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Essay on Invasion of Normandy

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Invasion of Normandy

Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day or Operation Overlord, was a cross channel attack planned by the allies that took place over the English channel. Not only was D-Day the largest amphibious assault the world had seen, it was a critical point in World War II. (Locke, Alain, ed. Pg 203)

The Invasion of Normandy is when the allies decided that they must take an offense and invade Germany on their home land if Hitler was to be stopped. The allies put all of their power together, for failure was not an option. If the invasion was to fail it was quite likely that the United States would have to postpone their fight against Germany and turn their full attention to the war in the Pacific, leaving the fate of …show more content…

Eisenhower felt that operation Overlord was a sound plan in general, but needed a few revisions. After the disastrous hit-and-run raid in 1942 in Dieppe, planners saw that(Candaela, Kerry. Pg 73) German defenses were simply too strong and could easily fight off a number of small assaults. So instead it was decided that it would be better to choose a single main landing where an immense amount of firepower and soldiers could be concentrated. The invasion site needed to be close to at least one major port and airbase to allow for efficient supply lines. The decision came down to two sites, the Pas de Calais across the Strait of Dover, and the beaches of Cotentin. Of the two landings it was decided that the beaches of Cotentin would be the best landing site for Operation Overlord.

Months ahead of time allies spent day and night producing war materials. When invasion day came allies had assembled an unbelievable amount of war materials. In total, 5,000 ships, the largest armada ever, 11,000 aircraft’s, and approximately 154,000 British, Canadian and American soldiers, including 23,000 that were to arrive by parachute and gliders. War materials were only half the battle.

Deception was the key to the whole invasion. Much time was spent sending small campaigns over to Germany to cause a ruckus in German defenses, eventually becoming a daily routine. Germans intelligence never knew if it was the big invasion or just another little deception by the

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