The landing of Anglo-American troops in France. The Normandy landings briefly

The article briefly outlines the history of the Normandy landings, the largest amphibious operation carried out by the Allies during World War II. This operation led to the creation of a second front, which brought Germany closer to defeat.

Preparation and necessity of the operation
Negotiations between the USSR, England and the USA on joint military actions were conducted from the beginning of Germany’s attack on Soviet Union. An occupation European territories, the acquired military experience, the devotion of the troops to their Fuhrer made the German military machine practically invincible. The USSR suffered defeats from the very beginning, losing territory to the enemy and suffering heavy human and material losses. A serious threat was created to the very existence of the state. In the correspondence between Stalin and Churchill, the question of help constantly arises, which, however, remains unanswered. England and the USA limit themselves to Lend-Lease assistance and statements of boundless faith in the victory of the Soviet troops.
The situation changes somewhat after the conference in Tehran (1943), where agreements on interaction were developed. However, a radical change in the Allied plans occurs in 1944, when the Soviet Union, having won decisive victories, begins a steady offensive towards the West. Churchill and Roosevelt understand that victory is only a matter of time. There is a danger of the spread of Soviet influence throughout Europe. The Allies finally decide to open a second front.

Operation plans and balance of forces
The landing in Normandy was preceded by long preparation and careful development of all details. The landing site (the coast of Senskaya Bay) was chosen specifically taking into account the difficulty of its implementation (indented coast and very high tides). The Anglo-American military command was not mistaken in its calculations. The Germans were preparing for an offensive in the area of ​​the Pas-de-Calais Strait, considering it ideal for the operation, and concentrated the main anti-landing forces in this area. Normandy was very poorly defended. T.n. The "impregnable Atlantic Wall" (a network of coastal fortifications) was a myth. In total, by the time of the landing, the Allied forces were opposed by 6 German divisions, 70-75% staffed. The main and most combat-ready forces of the Germans were on the Eastern Front.
Before the start of the operation, the Anglo-American forces numbered about 3 million people, which also included Canadian, French, and Polish units. The Allied forces had a threefold superiority in technology and weapons. The air and sea superiority was overwhelming.
The landing in Normandy was called Overlord. Its implementation was led by General Montgomery. The supreme command of all expeditionary forces belonged to the American General D. Eisenhower. The landing was to be carried out over an area 80 km wide and was divided into western (American) and eastern (English) zones.
The operation was preceded by long-term training of troops through exercises and training in conditions as close to reality as possible. The interaction of various types of troops, the use of camouflage, and the organization of defense against counterattacks were practiced.

Disembarkation and fighting in June 1944
According to original plans, the landing in Normandy was supposed to take place on June 5, but due to unfavorable weather it was postponed to the next day. On June 6, an intensified artillery bombardment of the German defense line began, supported by the actions of air forces, which encountered virtually no resistance. The fire was then moved deeper into the area and the Allies began landing. Despite stubborn resistance, numerical superiority allowed the expeditionary forces to capture three large bridgeheads. Throughout June 7-8, there was an intensified transfer of troops and weapons to these areas. On June 9, an offensive began to unite the occupied territories into a single bridgehead, which was carried out on June 10. The expeditionary force already consisted of 16 divisions.
The German command carried out the transfer of forces to liquidate the offensive, but in insufficient quantities, since the main struggle was still unfolding on the Eastern Front. As a result, by the beginning of July, the Allied bridgehead was increased along the front to 100 km, and in depth to 40 km. An important moment was the capture of the strategic port of Cherbourg, which subsequently became the main channel for the transfer of troops and weapons across the English Channel.

Development of success in July 1945
The Germans continued to consider the landing in Normandy a diversionary maneuver and waited for the landing of the main forces in the Pas-de-Calais area. Actions have intensified partisan detachments in the rear of the German army, mainly from members of the French Resistance. The main factor preventing the German command from transferring significant forces for defense was the powerful offensive of Soviet troops in Belarus.
Under these conditions, the Anglo-American troops gradually advanced further and further. On July 20, Saint-Lo was taken, and on the 23rd, Caen. July 24 is considered the end of Operation Overlord. The Allied bridgehead included an area measuring 100 by 50 km. A serious basis was created for further military operations against fascist Germany in the West.

The significance of the Normandy landings
Irrevocable losses allied forces in Operation Overlord there are about 120 thousand people, the Germans lost about 110 thousand. Of course, these figures do not compare with the losses on the Eastern Front. However, albeit belatedly, the opening of the second front still took place. The new battle area pinned down German troops that could be deployed as a last resort against the advancing Soviet army. Thus, the final victory was won earlier and with fewer losses. The second front had great importance as a symbol of the unity of the allied forces. The contradictions between the West and the USSR receded into the background.

Operation Overlord

Many years have passed since the famous landing of the Allied forces in Normandy. And the debate still continues to this day: did the Soviet army need this help, since the turning point in the war had already come?

In 1944, when it was already clear that the war would soon come to a victorious end, a decision was made on the participation of allied forces in World War II. Preparations for the operation began back in 1943, after the famous Tehran conference, at which he finally managed to find mutual language with and Roosevelt.

Bye Soviet army fought fierce battles, the British and Americans carefully prepared for the upcoming invasion. As the English military encyclopedias on this topic say: “The allies had sufficient time to prepare the operation with the care and thoughtfulness that its complexity required; they had the initiative and the ability to freely choose the time and place of landing.” Of course, it’s strange for us to read about “enough time” when thousands of soldiers were dying every day in our country...

Operation Overlord was to be carried out both on land and at sea (its naval part was codenamed “Neptune”). Its tasks were as follows: “Land on the coast of Normandy. Concentrate the forces and means necessary for a decisive battle in the area of ​​​​Normandy, Brittany, and break through the enemy’s defenses there. With two army groups, pursue the enemy on a broad front, concentrating the main efforts on the left flank, in order to capture the ports we need, reach the borders of Germany and create a threat to the Ruhr. On the right flank our troops will join forces that will invade France from the south."

One cannot help but be amazed at the caution of Western politicians, who spent a long time choosing the moment for the landing and postponing it day after day. Final decision was adopted already in the summer of 1944. Churchill writes about this in his memoirs: “Thus, we came to an operation that the Western powers could rightfully consider the climax of the war. Although the road ahead might be long and difficult, we had every reason to be confident that we would achieve a decisive victory. Russian armies expelled the German invaders from their country. Everything that Hitler had so quickly won from the Russians three years earlier was lost by him with enormous losses in men and equipment. Crimea was cleared. The Polish borders were reached. Romania and Bulgaria were desperate to avoid revenge from the eastern victors. Any day now a new Russian offensive was supposed to begin, timed to coincide with our landing on the continent”...
That is, the moment was most suitable, and Soviet troops everything was prepared for the successful performance of the allies...

Combat power

The landing was to take place in the northeast of France, on the coast of Normandy. The Allied troops should have stormed the coast and then set off to liberate the land territories. The military headquarters hoped that the operation would be crowned with success, since Hitler and his military leaders believed that landings from the sea were practically impossible in this area - the coastal topography was too complex and the current was strong. Therefore, the area of ​​the Normandy coast was weakly fortified by German troops, which increased the chances of victory.

But at the same time, it was not in vain that Hitler believed that the enemy’s landing on this territory was impossible - the allies had to rack their brains a lot, figuring out how to carry out a landing in such impossible conditions, how to overcome all the difficulties and gain a foothold on an unequipped shore...

By the summer of 1944, significant Allied forces were concentrated in the British Isles - as many as four armies: the 1st and 3rd American, 2nd British and 1st Canadian, which included 39 divisions, 12 separate brigades and 10 detachments of the British and American Marine Corps. Air Force were represented by thousands of fighters and bombers. The fleet under the leadership of the English admiral B. Ramsey consisted of thousands of warships and boats, landing and auxiliary vessels.

According to a carefully developed plan, sea and airborne troops were to land in Normandy over an area of ​​about 80 km. It was assumed that 5 infantry, 3 airborne divisions and several detachments of marines would land ashore on the first day. The landing zone was divided into two areas - in one the American troops were to operate, and in the second - the British troops, reinforced by the allies from Canada.

The main burden in this operation fell on navy, which was supposed to deliver troops, provide cover for the landing and provide fire support for the crossing. Aviation should have covered the landing area from the air, disrupted enemy communications, and suppressed enemy defenses. But the most difficult thing was experienced by the infantry, led by the English General B. Montgomery...

Judgment Day

The landing was scheduled for June 5, but due to bad weather it had to be postponed by a day. On the morning of June 6, 1944, a great battle began...

Here's how the British Military Encyclopedia talks about it: “Never has any coastline endured what the coast of France had to endure that morning. At the same time, shelling from ships and bombardment from the air were carried out. Along the entire invasion front, the ground was cluttered with debris from explosions; shells from naval guns punched holes in the fortifications, and tons of bombs rained down on them from the sky... Through the clouds of smoke and falling debris, the defenders, gripped by horror at the sight of general destruction, could barely discern hundreds of ships and other vessels inexorably approaching shore."

With a roar and explosions, the landing force began landing on the shore, and by evening, significant Allied forces found themselves in the territory captured by the enemy. But at the same time they had to suffer considerable losses. During the landing, thousands of servicemen from the American, British, and Canadian armies died... Almost every second soldier was killed - such a heavy price had to be paid for the opening of a second front. This is how veterans remember it: “I was 18. And it was very hard for me to watch the guys die. I just prayed to God to let me return home. And many did not return."

“I tried to help at least someone: I quickly gave an injection and wrote on the wounded man’s forehead that I had injected him. And then we collected our fallen comrades. You know, when you are 21 years old, it’s too hard, especially if there are hundreds of them. Some bodies surfaced after several days or weeks. My fingers passed through them...

Thousands of young lives were cut short on this inhospitable French coast, but the command’s task was completed. On June 11, 1944, Stalin sent a telegram to Churchill: “As can be seen, the mass landing, undertaken on a grandiose scale, was a complete success. My colleagues and I cannot but admit that the history of wars does not know of another similar enterprise in terms of the breadth of its concept, the grandeur of its scale and the skill of its execution.”

The Allied forces continued their victorious offensive, liberating one town after another. By July 25, Normandy was practically cleared of the enemy. The Allies lost 122 thousand people between June 6 and July 23. The losses of German troops amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, as well as 2,117 tanks and 345 aircraft. But as a result of the operation, Germany found itself between two fires and was forced to fight a war on two fronts.

Disputes still continue as to whether the participation of the Allies in the war was really necessary. Some are confident that our army itself would have successfully overcome all the difficulties. Many people are irritated by the fact that Western history textbooks very often talk about how the Second World War world war in fact, the British and American troops won, and the bloody sacrifices and battles Soviet soldiers not mentioned at all...

Yes, most likely, our troops would have been able to cope with Hitler’s army on their own. Only this would have happened later, and many more of our soldiers would not have returned from the war... Of course, the opening of a second front brought the end of the war closer. It’s just a pity that the Allies took part in hostilities only in 1944, although they could have done this much earlier. And then the terrible victims of the Second World War would have been several times smaller...

The second front is the front of the armed struggle of the USA, Great Britain and Canada against Nazi Germany in 1944-45. in Western Europe. It was opened on June 6, 1944 by the landing of the Anglo-American expeditionary forces in Normandy (northwest France).

This landing was called “Operation Overlord” and became the largest landing operation in the history of wars. The 21st Army Group (1st American, 2nd British and 1st Canadian armies) consisting of 66 combined arms divisions, including 39 invasion divisions and three airborne divisions, was involved in it. A total of 2 million 876 thousand people, about 10.9 thousand combat and 2.3 thousand transport aircraft, about 7 thousand ships and vessels. The overall command of these forces was exercised by American General Dwight Eisenhower.

Expeditionary allied forces opposed by the German Army Group B, consisting of the 7th and 15th armies under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (a total of 38 divisions, of which only 3 divisions were in the invasion area, about 500 aircraft). In addition, the southern coast of France and the Bay of Biscay was covered by Army Group G (1st and 19th armies - 17 divisions in total). The troops relied on a system of coastal fortifications called the Atlantic Wall.

The general landing front was divided into two zones: the western, where American troops were to land, and the eastern, for British troops. The western zone included two, and the eastern - three sectors, on each of which it was planned to land one reinforced infantry division. In the second echelon there remained one Canadian and three American armies.

Author Vladimir Veselov.
"Many battles claim to be the main battle of the Second World War. Some believe that this is the battle of Moscow, in which the fascist troops suffered their first defeat. Others believe that it should be considered Battle of Stalingrad, the third seems that the main thing was the battle on Kursk Bulge. In America (and in Lately and in Western Europe) no one doubts that the main battle was the Normandy landing operation and the battles that followed it. It seems to me that Western historians are right, although not in everything.

Let's think about what would have happened if the Western allies once again hesitated and did not land troops in 1944? It is clear that Germany would still have been defeated, only the Red Army would have ended the war not near Berlin and the Oder, but in Paris and on the banks of the Loire. It is clear that what would have come to power in France would have been not General de Gaulle, who arrived in the Allied convoy, but one of the leaders of the Comintern. Similar figures could be found for Belgium, Holland, Denmark and all other large and small countries Western Europe(how they were found for countries of Eastern Europe). Naturally, Germany would not have been divided into four occupation zones, therefore, a single German state would have been formed not in the 90s, but in the 40s, and it would not have been called the Federal Republic of Germany, but the GDR. There would be no place for NATO in this hypothetical world (who would join it except the USA and England?), but the Warsaw Pact would unite all of Europe. Ultimately, the Cold War, if it had taken place at all, would have been of a completely different nature, and would have had a completely different outcome. However, I am not at all going to prove that everything would have been exactly this way and not otherwise. But there is no doubt that the results of World War II would have been different. Well, the battle, which largely determined the course of post-war development, should rightfully be considered the main battle of the war. It’s just a stretch to call it a battle.

Atlantic Wall
This was the name of the German defense system in the west. In films and computer games, this rampart appears to be something very powerful - rows of anti-tank hedgehogs, behind them concrete pillboxes with machine guns and cannons, bunkers for manpower, etc. However, remember, have you ever seen a photograph somewhere in which all this was visible? The most famous and widely circulated photograph of the NDO shows landing barges and American soldiers wading waist-deep in water, and this was filmed from the shore. We managed to find photographs of the landing sites that you see here. The soldiers land on a completely empty beach, where, apart from a few anti-tank hedgehogs, there are no defensive structures. So what exactly was the Atlantic Wall?
This name was first heard in the autumn of 1940, when four long-range batteries were quickly built on the coast of Pas-de-Calais. True, they were not intended to repel the landing, but to disrupt navigation in the strait. Only in 1942, after the unsuccessful landing of the Canadian Rangers near Dieppe, the construction of defensive structures began, mainly all there, on the English Channel coast (it was assumed that this was where the Allied landing would take place); for the remaining areas, labor and materials were allocated according to the residual principle. There wasn’t much left, especially after the intensification of allied air raids on Germany (they had to build bomb shelters for the population and industrial enterprises). As a result, the construction of the Atlantic Wall was generally 50 percent complete, and even less in Normandy itself. The only area that was more or less ready for defense was the one that later received the name Omaha bridgehead. However, he also looked completely different from how it is depicted in the game you know well.

Think for yourself, what is the point of placing concrete fortifications on the very shore? Of course, the guns installed there can fire at landing craft, and machine-gun fire can hit enemy soldiers as they wade through waist-deep water. But the bunkers standing right on the shore are perfectly visible to the enemy, so he can easily suppress them with naval artillery. Therefore, only passive defensive structures are created directly at the water’s edge (minefields, concrete obstacles, anti-tank hedgehogs). Behind them, preferably along the crests of dunes or hills, trenches are opened, and on the reverse slopes of the hills dugouts and other shelters are built where infantry can wait out an artillery attack or bombing. Well, even further, sometimes several kilometers from the coast, closed artillery positions are created (this is where you can see the powerful concrete casemates that we love to show in the movies).

The defense in Normandy was built approximately according to this plan, but, I repeat, the main part of it was created only on paper. For example, about three million mines were deployed, but according to the most conservative estimates, at least sixty million were needed. The artillery positions were mostly ready, but the guns were not installed everywhere. I'll tell you this story: long before the invasion, the French Resistance movement reported that the Germans had installed four naval 155-mm guns on the Merville battery. The firing range of these guns could reach 22 km, so there was a danger of shelling warships, so it was decided to destroy the battery at any cost. This task was assigned to the 9th Battalion of the 6th Parachute Division, which prepared for it for almost three months. A very accurate model of the battery was built, and the battalion's soldiers attacked it from all sides day after day. Finally, D-day arrived, with much noise and uproar, the battalion captured the battery and discovered there... four French 75-mm cannons on iron wheels (from the First World War). The positions were indeed made for 155-mm guns, but the Germans did not have the guns themselves, so they installed what was at hand.

It must be said that the arsenal of the Atlantic Wall generally consisted mainly of captured guns. Over the course of four years, the Germans methodically dragged there everything that they got from the defeated armies. There were Czech, Polish, French and even Soviet guns, and many of them had a very limited supply of shells. The situation was approximately the same with small arms; either captured weapons or those removed from service on the Eastern Front ended up in Normandy. In total, the 37th Army (namely, it bore the brunt of the battle) used 252 types of ammunition, and 47 of them were long out of production.

Personnel
Now let's talk about who exactly had to repel the Anglo-American invasion. Let's start with the command staff. Surely you remember the one-armed and one-eyed Colonel Stauffenberg, who committed unsuccessful attempt on Hitler. Have you ever wondered why such a disabled person was not outright dismissed, but continued to serve, albeit in the reserve army? Yes, because by 1944, the fitness requirements in Germany had been significantly reduced, in particular, loss of an eye, arm, severe concussion, etc. were no longer grounds for dismissal from service of senior and mid-level officers. Of course, such monsters would be of little use on the Eastern Front, but it would be possible to plug holes with them in units stationed on the Atlantic Wall. So approximately 50% of the command personnel there were classified as “limitedly fit.”

The Fuhrer did not ignore the rank and file either. Take for example the 70th Infantry Division, better known as the "White Bread Division." It consisted entirely of soldiers suffering from various types of stomach diseases, which is why they had to constantly be on a diet (naturally, with the beginning of the invasion, it became difficult to maintain a diet, so this division disappeared by itself). In other units there were entire battalions of soldiers suffering from flat feet, kidney disease, diabetes, etc. In comparatively calm atmosphere they could perform rear service, but their combat value was close to zero.

However, not all the soldiers on the Atlantic Wall were sick or crippled; there were quite a few who were quite healthy, but they were over 40 years old (and in the artillery, mostly fifty-year-olds served).

Well, the last, most amazing fact is that there were only about 50% of native Germans in the infantry divisions, the remaining half were all sorts of trash from all over Europe and Asia. It’s a shame to admit this, but there were quite a few of our compatriots there, for example, the 162nd Infantry Division consisted entirely of the so-called “eastern legions” (Turkmen, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, etc.). There were also Vlasovites on the Atlantic Wall, although the Germans themselves were not sure that they would be of any use. For example, the commander of the Cherbourg garrison, General Schlieben, said: “It is very doubtful that we will be able to persuade these Russians to fight for Germany on French territory against the Americans and the British.” He turned out to be right; most of the eastern troops surrendered to the Allies without a fight.

Bloody Omaha Beach
American troops landed in two areas, Utah and Omaha. In the first of them, the battle did not work out - in this sector there were only two strong points, each of which was defended by a reinforced platoon. Naturally, they were unable to provide any resistance to the 4th American Division, especially since both were practically destroyed by naval artillery fire even before the landing began.

By the way, there was an interesting incident that perfectly characterizes the fighting spirit of the Allies. A few hours before the start of the invasion, airborne troops were landed deep in the German defenses. Due to a mistake by the pilots, about three dozen paratroopers were dropped on the very shore near the W-5 bunker. The Germans destroyed some of them, while others were captured. And at 4.00 these prisoners began to beg the bunker commander to immediately send them to the rear. When the Germans asked why they were so impatient, the brave warriors immediately reported that in an hour artillery preparation from the ships would begin, followed by a landing. It is a pity that history has not preserved the names of these “fighters for freedom and democracy” who gave away the hour of the invasion in order to save their own skins.

Let us return, however, to the Omaha beachhead. In this area there is only one area accessible for landing, 6.5 km long (steep cliffs stretch for many kilometers to the east and west of it). Naturally, the Germans were able to prepare it well for defense; on the flanks of the site there were two powerful bunkers with guns and machine guns. However, their cannons could only fire at the beach and a small strip of water along it (from the sea, the bunkers were covered with rocks and a six-meter layer of concrete). Behind a relatively narrow strip of beach, hills began, up to 45 meters high, along the crest of which trenches were dug. This entire defense system was well known to the Allies, but they hoped to suppress it before the landing began. Two battleships, three cruisers and six destroyers were to fire on the bridgehead. In addition, field artillery was supposed to fire from the landing ships, and eight landing barges were converted into installations for launching rockets. In just thirty minutes, more than 15 thousand shells of various calibers (up to 355 mm) were to be fired. And they were released... into the world like a pretty penny. Subsequently, the allies came up with many excuses for the low effectiveness of the shooting, such as heavy seas, pre-dawn fog, and something else, but one way or another, neither the bunkers nor even the trenches were damaged by the artillery shelling.

Allied aviation performed even worse. An armada of Liberator bombers dropped several hundred tons of bombs, but none of them hit not only enemy fortifications, but even the beach (and some bombs exploded five kilometers from the coast).

Thus, the infantry had to overcome a completely intact enemy defense line. However, troubles for the ground units began even before they reached the shore. For example, out of 32 amphibious tanks (DD Sherman), 27 sank almost immediately after launching (two tanks reached the beach under their own power, three more were unloaded directly onto the shore). The commanders of some landing barges, not wanting to enter a sector shelled by German guns (Americans in general have a much better developed instinct for self-preservation than their sense of duty, and indeed all other feelings), folded back the ramps and began unloading at depths of about two meters, where most of the paratroopers successfully sank .

Finally, at the very least, the first wave of troops was landed. It included the 146th sapper battalion, whose fighters had to, first of all, destroy the concrete gouges so that the landing of tanks could begin. But that was not the case; behind each hole lay two or three brave American infantrymen who, to put it mildly, objected to the destruction of such a reliable shelter. The sappers had to plant explosives on the side facing the enemy (naturally, many of them died in the process; out of 272 sappers in total, 111 were killed). To assist the sappers in the first wave, 16 armored bulldozers were assigned. Only three reached the shore, and the sappers were able to use only two of them - the paratroopers took cover behind the third and, threatening the driver with weapons, forced him to remain in place. I think there are quite enough examples of “mass heroism”.

Well, then we begin to have complete mysteries. Any source devoted to the events at the Omaha Beachhead necessarily contains references to two “fire-breathing bunkers on the flanks,” but none of them says who, when and how the fire of these bunkers was suppressed. It seems that the Germans were shooting and shooting, and then stopped (perhaps this was the case, remember what I wrote above about ammunition). The situation is even more interesting with the machine guns firing along the front. When the American sappers smoked out their comrades from behind the concrete gouges, they had to seek refuge in the dead zone at the foot of the hills (in some ways this can be considered an offensive). One of the squads taking refuge there discovered a narrow path leading to the top.

Carefully moving along this path, the infantrymen reached the crest of the hill, and found completely empty trenches there! Where did the Germans who defended them go? But they weren’t there; in this sector the defense was occupied by one of the companies of the 1st battalion of the 726th Grenadier Regiment, which consisted mainly of Czechs forcibly conscripted into the Wehrmacht. Naturally, they dreamed of surrendering to the Americans as quickly as possible, but you must admit that throwing out the white flag even before the enemy attacks you is somehow undignified, even for the descendants of the brave soldier Schweik. The Czechs lay in their trenches, from time to time firing a burst or two towards the Americans. But after some time they realized that even such formal resistance was holding back the enemy’s advance, so they collected their belongings and retreated to the rear. There they were eventually captured to everyone's satisfaction.

In short, after digging through a pile of materials dedicated to the NDO, I managed to find one single story about the military clash at the Omaha bridgehead, and I quote it verbatim. "Company "E", which landed in front of Colleville after a two-hour battle, captured german bunker on the top of the hill and captured 21 people." That's it!

Main battle World War II
In that brief overview I only told about the first hours of the Normandy landing operation. In the days that followed, the Anglo-Americans had to face many difficulties. Then there was the storm, which practically destroyed one of the two artificial ports; and confusion with supplies (field hairdressers were delivered to the beachhead very late); and inconsistency in the actions of the allies (the British launched the offensive two weeks earlier than planned; obviously, they depended less on the availability of field hairdressers than the Americans). However, enemy opposition comes in very last place among these difficulties. So should we call all this a “battle”?”

The worst thing besides
lost battle
this is a won battle.

Duke of Wellington.

Allied landings in Normandy, Operation Overlord, "D-Day", Normandy operation. This event has many different names. This is a battle that everyone knows about, even outside the countries that fought the war. This is an event that claimed many thousands of lives. An event that will go down in history forever.

general information

Operation Overlord- a military operation of the Allied forces, which became the opening operation of a second front in the West. Held in Normandy, France. And to this day it is the largest landing operation in history - in total more than 3 million people were involved. The operation has begun June 6, 1944 and ended on August 31, 1944 with the liberation of Paris from the German occupiers. This operation combined the skill of organizing and preparing for combat operations of the Allied troops and the rather ridiculous mistakes of the Reich troops, which led to the collapse of Germany in France.

Goals of the warring parties

For Anglo-American troops "Overlord" set the goal of delivering a crushing blow to the very heart of the Third Reich and, in cooperation with the advance of the Red Army along the entire eastern front, crushing the main and most powerful enemy from the Axis countries. The goal of Germany, as the defending side, was extremely simple: not to allow the Allied troops to land and gain a foothold in France, to force them to suffer heavy human and technical losses and dump them into the English Channel.

Strengths of the parties and the general state of affairs before the battle

It is worth noting that the position of the German army in 1944, especially on the Western Front, left much to be desired. Hitler concentrated his main troops on the eastern front, where Soviet troops were victorious one after another. The German troops were deprived of a unified leadership in France - constant changes in senior commanders, conspiracies against Hitler, disputes about a possible landing site, and the lack of a unified defensive plan did not in any way contribute to the successes of the Nazis.

By June 6, 1944, 58 Nazi divisions were stationed in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, including 42 infantry, 9 tank and 4 air field divisions. They were united into two army groups, “B” and “G”, and were subordinate to the “West” command. Army Group "B" (commanded by Field Marshal E. Rommel), located in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, included the 7th, 15th armies and the 88th separate army corps- a total of 38 divisions. Army Group G (commanded by General I. Blaskowitz) consisting of the 1st and 19th armies (11 divisions in total) was located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and in southern France.

In addition to the troops that were part of the army groups, 4 divisions made up the reserve of the West command. Thus, the greatest densities of troops were created in North-Eastern France, on the coast of the Pas-de-Calais Strait. In general, the German units were scattered throughout France and did not have time to arrive on the battlefield in time. For example, about 1 million more Reich soldiers were in France and initially did not participate in the battle.

Despite the relatively large number of people stationed in the area German soldiers and equipment, their combat effectiveness was extremely low. 33 divisions were considered “stationary”, that is, they either had no vehicles at all or did not have the required amount of fuel. About 20 divisions were newly formed or recovered from battles, so they were only 70-75% of normal strength. To many tank divisions There was also a shortage of fuel.

From the memoirs of the Chief of Staff of the West Command, General Westphal: “It is well known that the combat effectiveness of the German troops in the West, already at the time of the landing, was much lower than the combat effectiveness of the divisions operating in the East and Italy... A significant number of ground force formations located in France, the so-called “stationary divisions,” were very poorly equipped with weapons and by motor transport and consisted of older soldiers". Air fleet Germany could provide about 160 combat-ready aircraft. As for the naval forces, Hitler's troops had at their disposal 49 submarines, 116 patrol ships, 34 torpedo boats and 42 artillery barges.

The Allied forces, commanded by future US President Dwight Eisenhower, had 39 divisions and 12 brigades at their disposal. As for aviation and navy, in this aspect the Allies had an overwhelming advantage. They had about 11 thousand combat aircraft, 2300 transport aircraft; over 6 thousand combat, landing and transport ships. Thus, by the time of the landing, the overall superiority of the Allied forces over the enemy was 2.1 times in men, 2.2 times in tanks, and almost 23 times in aircraft. In addition, the Anglo-American troops constantly brought new forces to the battlefield, and by the end of August they already had about 3 million people at their disposal. Germany could not boast of such reserves.

Operation plan

The American command began preparing for the landing in France long before "D-Day"(the original landing project was considered 3 years before - in 1941 - and was codenamed “Roundup”). In order to test their strength in the war in Europe, the Americans, together with British troops, landed in North Africa(Operation Torch), and then in Italy. The operation was postponed and changed many times because the United States could not decide which theater of military operations was more important for them - the European or the Pacific. After the decision was made to choose Germany as the main rival, and Pacific Ocean limited to tactical defense, the development plan began Operation Overlord.

The operation consisted of two phases: the first was codenamed "Neptune", the second - "Cobra". "Neptune" assumed an initial landing of troops, the capture of coastal territory, "Cobra" - a further offensive deep into France, followed by the capture of Paris and access to the German-French border. The first part of the operation lasted from June 6, 1944 to July 1, 1944; the second began immediately after the end of the first, that is, from July 1, 1944 until August 31 of the same year.

The operation was prepared in the strictest secrecy, all troops that were supposed to land in France were transferred to special isolated military bases that were forbidden to leave, information propaganda was conducted regarding the place and time of the operation.

In addition to US and British troops, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers took part in the operation, and French resistance forces were active in France itself. For a very long time, the command of the allied forces could not accurately determine the time and place of the start of the operation. The most preferred landing sites were Normandy, Brittany and Pas-de-Calais.

Everyone knows that the choice was made on Normandy. The choice was influenced by factors such as the distance to the ports of England, the echelon and strength of defensive fortifications, and the range of the Allied aircraft. The combination of these factors determined the choice of the Allied command.

Until the very last moment, the German command believed that the landing would take place in the Pas-de-Calais area, since this place was closest to England, and therefore required the least time to transport cargo, equipment, and new soldiers. In Pas-de-Calais, the famous “Atlantic Wall” was created - an impregnable line of defense for the Nazis, while in the landing area the fortifications were hardly half ready. The landing took place on five beaches, which were codenamed “Utah”, “Omaha”, “Gold”, “Sword”, “Juno”.

The start time of the operation was determined by the ratio of the water level and the time of sunrise. These factors were considered to ensure that the landing craft did not run aground and were not damaged by underwater obstacles, and that it was possible to land equipment and troops as close to the shore as possible. As a result, the day the operation began was June 6, and this day was named "D-Day". The night before the landing of the main forces, a parachute landing was dropped behind enemy lines, which was supposed to help the main forces, and immediately before the start of the main attack, the German fortifications were subjected to a massive air raid and Allied ships.

Progress of the operation

Such a plan was developed at headquarters. In reality, things didn't go quite that way. The landing force, which was dropped behind German lines the night before the operation, was scattered over a vast territory - over 216 square meters. km. for 25-30 km. from captured objects. Most of The 101st Division, which landed near Sainte-Maire-Eglise, disappeared without a trace. The 6th British Division was also unlucky: although the landing paratroopers were much more numerous than their American comrades, in the morning they came under fire from their own aircraft, with which they could not establish contact. The 1st US Division was almost completely destroyed. Some ships with tanks were sunk before they even reached the shore.

Already during the second part of the operation - Operation Cobra - Allied aircraft attacked their own command post. The offensive went much slower than planned. The bloodiest event of the entire company was the landing on Omaha Beach. According to the plan, early in the morning, German fortifications on all beaches were subjected to fire from naval guns and air bombing, as a result of which the fortifications were significantly damaged.

But on the Omaha, due to fog and rain, the naval guns and planes missed, and the fortifications did not receive any damage. By the end of the first day of the operation, on the Omaha the Americans had lost more than 3 thousand people and were unable to take the positions planned by the plan, while on the Utah during this time they lost about 200 people, took the necessary positions and united with the landing party. Despite all this, on the whole the landing of the Allied troops was quite successful.

Then the second phase was successfully started Operation Overlord, within which cities such as Cherbourg, Saint-Lo, Caen and others were taken. The Germans retreated, throwing weapons and equipment to the Americans. On August 15, due to mistakes by the German command, two German tank armies were surrounded, and although they were able to escape from the so-called Falaise Pocket, it was at the cost of huge losses. Allied forces then captured Paris on August 25, continuing to push the Germans back to the Swiss borders. After the complete cleansing of the French capital from fascists, Operation Overlord was declared completed.

Reasons for the victory of the Allied forces

Many of the reasons for the Allied victory and the German defeat have already been mentioned above. One of the main reasons was the critical position of Germany in the at this stage war. The main forces of the Reich were concentrated on the Eastern Front; the constant onslaught of the Red Army did not give Hitler the opportunity to transfer new troops to France. Such an opportunity arose only at the end of 1944 (Ardennes Offensive), but then it was already too late.

The better military-technical equipment of the Allied troops also had an effect: all the equipment of the Anglo-Americans was new, with full ammunition and a sufficient supply of fuel, while the Germans constantly experienced supply difficulties. In addition, the Allies constantly received reinforcements from English ports.

An important factor was the activity of the French partisans, who spoiled the supply quite well German troops. In addition, the allies had a numerical superiority over the enemy in all types of weapons, as well as in personnel. Conflicts within the German headquarters, as well as the incorrect belief that the landing would take place in the Pas-de-Calais area and not in Normandy, led to a decisive Allied victory.

Operation meaning

In addition to the fact that the landing in Normandy showed the strategic and tactical skill of the command of the Allied forces and the courage of ordinary soldiers, it also had a huge influence on the course of the war. "D-Day" opened a second front, forced Hitler to fight on two fronts, which stretched the already dwindling forces of the Germans. This was the first major battle in Europe, in which American soldiers showed themselves. The offensive in the summer of 1944 caused the collapse of everything Western Front, The Wehrmacht lost almost all positions in Western Europe.

Representation of the battle in the media

The scale of the operation, as well as its bloodshed (especially on Omaha Beach) led to the fact that today there are many computer games, films on this topic. Perhaps the most famous film was the masterpiece of the famous director Steven Spielberg "Saving Private Ryan", which tells about the massacre that occurred on the Omaha. This topic was also discussed in "The Longest Day", television series "Brothers in Arms" and many documentaries. Operation Overlord has appeared in more than 50 different computer games.

Even though Operation Overlord was carried out more than 50 years ago, and now it remains the largest amphibious operation in the history of mankind, and now the attention of many scientists and experts is riveted on it, and now there are endless disputes and debates about it. And it’s probably clear why.