Interactive Commemoration of D-Day, June 6, 1944

[boomer177]

In Southwick House, near Portsmouth, in southern England, in the pre-dawn hours of June 5, 1944—just about the time this is posted, 71 years ago—General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, listened to his chief forecaster predict that the break in the heavy rain, low cloud cover, strong winds, and rough Channel seas—which had resulted, the previous day, in the postponement of the scheduled June 5 attack—would likely continue, more or less, and the unanimous view of his principal subordinates to proceed.

Eisenhower is said to have paused and, then, may—or may not—have said, “Okay, we’ll go,” the most widely-accepted of the multiple versions of his brief but momentous words.

Whatever the phrase, June 6, 1944 thereby became D-Day for the western allies’ invasion of western Europe along some 50 miles (80 km) of France’s Normandy coast by more than 170,000 troops, nearly 12,000 aircraft, and almost 7,000 sea vessels, arguably history’s largest amphibious invasion force.

http://mediacenter.smugmug.com/Other/2014-06-05-D-Day-color-photos/i-8HvQF5v/0/XL/060514_DDay_Color_photos_24-XL.jpg
June 3 or 4, 1944. U.S. troops on the Esplanade at Weymouth, Dorset, about to board ships for the Channel crossing. (Photo by Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images)

Departing troops, not yet aware of their destination, chalked simple messages like, “Thank you, Cowplain,” on the roads of southern England.


http://mediacenter.smugmug.com/Other/2014-06-05-D-Day-color-photos/i-gcKRthx/0/XL/060514_DDay_Color_photos_12-XL.jpg
June 5, 1944. Trucks of the U.S. First Infantry Division are loaded in Dorset. The following day the First Division suffered heavy casualties in securing a beachhead at Formigny and Caumont—
better known as Omaha Beach. (AFP Photo/Getty Images)

Further posts—yours, also, I trust—to follow over the next few days.


Post your answers now:

Land units from Britain, the United States and which other nation were among the June 6 invasion force?

What six-word message—seven in English—did the BBC broadcast on June 1 which instructed the French Resistance
to carry out railway sabotage, and what was its source?

More questions to follow.

Post your own questions.

 

[phrodeau]

http://thefallen9000.info/

In September 2013 artists raked the shapes of 9,000 bodies on the sands of Normandy.

http://thefallen9000.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/The-Fallen-33.jpg

 

[boomer177]

The D-Day Plan

Operation Overlord

"This operation is not being planned with any alternatives. This operation is planned as a victory, and that's the way it's going to be. We're going down there, and we're throwing everything we have into it, and we're going to make it a success."
--General Dwight D. Eisenhower*

Formal planning for the invasion of Northwest Europe began in 1943. A group led by British General Frederick Morgan searched for the best point along the coast to strike and started drawing up assault plans. In May, at an Allied conference in Washington, D.C., a target date of spring 1944 was set for the long-awaited attack.**

In December 1943 a commander for the operation was selected. The choice was an American, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower had directed Allied invasion forces in North Africa and Italy. He took up his new post, Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force, in January 1944. Eisenhower approved of Morgan's selection of the Normandy coast in France as the invasion site, but he increased the size of the assault force. He and his staff then prepared the details of a plan to organize, transport, land, and supply the largest amphibious invasion force in history.**

The operation was code-named "Overlord." The outcome of the war rested upon its success.***

The plan for Operation Overlord entailed landing nine divisions of sea and airborne troops, over 150,000 men, along a 60-mile stretch of coast in just 24 hours.

On D-Day, three airborne divisions, one British and two American, would drop behind the landing beaches. Their job, seize beach exits, capture key transportation and communication points, and block German counterattacks.

Six divisions would assault the five landing beaches. Each beach had a code name. Utah Beach was assigned to the U.S. 4th Division. The US 29th and 1st Divisions would land at Omaha Beach. Further east, the British 50th Division would assault Gold Beach and the Canadian 3rd Division would attack at Juno Beach. The British 3rd Division would take Sword Beach.

--National WWII Museum, at http://www.nationalww2museum.org/le...-6-1944.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/.

*His words for public consumption notwithstanding, Eisenhower, as well as his principal subordinates, were well aware of the risk of failure. Eisenhower's brief "the blame is mine alone" message, prepared for issuance in the event withdrawal from the beaches became necessary, is set forth in a subsequent post.
**At the Teheran Conference in November 1943, Stalin pressed for an early “Second Front.” May 1944, Churchill and Roosevelt assured him.
***Not to minimize the overriding importance of the D-Day landings, but this is unsupportable overstatement.

http://www.johndclare.net/images/wwii9_dplan.jpg

 

[boomer177]

The previous post, by the way,
answers the question as to the
nationality of the troops, in
addition to the British and
Americans, who were among
the D-Day land invasion force:
They were Canadian.

 

[boomer177]

On the evening of June 1, the BBC broadcast the first part of a Paul Verlaine poem:
“Les sanglots lourds/Des violons de l’automne…” (“The heavy sobs/Of autumn’s violins…”).
The message alerted the French Resistance that the invasion would occur within the month
and to proceed with plans for railway sabotage.

At about this hour 70 years ago, the BBC broadcast the second part of Verlaine’s poem:
“Bercent mon coeur/D’une langeur monotone.” (“Sooth my heart/With a monotonous languor.”)
The invasion was imminent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/07/entertainment_broadcasting_house_at_75/img/1.jpg
BBC Broadcasting House (opened 1934)

 

[boomer177]

Eisenhower ‘s “In Case of Failure” message, happily never delivered:

“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.

[Incorrectly dated] July 5”

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day-message/images/failure-message.gif

 

[mdbigdee]

The previous post, by the way,
answers the question as to the
nationality of the troops, in
addition to the British and
Americans, who were among
the D-Day land invasion force:
They were Canadian.

900 Free French paratroopers landed as part of the British Special Air Service (SAS) Brigrade.

 

[mdbigdee]

On a personal note my uncle John as part of the 29th Infantry Division land on Omaha Beach with the first wave. A German machine gun round shot off the lower half of his left ear.

 

[phrodeau]

Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, led the assault on Utah Beach.

 

[boomer177]

Late on the evening of June 5, Eisenhower visited troops of 101st U.S. Airborne Division,
near Newbury, who were preparing to board aircraft which took off shortly after Midnight.
Many had already blackened their faces and donned camouflaged helmets.

Eisenhower and his commanders correctly anticipated heavy casualties among the 24,000
British, Canadian, Anerican and Free French paratroopers dropped behind German lines.
Their unenviable task was to hold back German reinforcements being rushed to the beachheads
until landing troops reached them, miles inland.


http://images.csmonitor.com/csm/2014/06/0605-Eisenhower-June-5.jpg?alias=standard_600x400
U.S. National Archives/Getty Images

 

[boomer177]

On a personal note my uncle John as part of the 29th Infantry Division land on Omaha Beach with the first wave. A German machine gun round shot off the lower half of his left ear.

Thank you to your uncle and his fellows, surviving and otherwise. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to have been among the first wave to hit Omaha, more of which in succeeding posts.

Should you be so inclined, share some of what he told you.

 

[boomer177]

Animated Map: The D-Day Landings

>>http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwtwo_map_d_day/index_embed.shtml

 

[boomer177]

http://www.nationalww2museumimages.org/web-assets/images/d-day-snapshot-gallery1.jpg

http://www.vcepinc.org/D-Day_files/image007.jpg

 

[boomer177]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1807251!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_635/ddmain-7-web.jpg
"On or near D-Day"

 

[mdbigdee]

Before the landing my uncle and his best friend cut a $1 bill in half. If they both survived the day then they were to tape it back together. My uncle kept his half in a picture frame.

 

[mdbigdee]

Before the landing my uncle and his best friend cut a $1 bill in half. If they both survived the day then they were to tape it back together. My uncle kept his half in a picture frame.

He watched a Duplex Drive (DD) Sherman tank launch from a LCT(Landing Craft Tank). The DD Shermans had a canvas floatation screen around them to make them float. This Sherman went off the ramp and went straight to the bottom. None of the 5 crew got out.

 

[boomer177]

DD (Duplex Drive) Sherman Swimming Tanks carried a crew of 5, and were armed with one 75 mm gun as well as two 0.3 inch machine guns. The maximum speed in water was about 4 knots and the tanks could manage up to 1 foot high waves.

The DD tanks were difficult to transport because they took more space than regular Sherman tanks, and were difficult to maneuver without damaging the canvas float screen. Tthe British and Canadian LCTs (landing craft tanks) carried just five DD tanks in a herringbone arrangement on the deck and the Americans transported only four of the DD tanks on the LCT(5). Forming part of a multitude of specialty tanks known as 'Hobart's Funnies', these tanks were sent ahead to lead the D-day invasion of Normandy.

Ten tank battalions were distributed among British, Canadian, and American forces for the D-Day assault on Normandy. On Sword, and Utah Beaches, the majority of the DD tanks successfully swam to shore. On Gold Beach the tanks were brought directly to the shore by landing craft due to high seas. On Juno Beach, only some of the tanks were launched because of high seas. But on Omaha Beach, 27 of the 29 DD tanks sank at sea in six foot waves, after being launched three miles from the beach.

In the entire D-day operation, 290 DD tanks were used. Out of those, 120 were launched at sea, for which at least 42 sank. Approximately 140 DD tanks were launched in very shallow water or directly on the shore. The American DD tanks suffered 38% loss due to sinking, versus the British and Canadian which lost 31% due to sinking. The difference was that the American losses were all concentrated in one battalion.

Over-all, the DD tank was considered the most successful of all the specialist tanks used during the Normandy landings. It was used used again in the invasion of southern France, the crossing of the Rhine in Germany, the crossing of the West Sheldt in the Netherlands, the crossing of the Elbe in central Germany, and on the Italian Front.

--http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/normandy/HobartsFunnies/DD-sherman.html

http://www.warriorsaga.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/t6-22.jpg.w560h198.jpg

 

[boomer177]

http://www.nnwwiim.org/images/media-dday-anniversary-lg03.jpg


http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/military/legionpost35/D-DayPhotos2.jpg


http://http://media.al.com/living-press-register/photo/dday-museum2jpg-bbc3dfbc163f149d.jpg


http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0163/3130/products/Dday1_1024x1024.jpg


http://smokeys-trail.com/USA/d-day-omaha-beach2.jpg


http://blog.hmns.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/D-Day-Blog-3-Omaha-beach-landing-craft.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg/745px-Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg

 

[PrincepsCyberius]

Fantastic thread! Fantastic images. Thanks for posting it.

As an educator, I try every year at this time to try to get my students to understand the enormity and the importance of both The Battle of Midway (June 4–7, 1942) and the Normandy Invasion (June 6, 1944). I suppose one reason I am never satisfied that I have sufficiently done so is that having never seen combat, I myself have no true understanding of how it must have been for the men who fought these battles.

Let's just all thank God that they did!

 

[boomer177]

http://capitolcommentary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/dday3.jpg

http://d1csi9vjsd9t3h.cloudfront.net/archive/x33128835/g3203200000000000001603f9429064ccd8d2fe6d303fe40ab40a351c79.jpg

 

[boomer177]

http://d1csi9vjsd9t3h.cloudfront.net/archive/x33128933/g3203200000000000008cfa95e11102cb9d5111259e3487ea301e53ceaa.jpg

 

[boomer177]

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. 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.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Order of the Day
June 6, 1944

 

[boomer177]

In a day of daunting tasks none was more daunting than that
of the 2nd Battalion, U.S. Army Rangers. They were to land
with the first wave, scale the 100-foot-high cliffs of Pointe du
Hoc, and cripple German artillery believed to be perched in
steel-reinforced concrete bunkers atop the promontory.

http://worldatwar.net/article/overlord/PointeDuHoc.jpg
View of La Pointe du Hoc from German fortification

The Rangers encountered fierce resistance from the defenders
despite the heavy air and naval bombardments of the fortress
prior to the attack. When the smoke cleared 135 of the 225-
member force were dead or wounded.

Worse, the gun emplacements they now commanded were
empty. The heavy artillery that Allied planners feared
capable of raining destruction on the Utah and Omaha sectors
had never been installed.

The desperate efforts of the Resistance to alert the Americans
had failed.

http://worldatwar.net/article/overlord/UtahBeach.jpg
View from La Pointe du Hoc looking towards Utah Beach

--http://worldatwar.net/article/overlord/

 

[boomer177]

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
Communiqué No. 1
June 6, 1944

Under the command of General Eisenhower Allied naval forces supported
by strong air forces began landing Allied armies this morning on the northern
coast of France.

 

[boomer177]

http://www.murdoconline.net/pics/nytdday-thumb.jpg
Front page of the New York Times' "6 A.M. EXTRA"

The full 34-page edition can be accessed at http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1944/06/06/issue.html.