June 6: D-Day

[Josh123]

Has anyone ever seen this website? I could sit and watch the veterans tell their stories all day.

http://www.witnesstowar.org/content/combat_exp.php

Thanks for the link. I'll have to check this out more when I get home.

 

[BoomerD]

 

[benzylic]

1. Element of Surprise was required.
2. Weather was terrible and they had to make a decision fast to either land the troops or completely scrap the invasion.
3. Needed to time the shore landings with airborne landings.
4. Massive naval screens already saved tons of lives.

This.

There were only a couple days each month where the moon and the tide were right and would allow the pilots to see where they were going and the tide correct to allow the landing craft to avoid obstacles. The invasion had already been delayed a day due to weather and if I remember right if it was delayed again they would have had to wait another month due to the tide and moon, and to allow the massive armada of ships to be refueled.

Also by the time the bombing and shelling of the beaches were taking place on the morning of the invasion the paratroopers were already on the ground wreaking havoc all over Normandy, the couldnt delay the beach landing at that point or the airborne forces would most likely have been slaughtered.

But again, that's hindsight.... they had no way of knowing how successful the deception efforts towards Calais was/how big of an interfering moron Hitler was.

Also this. Hitler wouldnt let Rommel move the armored divisions that were positioned farther north down towards Normandy, as Hitler thought Normandy was a diversion and the main invasion would occur at Caen. Hitler finally let Rommel reposition them a few weeks later, but by then the allies already had a foothold. The invasion could have easily turned out different if Rommel had gotten his reinforcements when he wanted them, before the allies got their foothold.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

This profile name I use was my grandfathers battalion during WWII, ETO

 

[Blintok]

Can't believe you could ignore the fact that millions upon millions of Russians died to give the US ample time to gear up to go the war and also draw a bulk of manpower away from the western front.

let us not forget that Russia and Germany signed a non-aggression pact and that remained so from August 23 1939 to June 22 1941. Germany invaded Poland on September 01 1939 and the Russia (USSR) invaded Poland on September 17 1939. The treaty divided Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland btwn Germany and Soviets.

and technically, France and GB declared war on Germany and not the other way around. When in Nov 1939 the USSR invaded Finland the allies (France, Britain) made plans to aid Finland in the war against Russia. In Feb 1940 the allies made plans to send 100k Brits and 35k French to fight the Russians.

 

[KMFJD]

Can't believe you could ignore the fact that millions upon millions of Russians died to give the US ample time to gear up to go the war and also draw a bulk of manpower away from the western front.

so the Soviets tanked the Nazi's and then the American's came in all ninja like and crit the Nazi's in the back when they where not looking?

 

[sdifox]

so the Soviets tanked the Nazi's and then the American's came in all ninja like and crit the Nazi's in the back when they where not looking?

Most of the German troops died in Soviet hands. Fucking Hitler had to attack Russia. Same idiocy as Japan hitting USA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties


USA lost 417 K soldiers.USSR lost 8.8 to 10.7 M. Whole different scale.
Germany lost 5.5 M soldiers.

 

[wischeez]

On the afternoon of July 11, 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower came across a forgotten note tucked inside his wallet. He called in his naval aide, Capt. Harry C. Butcher, who, taking the paper, read:

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

It was dated, in Ike's hand, July 5. Butcher knew it had to have been -- and was -- written June 5, when "Bravery and devotion" might yet fail the Allies on Normandy's beaches.

 

[sdifox]

On the afternoon of July 11, 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower came across a forgotten note tucked inside his wallet. He called in his naval aide, Capt. Harry C. Butcher, who, taking the paper, read:

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

It was dated, in Ike's hand, July 5. Butcher knew it had to have been -- and was -- written June 5, when "Bravery and devotion" might yet fail the Allies on Normandy's beaches.

Success of Normandy was really improbable.

 

[Nintendesert]

Huh? Google tells me this is the anniversary of the first drive in movie theater not Normandy. Psh. You guys lie.

 

[OlafSicky]

wow i always liked SPR

 

[midwestfisherman]

Stupid Google!

 

[Printer Bandit]

wtf google? you nazi bastards.

 

[dennilfloss]

D-Day in colour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvZCDfhoNxA&feature=related

 

[unokitty]

Dick Winters Statue unveiled on 68th anniversary of D-Day

Respect.

Uno

 

[ichy]

I feel the same way. IMO I think the pres was muy macho and wanted a massive ground attack. There was some minor air support but carpet bombing would have saved so many lives.

*sigh*

Thousands of sorties were flown in support of the landings. There were pretty significant limitations to what aerial bombing could accomplish.

BTW, I got to visit Omaha beach & the US military cemetery there a few years ago. Very moving sight, especially the rows & rows of pristine white headstones.

 

[pelov]

I feel the same way. IMO I think the pres was muy macho and wanted a massive ground attack. There was some minor air support but carpet bombing would have saved so many lives.

Planes are expensive, soldiers are not. The battle in the skies had been over for months prior to the landings at Normandy with only anti-air the main deterrent. Most of Germany's planes had been blown out of the sky by that point and the Luftwaffe was a shadow of its former self.

Although this was seen to a lesser extent with America and the Brits, the Russians are a prime example of how wars were and are still fought. It's not nice to think of leaders willingly sending in soldiers in with the knowledge that many of them will die and you're doing it to either save money or whatever tactical reason but that's reality. Their job isn't to make sure everyone's alive but to win the battles and they'll do whatever they have to to see that's exactly what happens.

 

[Gibsons]

Planes are expensive, soldiers are not. The battle in the skies had been over for months prior to the landings at Normandy with only anti-air the main deterrent. Most of Germany's planes had been blown out of the sky by that point and the Luftwaffe was a shadow of its former self.

Although this was seen to a lesser extent with America and the Brits, the Russians are a prime example of how wars were and are still fought. It's not nice to think of leaders willingly sending in soldiers in with the knowledge that many of them will die and you're doing it to either save money or whatever tactical reason but that's reality. Their job isn't to make sure everyone's alive but to win the battles and they'll do whatever they have to to see that's exactly what happens.

There was massive aerial support through D Day and beyond, they were running missions about as fast as they could turn the planes around. With the LW almost completely absent, there was little danger of them being shot down, so it's not like they needed to conserve the airplanes and pilots.

 

[ichy]

There was no alternative but to send in lots of men on the ground. Even nowadays airpower can't defeat an army that's just sitting in foxholes and bunkers waiting for you, it certainly couldn't in WW2.

 

[pelov]

It's not nice to think of leaders willingly sending in soldiers in with the knowledge that many of them will die and you're doing it to either save money or whatever tactical reason but that's reality. Their job isn't to make sure everyone's alive but to win the battles and they'll do whatever they have to to see that's exactly what happens.

It's not just about losing planes.

edit - but let's take planes as further proof. During the bombing of Germany the Brits conducted night missions while Americans conducted day missions. The day missions were obviously far more dangerous and resulted in very very heavy casualties. By war's end, the Air Force (though not technically the Air Force until a couple of years after the war ended) had suffered the highest casualties of all military branches. Day raids continued despite losses because that was their mission.

Russia, on the other hand, employed the "zerg it down" strategy because they didn't have the resources to fight any other way. Towards the beginning of the war on the Eastern front, Russia's soldiers were ill-equipped and they had essentially no air or tank or even artillery support. Their only option was to use the one resource they had and that was lots and lots of bodies.

War isn't heroic and nor are there special wars. It's perceived as heroic because if it wasn't then people wouldn't sign up to fight and partake in physical diatribe.

 

[D1gger]

My grandfather was a crewman on the HMCS Prince David on D-Day and landed troops on Juno Beach. It was something he never talked about, except one day when he and I visited a naval museum. He was visibly shook up when we were looking at a scale model of the beaches as they looked on D-Day.

Previous to serving on the Prince David, he was in the merchant marines that ran convoys to Russia, and lost a lung when it froze one night while on submarine watch.

This picture was taken while he was still recovering from surgery and was on the cover of one of Canada's new magazines of the day.

 

[ichy]

Russia, on the other hand, employed the "zerg it down" strategy because they didn't have the resources to fight any other way. Towards the beginning of the war on the Eastern front, Russia's soldiers were ill-equipped and they had essentially no air or tank or even artillery support. Their only option was to use the one resource they had and that was lots and lots of bodies.

This is so incorrect I don't know where to start. The USSR had vast numbers of tanks and artillery pieces at the start of WW2. The issue wasn't numbers, it was how they used them.

 

[BoomerD]

The History Channel was running some good shows about the Normandy invasions last night. They showed the invasions from all sides...American, British, Canadian, and German. Lots of photos, film, and narratives from soldiers in each of the armies.

 

[waggy]

There was no alternative but to send in lots of men on the ground. Even nowadays airpower can't defeat an army that's just sitting in foxholes and bunkers waiting for you, it certainly couldn't in WW2.

not to mention they were in bunkers that would survive a direct hit. there was really no other option then ground forces.

 

[Triumph]

The History Channel was running some good shows about the Normandy invasions last night. They showed the invasions from all sides...American, British, Canadian, and German. Lots of photos, film, and narratives from soldiers in each of the armies.

Really, on D-Day? That's actually surprising, I figured they would be running a marathon of American Mountain Swampers Restoring Pawn Shop Ice Road Trucks.