d-DAY WAS THE GREATEST seaborne INVASION IN WARFARE HISTORY. D-DAY WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL NAME GIVEN TO THE OPERATION. IN GENERAL, IT WAS THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY; THE OPERATION CODENAME WAS OPERATION OVERLORD. D-DAY ACTUALLY MEANS THE first DAY OF AN INVASION OR BATTLE.
At the Time of the invasion, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, so he was in charge of all operations that took place during this time. He was to soon become the commander-in Chief.
The Invasion of Normandy was so important because the allies needed to gain a foothold in Europe if they ever wanted to drive the Nazis out of France, and eventually crush them completely in Germany.
The five landing areas that the allies invaded were - from west to east - Utah (American), Omaha (American), Gold (British), Juno (Canadian), and Sword (British). These forces were led by General Montgomery. Their short term mission was to destroy the Atlantic wall, and their long term goal was to bring the war to Germany.
There were also the airborne troops. Two American divisions participated in the Para trooping: the 101st airborne ,Nicknamed the screaming eagles, and the 82nd airborne ,Nicknamed the Devils in baggy pants. There was also a division of British gliders. the glider mission was codenamed Operation Tonga. The two paratrooper missions were codenamed Operation Chicago and Operation Detroit respectively.
The glider missions were to provide supplies and support for ground troops, and the mission of the American paratroopers was to confuse Germans and prevent the destruction of dams and levis.
ON Tuesday, June 4, 1944, slightly before noon, one of the greatest moments in military history started. how it all happened and what the result was is soon to come.
Hitler KNEW THAT THE ALLIES WERE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO Invade the BEACHES OF NORMANDY AND cross INTO FRANCE. FOR THIS HE SET UP the Atlantic WALL defenses. This was an extremely vast array of pillboxes, bunkers, mortars, mines, batteries, thousands of soldiers, and much more. Every German man on that beach on June 4 was bent on killing every American, Brit, or Canadian that came into their crosshairs And so the story is set for THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY.
Eisenhower's letter to the invaders
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