Operation Overlord: The Battle Of Dunkirk

The invasion of D-Day is the largest joint sea born invasion in the history of the world. Although very well planned, the amphibious landings were a gamble made by the Allied forces to gain foothold in Europe. Every American has heard about the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe on D-Day. However, how many Americans stop and think about how much planning, preparation and luck that went into making it the success that it is remembered for? I will attempt to depict what it took to conquer the Normandy beaches using historical and military facts that make it such an iconic event in the world’s history still today.

One of the most complex military maneuvers of all time was the Allied invasion of Europe by way of the Normandy beaches of northern France. The carefully orchestrated invasion essential to the defeat of Hitler. The Supreme Allied Commander, who was General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Later to become president of the United States. The invasion took place on June 6, 1944. The weather so terrible that the invasion was delayed for a full day. American troops landing on Utah Beach. Encountered only mild resistance at first. In contrast, the landing at Omaha Beach much more treacherous. The coast itself was extremely dangerous, the landing took place too far off shore, and the Germans had double the forces at this site. Other Allied forces the British

According to Naval History and Heritage, the commander in charge of organizing the second front was U.S. Army General, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He commanded Operation Overlord, which was the invasion of Normandy beach in Western Europe. The operation was launched when weather reports predicted satisfactory conditions on June 6, 1944. On the morning of June 6,1944 dozens of minesweepers followed by hundreds of amphibious ships and crafts, supported by warships, crossed the English Channel commencing operation Neptune (the

Although he helped American troops in North Africa, Eisenhower’s biggest feat was the invasion of Nazi-occupied Western Europe, better known as D-Day. As the Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II at the time, Eisenhower gave permission for a massive invasion called Operation Overlord. He only had a window of four days to launch the attack, but jumped at the opportunity (Koves). The 40 mile stretch of the beaches of Normandy, France was divided into five sections: Juno, Sword, Omaha, Gold, and Utah (Operation Overlord Animated Map). Late at night on June 6th, 1944, aerial troops secured both the eastern and western parts of the beach. In the morning, seaborne soldiers began to attack the coast (Operation Overlord Animated Map). By June 27th, the Germans had wrecked their ports, assuming this would slow down the Allies. Their attempt failed, and finally, on August 25th, the French army successfully liberated Paris (BBC News).

Nazi’s had occupied France at the time and had taken control. France was part of the allied forces and was under attack by the Nazi’s. As part of the Allied Powers America, Canada, and Great Britain came to the rescue. Dwight Eisenhower was the leader behind this invasion. In December 1943, Eisenhower was put in charge of Operation Overlord – the long waited for attack on mainland Europe. Such an attack would require detailed and meticulous planning which is why Eisenhower was picked to lead this plan by the combined chief of staffs. In excerpts from General Eisenhower’s document the Order of The Day which he gave to the soldiers on D-Day he states In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. / But this is the year 1944!/The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!(Eisenhower 1944). General Eisenhower explains that the allies should come together, and they will bring forth destruction upon the Germans. He also states that in the document they will force the Nazi’s out of Europe and France will be freed. Eisenhower

France was called Operation Overload, which soldiers sailed into Normandy in July, trailed on the farthest to the right of its allied land. The Third Army became effective August 1944. His Third Army concurrently assaulted west of Brittany, south, east toward the Seine, and north, assisting in the catching of thousands of German soldiers. General Patton's strategy with his army favored speed and aggressive offensive action. Another part of the Operation Overload was Operation Quicksilver because they wanted to trick people into believing one thing was going on and actually doing another. It was one of largest and most successful deceptive operations of all time. The plan was to have General Patton command a fake Army but also secretly command the real Army until the invasion of Normandy was

The real miracle at Dunkirk and the other Channel ports in May 1940 was that Hitler halted his Panzer divisions against the advice of almost all his generals, and allowed nearly 600,000 British and French troops to escape to England. Had he not done so, the military disaster that the British Expeditionary Force experienced in France would have been total, and none of its troops would have been able to fight on another day. Even so, they lost most of their planes, tanks, artillery and heavy equipment, while the loss of aircraft by the RAF imperiled it ability to defend the country against the Luftwaffe. Although Winston Churchill and his Minister of Information Alfred Duff Cooper tried to put the best face on the evacuation possible, especially by emphasizing the role the small boats had played in the rescue effort, they were under no illusions about the magnitude of the disaster. Hitler gave various explanations for why he refused to continue ground operations against Dunkirk none of them particularly convincing and it has puzzled historians for seventy years since. Most of the top German commanders were literally "speechless" when they heard the order to halt and leave Dunkirk to the Luftwaffe, although Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt was concerned about possible British and French counterattacks on the exposed northern flank of the German army. Britain's counterattack at Arras had "also come as a severe shock" to the Germans and De Gaulle would later make similar attacks

D-Day was a major part in the ending of World War II. If the Allies hadn’t won the Battle of Normandy, they may not have succeeded in the fight against the Nazis. The Battle of Normandy is more commonly known as D-Day. D-Day is the day (June 6, 1944) in World War II on which Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy, France. In the summer of 1943, an early copy of the D-Day plans blew out of a window in the Norfolk House, London.

    Operation Overlord was the most decisive operation for the Allies on the European front. Many brave men stormed the five major beaches of Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno in Normandy, France on June 6th 1944. The five beaches ranged in lethality, leaving some allied forces decimated while others were able to rally and push the combined axis forces back. The acts of bravery and determination quickly became legend and the men who laid down their lives are still honored to this day. If this operation were to fail, and the atlantic wall stood, the invasion and potentially the war would have went in favor of Nazi Germany.

After the invasion and subsequent fall in France, the German army took over the entire North coast of France. Hitler then began to hope Britain would agree to settle the war. They had a code named “operation overload”, it involved more than 150,00 men and 5,000 ships. The British, American, Polish, Canadian, and Free French army were commanded by

The planning of Operation Overlord and the invasion were both effected by the lack of equipment and landing crafts. Operation Overlord was a very advanced operation involving Americans, Canadians, British, and other allies. The allied forces were going to attack the beaches of Normandy in France, which was currently under Nazi Control. They attacked five different Beaches: Juno, Gold, Sword, Utah, and Omaha beach. This operation could lead to the end of World War 2 and the defeat of the Nazis.

Before the Americans entered the war, Winston Churchill and the Allies (Britain, Canada, France) were losing the war. Everything was against them. The Germans were advancing, pushing outwards and taking more of Europe. The German troops greatly outnumbered those of the Allies. Churchill knew that the only way to stop Adolf Hitler and the Nazis was to gain a front in Europe and attack the Germans at home. He began to plan a Normandy invasion. From 1939-1941, Churchill struggled to determine how he would launch an attack that would be immense enough to stop the Germans. He got his answer when America joined. He now had the firepower and the troops to launch an assault. (“Origins of the Normandy Landing”)

Operation Overlord was an attack in Normandy, France in WWII orchestrated by the U.S, Great Britain, and Canada. The purpose of the attack was to free France from Nazi rule. Having only one day for preparation was a chore to work around; Especially with having too little men, a precise landing schedule on an area with bare minimum landing space, all combined with the absolute brutality of Nazi Germany. Luckily the attack was successful and it started an uprising in Europe, as well as a turning point for the war.

Eisenhower selected June 5, 1944, as the date for the invasion; however, bad weather on the days leading up to the operation caused it to be delayed for 24 hours. On the morning of June 5, after his meteorologist predicted improved conditions for the following day, Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord. He told the troops: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”

Prior to the onset of The Battle of the Bulge, it's important to understand what lead up to this fateful day of December 16th, 1944. The beginning of the end for Germany started when America and it's Western Allies put together the greatest assault offensive that would ever be known to man, which was named: Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord (D Day). On June 6, 1944, the invasion was planned with two phases which consisted of an air assault and an amphibious beach assault consisting of American and allied forces. The landing took place on a beach of 50 miles in stretch of the coastline of Normandy, France which would be divided into five segments: Juno, Utah, Gold, Sword, and Omaha. The first phase of the operation was the air assault, which occurred after midnight and consisted of dropping 24,000 101st paratroopers into the military area. The second phase would be amphibious