for

Landing supplies at Normandy

Three other divisions (the 2nd SS Division Das Reich, which had been refitting at Montauban in Southern France, and the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg which had been in transit from the Eastern Front on June 6), were committed to battle in Normandy around twenty-one days after the first landings. The SS Division Das Reich (germ 2SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich) was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during Montauban ( Montalban in Occitan) is a town and commune of southwestern France, Préfecture (capital of the Tarn-et-Garonne The 9 Waffen SS Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen or Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year

One more armoured division (the 9th Panzer Division) saw action only after the American breakout from the beachhead. The German 9th Panzer Division ( Neunte Panzerdivision) came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940. Two other armoured divisions which had been in the west on June 6 (the 11th Panzer Division and 19th Panzer Division) did not see action in Normandy. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year The German 19th Panzer Division was created from the 19th Infantry Division and was formed on 1 November 1940.

Landings

Main article: Normandy Landings

The build-up of Omaha Beach: reinforcements of men and equipment moving inland

Allied establishment in France

The Allied invasion plans had called for the capture of Carentan, Saint-Lô, Caen, and Bayeux on the first day, with all the beaches linked except Utah, and Sword (the last linked with paratroopers) and a front line 10 to 16 kilometres (6–10 mi) from the beaches. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during Carentan is a town and commune of the Manche département in Normandy, France. Caen (kɑ̃ is a commune in northwestern France. It is the Prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Bayeux (bajø is a commune in the Calvados département, in Normandy in northwestern France. In practice none of these had been achieved. However, overall the casualties had not been as heavy as some had feared (around 10,000 compared to the 20,000 Churchill had estimated), and the bridgeheads had withstood the expected counterattacks.

Once the beachhead was established, two artificial Mulberry harbours were towed across the English Channel in segments and made operational around D+3 (June 9). A Mulberry harbour was a type of temporary Harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits One was constructed at Arromanches by British forces, the other at Omaha Beach by American forces. Arromanches-les-Bains (or simply Arromanches) is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region By June 19, when severe storms interrupted the landing of supplies for several days and destroyed the Omaha harbour, the British had landed 314,547 men, 54,000 vehicles, and 102,000 tons of supplies, while the Americans put ashore 314,504 men, 41,000 vehicles, and 116,000 tons of supplies. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. ^[30] Around 9,000 tons of materiel were landed daily at the Arromanches harbour until the end of August 1944, by which time the port of Cherbourg had been secured by the Allies and had begun to return to service. Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the

Assessment of the battle

La Cambe German war cemetery

The Normandy landings were the first successful opposed landings across the English Channel in nine centuries. La Cambe German war cemetery is in La Cambe, Calvados, France They were costly in terms of men, but the defeat inflicted on the Germans was one of the largest of the war. Strategically, the campaign led to the loss of the German position in most of France and the secure establishment of a new major front. Allied material weight told heavily in Normandy, as did intelligence and deception plans. The general Allied concept of the battle was sound, drawing on the strengths of both Britain and the United States. German dispositions and leadership were often faulty, despite a credible showing on the ground by many German units. In larger context the Normandy landings helped the Soviets on the Eastern front, who were facing the bulk of the German forces and, to a certain extent, contributed to the shortening of the conflict there.

Although there was a shortage of artillery ammunition, at no time were the Allies critically short of any necessity. This was a remarkable achievement considering they did not hold a port until Cherbourg fell. By the time of the breakout the Allies also enjoyed a considerable superiority in numbers of troops (approximately 7:2) and armoured vehicles (approximately 4:1) which helped overcome the natural advantages the terrain gave to the German defenders.

Allied intelligence and counterintelligence efforts were successful beyond expectations. The Operation Fortitude deception before the invasion kept German attention focused on the Pas de Calais, and indeed high-quality German forces were kept in this area, away from Normandy, until July. Operation Fortitude was the codename for the Deception operations used by the Allied forces during World War II in connection with the Normandy landings Prior to the invasion, few German reconnaissance flights took place over Britain, and those that did saw only the dummy staging areas. Ultra decrypts of German communications had been helpful as well, exposing German dispositions and revealing their plans such as the Mortain counterattack. ULTra ("Urban Light Transport" is a Personal rapid transit system from Advanced Transport Systems Ltd a company based in Cardiff, Wales. Operation Lüttich was a German counterattack during the Battle of Normandy, taking place around the American positions near Mortain from August 7&mdashAugust

Allied air operations also contributed significantly to the invasion, via close tactical support, interdiction of German lines of communication (preventing timely movement of supplies and reinforcements—particularly the critical Panzer units), and rendering the Luftwaffe ineffective in Normandy. Although the impact upon armoured vehicles was less than expected, air activity intimidated these units and cut their supplies.

Despite initial heavy losses in the assault phase, Allied morale remained high. Casualty rates among all the armies were tremendous, and the Commonwealth forces had to create a new category—Double Intense—to be able to describe them.

German leadership

German commanders at all levels failed to react to the assault phase in a timely manner. Communications problems exacerbated the difficulties caused by Allied air and naval firepower. Local commanders also seemed unequal to the task of fighting an aggressive defense on the beach, as Rommel envisioned. For example, the commander of the German 352nd Infantry Division failed to capitalise on American difficulty at Omaha, committing his reserves elsewhere when they might have been more profitably used against the American beachhead.

The German High Command remained fixated on the Calais area, and von Rundstedt was not permitted to commit the armoured reserve. When it was finally released late in the day, any chance of success was much more difficult. Overall, despite considerable Allied material superiority, the Germans kept the Allies bottled up in a small beachhead for nearly two months, aided immeasurably by terrain factors.

Although there were several well-known disputes among the Allied commanders, their tactics and strategy were essentially determined by agreement between the main commanders. By contrast, the German leaders were bullied and their decisions interfered with by Hitler, controlling the battle from a distance with little knowledge of local conditions. Field Marshals von Rundstedt and Rommel repeatedly asked Hitler for more discretion but were refused. Von Rundstedt was removed from his command on June 29 after he bluntly told the Chief of Staff at Hitler's Armed Forces HQ (Field Marshal Keitel) to "Make peace, you idiots!" Rommel was severely injured by Allied aircraft on July 16. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and

The German commanders also suffered in the quality of the available troops. Sixty thousand of the 850,000 in Rundstedt's command were raised from the many prisoners of war captured on the Eastern Front. ^[31] These "Ost" units had volunteered to fight against Stalin, but when instead unwisely used to defend France against the Western Allies, ended up being unreliable. Many surrendered or deserted at the first available opportunity.

Given the Soviets' later domination of Eastern Europe, if the Normandy invasion had not occurred there might conceivably have been a complete occupation of northern and western Europe by communist forces, a contention which is supported by Stalin's statement that the Allies introduced their social system as far as their armies could reach. This is an opinion heavily disputed by the fact that Stalin requested a prompt Western invasion several times during the Teheran Conference and accused Churchill of not supporting the operation. The Tehran Conference ( Codenamed EUREKA) was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D

Alternately, Hitler might have deployed more forces to the Eastern Front, conceivably delaying Soviet advance beyond their pre-war border. ^[32] In practice though, German troops remained in the West even in the absence of an invasion.

War memorials and tourism

The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery

Parachuting memorial in Sainte-Mère-Église

The beaches at Normandy are still referred to on maps and signposts by their invasion codenames. The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery is a Cemetery containing predominantly Canadian soldiers killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy Sainte-Mère-Église is a small town and commune of the Manche département, in the Cotentin Peninsula near the coast of Normandy There are several vast cemeteries in the area. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The American cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, contains row upon row of identical white crosses and Stars of David, immaculately kept, commemorating the American dead. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War II Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France Colleville-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northern France. The Christian cross is the best-known Religious symbol of Christianity. The Star of David or Shield of David ( Magen David in Hebrew with nikkud or מגן דוד without academically transcribed Māḡēn Dāwīḏ by Commonwealth graves, in many locations, use white headstones engraved with the person's religious symbol and their unit insignia. The largest cemetery in Normandy is the La Cambe German war cemetery, which features granite stones almost flush with the ground and groups of low-set crosses. La Cambe German war cemetery is in La Cambe, Calvados, France There is also a Polish cemetery.

Streets near the beaches are still named after the units that fought there, and occasional markers commemorate notable incidents. At significant points, such as Pointe du Hoc and Pegasus Bridge, there are plaques, memorials or small museums. Pointe du Hoc (pwε̃t dy ɔk is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. "Rolling bascule bridge" redirects here For other types of bridge referred to as "rolling" see Rolling bridge. The Mulberry harbour still sits in the sea at Arromanches. A Mulberry harbour was a type of temporary Harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on the beaches during the Allied invasion of Normandy. In Sainte-Mère-Église, a dummy paratrooper hangs from the church spire. A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building particularly a church Tower. On Juno Beach, the Canadian government has built the Juno Beach Information Centre, commemorating one of the most significant events in Canadian military history. The Juno Beach Centre or in French Centre Juno Beach, is a museum located in Courseulles-sur-Mer in the Calvados region of Normandy, France

In England the most significant memorial is the D-Day Museum in Southsea, Hampshire. The Museum was opened in 1984 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of D-Day. Its centrepiece is the magnificent Overlord Embroidery commissioned by Lord Dulverton of Batsford (1915-92) as a tribute to the sacrifice and heroism of those men and women who took part in Operation Overlord.

June 5, 1994 a drumhead service was held on Southsea Common adjacent the D-Day Museum. Events 70 - Titus and his Roman Legions breach the middle wall of Jerusalem in the Siege of Jerusalem Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) This service was attended by US President Bill Clinton, HM Queen Elizabeth II and over 100,000 members of the public. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II

Dramatizations

The battle of Normandy has been the topic of many films, television shows, songs, computer games and books. Many dramatizations focus on the initial landings, and these are covered at Normandy Landings. The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during Some examples that cover the wider battle include:

Films

• Saving Private Ryan, a 1998 Academy Award-winning American film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 War film set during the invasion of Normandy during World War II. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks (born July 9 1956 is an two-time Academy award and Emmy winning American Film actor, director Matthew Paige Damon (born October 8 1970 is an American Actor and Philanthropist.
• Band of Brothers, a 2001 American miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks based on the book of the same name by Stephen Ambrose. Band of Brothers is a ten-part Television World War II Mini-series based on the book of the same title written by Historian A miniseries (also mini-series) in a serial Storytelling medium is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes Stephen Edward Ambrose ( January 10, 1936 – October 13, 2002) was an American Historian and Biographer of U

Video games

• Brothers in Arms series
• Call of Duty series
• Close Combat series
• Company of Heroes
• Day of Defeat
• Medal of Honor series

Wargames

• Atlantic Wall, a large 1970s American board wargame by SPI depicting the battle from the landings through to the breakout, at company and battalion level, and using a similar game system to Wacht Am Rhein. Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 is a First-person shooter Video game created by Gearbox Software for the PC, PlayStation Call of Duty (released October 29, 2003) is a First-person shooter Video game based on the ''Quake III Team Arena'' engine Close Combat is the name of a series of real-time tactical (RTT Computer games by Atomic Games Company of Heroes ( CoH) is a Real-time strategy computer game developed by Relic Entertainment. Day of Defeat is a team-based Multiplayer World War II First-person shooter computer game of the European Theatre of World Plot The Medal of Honor series puts the player in the boots of an Allied combatant during World War II, with weaponry appropriate to the A board game is a Game in which counters or pieces that are placed on removed from or moved across a "board" (a premarked surface usually specific to that game A wargame is a Game that simulates or represents a Military operation. Simulations Publications Inc, often abbreviated to SPI, was an American publisher of board Wargames in the 1970s and early 1980s Due to be reprinted in 2008.
• "Breakout: Normandy", an American board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1992 covers the full invasion, starting with D-day and covering the week following.
• "Memoir 44", an American and French two player game that was released for the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. With available expansions, you can go from the Landings at D-Day, to the Eastern Front, to the beaches of Japanese held islands.

References

Bibliography

Notes

Further reading

External links

• U.S. Army's official interactive D-Day website
• Cross-Channel Attack CMH Pub 7–4: Official U. S. Military History.
• Utah Beach to Cherbourg CMH Pub 100–12: Official U. S. Military History.
• U.S. Navy Online Library of Selected Images: Normandy invasion
• Original Document: D-Day Statement from Dwight D. Eisenhower
• D-Day Museum Portsmouth
• BBC Archive of personal recollections of D-Day
• Operation Overlord - A Tribute Music video to pay homage to the Allied forces who fought at the Battle of Normandy.
• Illustrated article about Omaha Beach at 'Battlefields Europe'