On June 6, 1944, the long-awaited landing of anti-Hitler coalition troops on the northern coast of France began, which received the general name “Suzerain” (“Overlord”). The operation was prepared long and carefully, and was preceded by difficult negotiations in Tehran. Millions of tons of military cargo were delivered. On the secret front, the Abwehr was misinformed by the British and US intelligence services regarding the landing area and many other activities that ensured a successful offensive. IN different times both here and abroad, the scale of this military operation, depending on the political situation, was either exaggerated or downplayed. The time has come to give an objective assessment of both it and its consequences in the Western European theater of the Second World War.
Stewed meat, condensed milk and egg powder
As is known from films, Soviet soldiers, participants in the war of 1941-1945, called the “second front” the American stew, condensed milk, and other food products that came to the USSR from the USA under the Lend-Lease program. This phrase was pronounced with a somewhat ironic intonation, expressing barely concealed contempt for the “allies.” The meaning behind it was this: while we are shedding blood here, they are delaying the start of the war against Hitler. They are sitting back, in general, waiting to enter the war at the moment when both the Russians and the Germans weaken and exhaust their resources. Then the Americans and the British will come to share the laurels of the winners. The opening of the Second Front in Europe was postponed; the Red Army continued to bear the brunt of the fighting.
In a sense, that's exactly what happened. Moreover, it would be unfair to blame F.D. Roosevelt for not being in a hurry to send the American army into battle, but waiting for the most opportune moment. After all, as President of the United States, he had a responsibility to think about the good of his country and act in its interests. As for Great Britain, without American help they were technically unable to carry out a massive invasion of the mainland. From 1939 to 1941, this country fought a war against Hitler alone, it managed to survive, but there was no talk of an offensive. So there is nothing particularly to blame Churchill for. In a sense, the Second Front existed throughout the war and until D-Day (Day of Landing), it pinned down significant forces of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. The majority (approximately three-quarters) of the German sea and air fleet was engaged in the operation against Britain.
However, without detracting from the merits of the allies, our participants in the Great Patriotic War They always rightly believed that it was they who made a decisive contribution to the common victory over the enemy.
Was it necessary?
A condescending and contemptuous attitude towards allied assistance was cultivated by the Soviet leadership throughout the post-war decades. The main argument was the ratio of Soviet and German losses on Eastern Front with similar numbers of dead Americans, British, Canadians and the same Germans, but in the West. Nine out of ten killed Wehrmacht soldiers laid down their lives in battles with the Red Army. Near Moscow, on the Volga, in the Kharkov region, in the Caucasus Mountains, on thousands of nameless high-rise buildings, near unknown villages, the backbone of a war that easily defeated almost all European armies and conquered countries in a matter of weeks, and sometimes days, was broken. Maybe the Second Front in Europe was not needed at all and could have been done without it? By the summer of 1944, the outcome of the war as a whole was a foregone conclusion. The Germans suffered terrible losses, there was a catastrophic lack of human and material resources, while Soviet military production reached levels unprecedented in world history. The endless “levelling of the front” (as Goebbels propaganda explained the constant retreat) was essentially flight. Nevertheless, J.V. Stalin persistently reminded the allies of their promise to strike Germany from the other side. In 1943, American troops landed in Italy, but this was clearly not enough.
Where and when
The names of military operations are chosen so as to convey in one or two words the entire strategic essence of the upcoming action. Moreover, the enemy, even recognizing him, should not guess the main elements of the plan. The direction of the main attack, the technical means involved, timing and similar details necessarily remain a mystery to the enemy. The upcoming landing on the northern European coast was called "Overlord". The operation was divided into several stages, which also had their own codes. It began on D-Day with Neptune, and ended with Cobra, which implied advancement into the interior of the mainland.
In Germanic General Staff there was no doubt that the opening of the Second Front would take place. 1944 is the last date when this event could take place, and, knowing the basic American technical techniques, it was difficult to imagine that the allies of the USSR would launch an offensive in unfavorable autumn or winter months. In the spring, an invasion was also considered unlikely due to the instability of weather conditions. So, summer. Intelligence provided by the Abwehr confirmed the massive transport of technical equipment. B-17 and B-24 bombers were delivered disassembled to the islands by Liberty ships, as were Sherman tanks, and in addition to these offensive weapons, other cargo arrived from overseas: food, medicine, fuel and lubricants , ammunition, marine vehicles and much more. Hide such a large-scale movement military equipment And personnel almost impossible. The German command had only two questions: “When?” and where?".
Not where they are expected
The English Channel is the most bottleneck water area between the British Mainland and Europe. It was here that the German generals would have launched a landing if they had decided to do so. This is logical and follows all the rules military science. But that is why General Eisenhower completely ruled out the English Channel when planning Overlord. The operation had to be a complete surprise for the German command, otherwise there was a considerable risk of a military fiasco. In any case, defending the coast is much easier than storming it. The fortifications of the Atlantic Wall were created in advance throughout all previous war years; work began immediately after the occupation of the northern part of France and was carried out with the involvement of the population of the occupied countries. They acquired particular intensity after Hitler realized that the opening of a Second Front was inevitable. 1944 was marked by the arrival at the proposed landing site of the Allied troops of General Field Marshal Rommel, whom the Fuhrer respectfully called either the “desert fox” or his “African lion.” This military specialist spent a lot of energy on improving fortifications, which, as time has shown, were almost of no use. This is a great merit of the American and British intelligence services and other soldiers of the “invisible front” of the allied forces.
Fool Hitler
Any success military operation depends to a greater extent on the factor of surprise and timely troop concentration than on the balance of forces of the warring parties. The second front should have been opened on that section of the coast where an invasion was least expected. The Wehrmacht's capabilities in France were limited. Most of the German armed forces fought fighting against the Red Army, trying to hold back its advance. The war moved from the territory of the USSR to the spaces of Eastern Europe, the oil supply system from Romania was under threat, and without gasoline, all military equipment turned into a pile of useless metal. The situation was reminiscent of chess tsuntzwang, when almost any move led to irreparable consequences, especially the wrong one. It was impossible to make a mistake, but the German headquarters still made the wrong conclusions. This was facilitated by many actions of allied intelligence, including the planned “leak” of disinformation and various measures to mislead Abwehr agents and aerial intelligence. Models of transport ships were even made and placed in ports far from the actual loading areas.
Ratio of military groups
Not a single battle in the entire history of mankind has gone according to plan; unexpected circumstances have always arisen that prevent this. “Overlord” is an operation that was planned long and carefully, but was repeatedly postponed for various reasons, which was also no exception. However, the two main components that determined its overall success were still preserved: the landing site remained unknown to the enemy until D-Day, and the balance of forces was in favor of the attackers. 1 million 600 thousand soldiers of the allied forces took part in the landing and subsequent hostilities on the continent. Against 6 thousand 700 German guns, the Anglo-American units could use 15 thousand of their own. They had 6 thousand tanks, and the Germans only 2000. It was extremely difficult for one hundred and sixty Luftwaffe aircraft to intercept almost eleven thousand Allied aircraft, among which, in fairness, it should be noted, most of them were Douglas transport aircraft (but there were also quite a few “ Flying Fortresses”, and “Liberators”, and “Mustangs”, and “Spitfires”). The armada of 112 ships could only be resisted by five German cruisers and destroyers. Only German submarines had a quantitative advantage, but by that time the Americans’ means of combating them had reached a high level.
Beaches of Normandy
Use French geographical concepts The American military did not, they seemed unpronounceable. Like the names of military operations, areas of the coast called beaches were coded. There were four of them: Gold, Omaha, Juneau and Sword. Many Allied soldiers died on their sand, although the command did everything to minimize losses. On July 6, eighteen thousand paratroopers (two airborne divisions) were landed from DC-3 aircraft and by gliders. Previous wars, like the entire Second World War, had never seen such a scale. The opening of the Second Front was accompanied by powerful artillery preparation and aerial bombardment of defensive structures, infrastructure and locations of German troops. The actions of the paratroopers in some cases were not very successful; during the landing, forces were dispersed, but this did not matter much. The ships were heading towards the shore; by the end of the day, there were already 156 thousand soldiers and 20 thousand military vehicles on the shore. different types. The captured bridgehead measured 70 by 15 kilometers (on average). As of June 10, over 100 thousand tons of military cargo had already been unloaded onto this strip, and the concentration of troops reached almost a third of a million people. Despite huge losses(during the first day they amounted to about ten thousand), after three days the Second Front was opened. This has become an obvious and indisputable fact.
Development of success
In order to continue the liberation of Nazi-occupied territories, more than just soldiers and equipment were required. War consumes hundreds of tons of fuel, ammunition, food and medicine every day. It gives the warring countries hundreds and thousands of wounded who need to be treated. An expeditionary force deprived of supplies is doomed.
After the Second Front was opened, the advantage of the developed American economy became obvious. The Allied forces had no problems with the timely delivery of everything they needed, but this required ports. They were captured very quickly, the French Cherbourg was the first, it was occupied on June 27.
Having recovered from the first sudden blow, the Germans, however, were in no hurry to admit defeat. Already in the middle of the month they used the V-1 for the first time, a prototype of cruise missiles. Despite the meager capabilities of the Reich, Hitler found the resources for mass production of ballistic V-2s. London was shelled (1,100 missile strikes), as well as the ports of Antwerp and Liege located on the mainland and used by the Allies to supply troops (almost 1,700 FAUs of two types). Meanwhile, the Norman bridgehead expanded (up to 100 km) and deepened (up to 40 km). 23 air bases were deployed there, capable of receiving all types of aircraft. The number of personnel increased to 875 thousand. Conditions were created for the development of the offensive towards the German border, for which the Second Front was opened. The date of general victory was approaching.
Allied failures
Anglo-American aviation carried out massive raids on the territory fascist Germany, dropping tens of thousands of tons of bomb load on cities, factories, railway junctions and other objects. In the second half of 1944, the Luftwaffe pilots were no longer able to resist this avalanche. During the entire period of the liberation of France, the Wehrmacht suffered half a million losses, and the allied forces suffered only 40 thousand killed (plus more than 160 thousand wounded). The Nazi tank forces numbered only a hundred combat-ready tanks (the Americans and British had 2 thousand). For every German plane there were 25 Allied ones. And there were no more reserves. A group of two hundred thousand Nazis found themselves blocked in western France. Given the overwhelming superiority of the invading army, German units often hung out a white flag even before the start of artillery preparation. But there were frequent cases of stubborn resistance, as a result of which dozens, even hundreds of Allied tanks were destroyed.
On July 18-25, the British (8th) and Canadian (2nd) corps encountered well-fortified German positions, their attack faltered, which prompted Marshal Montgomery to subsequently argue that the attack was a false and diversionary one.
An unfortunate side effect of the high firepower of American troops was losses from so-called “friendly fire,” when troops suffered from their own shells and bombs.
In December, the Wehrmacht launched a serious counter-offensive in the Ardennes salient, which was crowned with partial success, but could solve little strategically.
Result of the operation and the war
After World War II began, the participating countries changed from time to time. Some stopped hostilities, others started them. Some took the side of their former enemies (like Romania, for example), while others simply capitulated. There were even states that formally supported Hitler, but never opposed the USSR (like Bulgaria or Turkey). The main participants in the war of 1941-1945 remained opponents, Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Britain (they fought even longer, since 1939). France was also among the winners, although Field Marshal Keitel, when signing the surrender, could not resist making an ironic remark on this matter.
There is no doubt that the Normandy landing of the allied forces and the subsequent actions of the armies of the United States, Britain, France and other countries contributed to the defeat of Nazism and the destruction of the criminal political regime, which did not hide its inhumane essence. However, it is very difficult to compare these undoubtedly respectable efforts with the battles of the Eastern Front. It was against the USSR that Hitlerism waged a total war, the goal of which was the complete destruction of the population, which was also declared official documents Third Reich. Them more respect And of blessed memory deserve our participants in the Great Patriotic War, who fulfilled their duty in much more difficult conditions than their Anglo-American brothers in arms.
World War II. 1939–1945. History of the Great War Nikolai Alexandrovich Shefov
Allied landings in France
Allied landings in France
On June 6, 1944, the Allied troops began landing on the northwestern coast of France, in Normandy. The impending invasion could not be hidden. That's why main question was where the landing would begin. The French coast line, which was over 2 thousand km, provided ample opportunities for choosing a landing area. This forced the Germans to disperse their limited forces over a wide front.
The time and place of the landing were kept in deep secrecy. For example, coastal areas where troops were located ready for invasion were denied access to civilians. Conducted active work on misinformation regarding the invasion area. German intelligence It was not possible to obtain the necessary information about the time and place of landing. As a result, the German leadership did not have accurate information. It was awaiting the Allied landing in the Pas-de-Calais Strait, where the distance between England and the mainland was minimal. The main forces were concentrated here, and also the most fortified part of the so-called “Atlantic Wall” - a system of defensive structures on the French coast. Other areas were much less protected.
The coast of Northern France, Belgium and Holland was defended by the German Army Group B under the command of Field Marshal Rommel, consisting of the 7th and 15th armies and the 88th separate corps. The overall command of the German troops in the West was exercised by Field Marshal K. von Rundstedt. The Allied expeditionary forces under the command of General G. Montgomery united into the 21st Army Group (1st American, 2nd British, 1st Canadian Armies).
The balance of forces and means of the parties on the eve of the Allied landings in Normandy
The table shows that the Allies had an overwhelming superiority in forces. The table takes into account German troops, which could be brought in to repel the landing, including from other regions of France. But given the dominance of Allied aviation in the air and the active actions of the French partisans, this was extremely difficult to do. However, the Allied troops did not land in France at the same time.
The Allied landing in Normandy (Operation Overlord) was a complete surprise for the German command. On the night of June 6, under the cover of massive air strikes, two large airborne assault forces (up to 18 thousand people) were landed north of Carentan and northeast of Cannes, which tried to block German communications.
As dawn approached, Allied aircraft and ships bombarded the northern coast of Normandy with a hail of bombs and shells. They suppressed German batteries, destroyed defensive structures, swept away barbed wire barriers, destroyed minefields and damaged communication lines. Under the cover of this powerful fire, landing craft approached the shore.
On the morning of June 6, amphibious assault forces were landed in a 100-kilometer area between the Orne River and the eastern part of the Cotentin Peninsula. They captured 3 large bridgeheads with a depth of 2 to 9 km. Over 6 thousand warships, transport and landing craft were used for the landing. Thanks to the successful actions of surface ships and aircraft, the Germans were unable to use their submarine superiority to interfere with the delivery of troops and supplies. By the end of June 6, the Allies had landed 156 thousand soldiers on the coast, and also delivered more than 20 thousand units of equipment to the captured bridgeheads. It was the largest amphibious operation of World War II.
The German forces in this area were far from sufficient to provide serious resistance to the numerically superior Allied formations. In addition, the German command did not immediately understand the situation, continuing to consider the landing in Normandy a diversionary maneuver. Hitler, convinced that the main landing force would soon land in the Pas-de-Calais area, initially forbade the deployment of large reserves to Normandy.
The German high command firmly adhered to this preconceived opinion for several days. When it finally became clear that this was a serious, large-scale operation, precious time was lost. The Allies gained a foothold in the bridgeheads, and the Germans had very little chance of dislodging them from there given the existing balance of forces and means.
Nevertheless, thanks to the gradual tightening of reinforcements, the number of German troops was increased in the coming days to three infantry and one tank divisions. This allowed them to put up stubborn resistance. But it could not hold back the superior forces of the Allies, who, with the support of naval artillery and aviation, managed to establish communications between the bridgeheads. By June 10, one bridgehead was created from them, which had over 70 km along the front and 10–17 km in depth. By June 12, the number of troops on it reached 327 thousand people, 5,400 aircraft, 104 thousand tons of military equipment and equipment. It was almost impossible for the Germans, who did not have serious support from tanks, aviation and artillery, to throw such a mass of people and equipment into the sea. The main efforts of the German troops were now aimed at delaying the advance of the Allies for as long as possible and preventing them from breaking into operational space.
Meanwhile, the bridgehead was expanding. On June 18, the US VII Corps reached the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. As a result of this operation, the port of Cherbourg, located at the northern tip of the peninsula, was isolated. By June 21, the Americans approached Cherbourg and, after powerful air preparation, began an assault on the fortress. On June 27, its garrison laid down its arms.
Soon after the Allied landings in Normandy, the Germans began shelling England with their new weapon - V-1 cruise missiles. Hitler spent three years at enormous expense developing a program for the production of long-range missiles, the target of which was to be London and the southern English ports. In mid-June 1944, the first shelling of London took place. At the end of the summer, an even more powerful V-2 rocket appeared. Over seven months, the Germans fired 1,100 V-2 missiles at London, and 1,675 missiles at Liege and Antwerp. However, the new weapon did not have the effect that the Reich leaders had hoped for and could not seriously influence the course of the war.
By the end of June, the bridgehead on the Normandy coast reached 40 km in depth and 100 km in width. It housed 875 thousand soldiers and 23 airfields, where a significant part of the allied aviation was relocated. The bridgehead now had the large port of Cherbourg, which, after restoration (in the first half of July), began to play a significant role in supplying the Allied forces in France.
18 German divisions operated against the bridgehead on a front of 100 km. It was a very high density of defense. However, these German divisions experienced shortages of personnel and combat equipment, and also suffered serious damage from powerful artillery and air strikes. Hitler still did not dare to sharply increase his forces in Normandy for fear of a second landing in Pas-de-Calais. The Germans did not have large reserves in France. The main forces of the Wehrmacht fought on the Eastern Front, where a powerful offensive began at that time Soviet troops in Belarus. By July 1, the German command was forced to admit that it was not and would not be possible to cope with the enemy group in Normandy.
However, the Allies' attempts to expand the bridgehead in July ran into stubborn resistance from German units. From June 25 to July 25, the front in Normandy moved only 10–15 km. The most brutal battles in July took place at the road junctions - the towns of Saint-Lo and Cannes. Complete Allied air superiority was combined with precise coordination between the army and air force. This is how General Arnold describes the advance of American troops on St. Lo: “Fighters and fighter-bombers, maintaining the most direct communication and operating under overall command, flew ahead, hitting military targets. Maintaining direct radio contact with the tanks, the fighters patrolled over our tank columns in constant combat readiness. Officers on the ground called in fighter planes to bomb or shoot at any artillery or tanks that got in their way. The pilots warned tank commanders about anti-tank traps.”
Having no air support, the German troops nevertheless had no intention of retreating and fought steadfastly. They created a defense in depth, provided with a large number of anti-tank weapons. Despite air support from 2000–2200 bombers, this resistance center was captured only after numerous attacks. Saint-Lô fell on July 18th.
On the same day, the strongest tank attack was carried out near Cannes. Three Allied armored divisions took part in it. They went on the offensive after intense bombing strikes carried out by 2 thousand bombers. These blows were so powerful that most of the prisoners, stunned by the explosions, could not even answer questions for almost a day. It seemed that the Allies were doomed to succeed in breaking through and entering operational space. However, the German defense turned out to be much more deeply echeloned than the Allied command had expected. Cannes held out for three more days and fell on July 21 after fierce fighting. By July 25, the Allies reached the line of Saint-Lo, Caumont, Cannes.
This concluded Operation Overlord. The Allies lost about 122 thousand people in it, the Germans - about 117 thousand people. The slow progress of the Allied armies in July did not live up to the high hopes that arose after the successful landing. The bridgehead captured during the operation in Normandy (up to 110 km along the front and a depth of 30–50 km) was 2 times smaller than what was envisaged to be occupied according to the operation plan. However, under conditions of absolute air supremacy, the Allies were able to freely concentrate sufficient forces and means to conduct a major offensive operation.
The difficult situation of the Germans at the front was aggravated by the disorganization of their high command. The Allied landings in Normandy and the defeat of German troops in Belarus caused a political crisis in Germany. He expressed himself in an attempted coup d'etat, which was organized by military personnel dissatisfied with Hitler. The conspirators intended to physically eliminate the Fuhrer, seize power, and then make peace with all the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The murder of the head of the Third Reich was assigned to Colonel Stauffenberg. On July 20, he left a briefcase containing a time bomb in the room where Hitler was holding a meeting. But the explosion caused only minor destruction, and the Fuhrer remained alive. The plot failed. Its organizers were captured and shot. The Stauffenberg case had a negative impact on the morale of the German officer corps, creating fear of reprisals in its ranks.
Meanwhile, the Allies were preparing to launch a decisive offensive. To do this, they had 32 divisions, 2.5 thousand tanks and 11 thousand aircraft. They were opposed by 24 German divisions with about 900 tanks, which had weak air cover. The offensive began on the morning of July 25 with powerful air preparation. 4,700 tons of bombs were dropped on the area of the supposed breakthrough (8 km deep and 1.5 km wide). Using this knockout bomb, the Allied divisions rushed forward. By the end of the third day of fighting, the German defenses had been broken through to the entire tactical depth (15–20 km).
Pursuing the retreating German units, the Allied forces entered the operational space. In an effort to stop this breakthrough, the Germans threw their last reserves into battle. But in vain. An attempt by a German counterattack on August 8 in the Mortain area with the aim of cutting the advancing troops in two failed. A significant role in the German failure was played by their lack of fuel and massive Allied air strikes on tank columns. Having failed to achieve its goals, the counterattack near Martin turned into a serious problem for the German troops. He delayed their withdrawal while Allied forces outflanked counterattacking German units.
After the failure of the counterattack near Mortain, a significant part of the German troops stuck west of the Seine was cut off from the main forces and ended up in a sack in the Falaise area. Meanwhile, the commander of the German troops in France since the beginning of July, Field Marshal Kluge, was withdrawing his surviving armies beyond the Seine. He sought to quickly escape the trap in which they found themselves as a result of Hitler’s ban on moving away from their positions. Due to insufficient coordination of the Allies' actions, the main forces of the encircled forces managed to break through to the east through the corridor between Argentan and Falaise. Although the bulk escaped from the Falaise bag by August 19, about 50 thousand Germans were still captured, and 10 thousand died in battle.
As a result of the Allied breakthrough from Normandy, the German front in northern France was split in two. Its eastern part continued to retreat to the borders of Germany, and the western group (up to 200 thousand people) found itself cut off and pressed against the western coast of France. Most of the cut off troops settled in the garrisons of coastal fortified cities. Some of them (in Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, etc.) continued resistance until the end of the war.
On August 16, Hitler removed Kluge from command and appointed Field Marshal Model in his place. But the new commander was unable to significantly improve the situation. On August 25, Allied troops reached the Seine and entered the capital of France, Paris, liberated the day before during a popular uprising. On the eastern bank of the river, a bridgehead was captured in the Evreux area.
During the attack on Paris, the Allies landed a large assault force in southern France, between Cannes and Toulon, on August 15, 1944. The 7th American Army landed there under the command of General A. Patch. It consisted of proven units that had experience fighting in North Africa and Italy. The landing was carried out by about 700 warships.
By August 19, the Allied forces had created a bridgehead up to 90 km along the front and up to 60 km in depth. It concentrated up to 160 thousand people, 2500 thousand guns and 600 tanks. The Americans learned lessons from their previous landing operations and abandoned the principle of attacking from a systematically prepared bridgehead. Now all the landing troops, without wasting time, moved as far forward as possible.
Located in the south of France, the German 19th Army (10 divisions) was poorly staffed and had low combat effectiveness. Her troops, who suffered heavy losses from artillery and air strikes, were unable to provide any significant resistance anywhere. They began a hasty retreat to the north, trying to avoid encirclement and defeat.
Overcoming little resistance, the Allies occupied Marseille and began to advance along the Rhone Valley. In 8 days they advanced 225 km. The German 19th Army retreated to Belfort. By September 10, Allied units advancing from the south united in the Dijon area with units of the 3rd American Army. As a result, a united front of allied forces was formed in the west.
Model's original plan to defend the northern bank of the Seine proved impracticable. Having delayed a little at this line, the German army, which retained its combat capability, retreated to a new line of defense near the borders of Germany.
At the beginning of September, Field Marshal Rundstedt again took command of the German forces in the west. Field Marshal Model became only the commander of Army Group B. At the same time, General D. Eisenhower took charge of all Allied ground operations in the west. On the left flank of the Allies, the 21st Army Group under the command of Field Marshal Montgomery (1st Canadian and 2nd British armies) was advancing. In the center is the 12th Army Group under the command of General D. Bradley (1st, 3rd and 9th American Armies). On the right flank is the 6th Army Group under the command of General D. Divers (7th American and 1st French armies).
Pursuing the retreating German units, the Allies entered Belgian territory. On September 3, they occupied Brussels, and the next day, almost without a fight, they entered Antwerp, where they got fully preserved port facilities. The liberation of France was generally completed. The total number of allied troops on its territory by that time exceeded 2 million people. Hitler's dream of an impregnable “Fortress Europe” was crumbling before his eyes. The war was approaching the borders from where it had come four years ago.
Having received bases in France, the Allies continued their air offensive against Germany. Thus, in June - August, British bomber aircraft dropped about 32 thousand tons of bombs on targets in Germany. During the same time, the 8th American Air Force dropped about 67 thousand tons of bombs on targets in Germany. These powerful bombings led to a reduction in industrial production in Germany and its satellite countries. Thus, fuel production in Germany and its allied states in September amounted to 32 percent of the level at the beginning of the summer of 1944.
During the battle for France, German troops suffered a crushing defeat. They lost almost half a million people. Allied losses amounted to about 40 thousand people. killed, 164 thousand wounded and 20 thousand missing. By mid-September, the German command had western front only 100 combat-ready tanks against 2000 operating as part of the first echelons of the allied forces, and 570 aircraft (the allies had 14 thousand). Thus, allied armies outnumbered the Germans by 20 times in tanks and almost 25 times in aircraft.
These stunning successes made such a strong impression on Montgomery that he turned to Eisenhower with a request to provide him with enough equipment for a breakthrough all the way to Berlin. There was good reason for such optimism. According to the memoirs of the German General Blumentritt, at the end of August 1944, the German front in the west was actually open. When the Allies approached the German borders in early September, the Germans did not have large troops beyond the Rhine, and nothing could delay the Allies' advance deeper into Germany.
However, when victory seemed very close, the pace of advance of the Allied forces fell sharply. A significant reason for their slowdown was interruptions in the supply of fuel. Allied communications were stretched, and combat units were far removed from logistics bases. The troops experienced an acute shortage of fuel.
An equally serious obstacle was the resistance of German troops. In the critical situation of the first half of September, the thin line of Wehrmacht units remaining in service, at the cost of incredible efforts, covered the path to the Rhine and continued to hold their positions until the necessary reserves arrived. As a result, the throw did not go beyond the Rhine. The Allies had to overcome the last hundred kilometers on the way to this river for almost six months with great effort and losses.
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author2.2. The decisive offensive of the fascist bloc in the summer of 1942. The landing of the allies in North Africa instead of opening a second front. Stalingrad is the beginning of a radical change. The fascist bloc is striving for victory in the main theater of war. The collapse of the “blitzkrieg” near Moscow put Germany and
From the book The Defeat of Fascism. USSR and Anglo-American allies in World War II author Olsztynsky Lennor Ivanovich2.3. 1943 The promised second front was again postponed The Battle of Kursk - a radical turning point in the Second World War The Allied landing in Sicily, the anti-fascist struggle in Italy Offensive operations of the Soviet troops and allies in the winter - spring of 1943 Counter-offensive under
From book Crimean War, 1854–1856 author Dukhopelnikov Vladimir MikhailovichAllied landing on the Crimean Peninsula. The first battles The ships of the combined squadron appeared on the Black Sea coast of Russia on April 8 (20), 1854 and stopped three kilometers from Odessa. On April 22, 9 enemy ships approached the shore and began bombing
Operation Overlord
Many years have passed since the famous landing of the Allied forces in Normandy. And the debate still rages as to whether this help was needed. Soviet army- After all, the turning point in the war has 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.
While the Soviet army was fighting fiercely, the British and Americans were carefully preparing 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 wide 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 took a long time to choose the moment for the landing and postponed it day after day. The final decision was made 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 opportune, and the Soviet troops prepared everything for successful performance allies...
Combat power
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 English and American Marine Corps. The air force was 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 the navy, which had 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 had to be experienced by the infantry, which was led by English general B. Montgomery...
Judgment Day
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 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...
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 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 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 could cope with this on their own Hitler's army. 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...
Operation Neptune
Allied landings in Normandy
| date | June 6, 1944 |
| Place | Normandy, France |
| Cause | The need to open a Second Front in the European Theater of Operations |
| Bottom line | Successful Allied landings in Normandy |
| Changes | Opening of the Second Front |
Opponents
Commanders
Strengths of the parties
Operation Neptune(eng. Operation Neptune), D-Day or Normandy landings - a naval landing operation carried out from June 6 to July 25, 1944 in Normandy during World War II war by the forces of the USA, Great Britain, Canada and their allies against Germany. It was the first part of the strategic Operation Overlord or Normandy operation, which provided for the capture of northwestern France by the Allies.
Total information
Operation Neptune was the first phase of Operation Overlord, and consisted of crossing the English Channel and seizing a bridgehead on the French coast. To support the operation, Allied naval forces were assembled under the command of English Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who had experience of similar large-scale maritime operations for the transfer of manpower and military equipment (see the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, 1940).
Characteristics of the parties involved
German side
Ground units
In June 1944, the Germans had 58 divisions in the West, eight of which were stationed in Holland and Belgium, and the rest in France. About half of these divisions were coastal defense or training divisions, and of the 27 field divisions, only ten were tank divisions, of which three were in the south of France and one in the Antwerp area. Six divisions were deployed to cover two hundred miles of the Norman coast, four of which were coastal defense divisions. Of the four coastal defense divisions, three covered the forty-mile stretch of coast between Cherbourg and Caen, and one division was deployed between the Orne and Seine rivers.
Air Force
The 3rd Air Fleet (Luftwaffe III), under the command of Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle, intended for the defense of the West, nominally consisted of 500 aircraft, but the quality of the pilots remained below average. By the beginning of June 1944, the Luftwaffe had 90 bombers and 70 fighters in a state of operational readiness in the West.
Coastal defense
Coastal defenses included artillery of all calibers, ranging from 406 mm coastal defense turret guns to French 75 mm field guns from the First World War. On the Normandy coast between Cape Barfleur and Le Havre there was one battery of three 380 mm guns located 2.5 miles north of Le Havre. On a 20-mile stretch of coastline on the eastern side of the Cotentin Peninsula, four casemate batteries of 155 mm guns were installed, as well as 10 howitzer batteries consisting of twenty-four 152 mm and twenty 104 mm guns.
Along the northern coast of the Bay of the Seine, at a distance of 35 miles between Isigny and Ouistreham, there were only three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and one battery of 104 mm guns. In addition, in this area there were two more open-type batteries of 104 mm guns and two batteries of 100 mm guns.
On the seventeen-mile stretch of coast between Ouistreham and the mouth of the Seine, three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and two open batteries of 150 mm guns were installed. Coastal defenses in this area consisted of a system of strong points at intervals of about a mile apart, with echelon depths of 90–180 m. Casemate guns were mounted in concrete shelters whose roofs and seaward walls reached a thickness of 2.1 meters. Smaller concrete artillery shelters, containing 50 mm anti-tank guns, were positioned in such a way as to keep the coastline under longitudinal fire. A complex system communication passages connected artillery positions, machine gun nests, mortar positions and the infantry trench system with each other and with the living quarters of the personnel. All this was protected by anti-tank hedgehogs, barbed wire barriers, mines and anti-landing barriers.
Naval forces
German command structure navy in France, it was focused on the commander-in-chief of the naval group “West”, Admiral Kranke, whose headquarters was in Paris. The West group included an admiral of the military naval forces, Commander for the Channel Coast Territory, with headquarters at Rouen. Three area commanders were subordinate to him: the commander of the Pas-de-Calais sector, which extended from the Belgian border south to the mouth of the Somme River; commander of the Seine-Somme region, the boundaries of which were determined by the coast between the mouths of these rivers; commander of the Norman coast from the mouth of the Seine west to Saint-Malo. There was also an admiral in command of a section of the Atlantic coast, whose headquarters were in Angers. Subordinate to the last commander were three commanders of the regions of Brittany, Loire and Gascony.
The boundaries of the naval areas did not coincide with the boundaries of the military districts, and there was no direct interaction between the military, naval and air administration necessary to act in the rapidly changing situation as a result of the Allied landings.
The German Navy group, under the direct control of the Channel Zone Command, consisted of five destroyers (base in Le Havre); 23 torpedo boats (8 of which were in Boulogne and 15 in Cherbourg); 116 minesweepers (distributed between Dunkirk and Saint-Malo); 24 patrol ships(21 in Le Havre and 23 in Saint-Malo) and 42 artillery barges (16 were in Boulogne, 15 in Fécamp and 11 in Ouistreham). Along the Atlantic coast, between Brest and Bayonne, there were five destroyers, 146 minesweepers, 59 patrol ships and one torpedo boat. In addition, 49 submarines were intended for anti-amphibious service. These boats were based in Brest (24), Lorient (2), Saint-Nazaire (19) and La Pallis (4). There were another 130 large ocean-going submarines at the Bay of Biscay bases, but they were not adapted to operate in the shallow waters of the English Channel and were not taken into account in plans to repel the landing.
In addition to the listed forces, 47 minesweepers, 6 torpedo boats and 13 patrol ships were based in various ports in Belgium and Holland. Other German naval forces, consisting of battleships Tirpitz And Scharnhorst, "pocket battleships" Admiral Scheer And Lützow, heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen And Admiral Hipper, as well as four light cruisers Nürnberg , Köln And Emden, along with 37 destroyers and 83 torpedo boats, were in either Norwegian or Baltic waters.
| The few naval forces subordinate to the commander of the naval group "West" could not constantly be at sea in readiness for action in case of possible enemy landings. Beginning in March 1944, enemy radar stations detected our ships as soon as they left their bases... Losses and damage became so noticeable that, if we did not want to lose our few naval forces even before it came to the enemy landing , we did not have to carry out constant guard duty, not to mention reconnaissance raids to the enemy’s coast.” Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Grand Admiral Doenitz |
In general, the planned anti-amphibious measures of the German fleet consisted of the following:
- the use of submarines, torpedo boats and coastal artillery to attack landing ships;
- laying a large number of mines of all types, including new and simple types, known as the KMA mine (coastal contact mine), along the entire length of the European coast;
- the use of midget submarines and human torpedoes to strike ships in the invasion area;
- intensification of attacks on allied convoys in the ocean using new types of ocean-going submarines.
Allies
Naval part of the operation
The task of the Allied Navy was to organize the safe and timely arrival of convoys with troops to the enemy’s coast, ensuring the uninterrupted landing of reinforcements and fire support for the landing force. The threat from the enemy navy was not considered particularly great.
The command system for the invasion and subsequent escort of convoys was as follows:
Eastern sector:
- Eastern Naval Task Force: Commander Rear Admiral Sir Philip Weihan. Flagship Scylla.
- Force "S" (Sword): Commander Rear Admiral Arthur Talbot. Flagship "Largs" (3rd British Infantry Division and 27th tank brigade).
- Force "G" (Gold): Commander Commodore Douglas-Pennant. Flagship "Bulolo" (50th British Infantry Division and 8th Tank Brigade).
- J Force (Juneau): Commander Commodore Oliver. Flagship, USS Hilary (3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade).
- Second Echelon "L" Force: Commander Rear Admiral Parry. Flagship Albatross (7th British Tank Division and 49th Infantry Division; 4th Tank Brigade and 51st Scottish Infantry Division).
Western sector:
- Western Naval Task Force: Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral Alan Kirk. Flagship American heavy cruiser Augusta .
- Force "O" (Omaha): Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral D. Hall. Flagship USS Ancon (1st US Infantry Division and part of the 29th Infantry Division).
- Force U (Utah): Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral D. Moon. Flagship troop transport "Bayfield" (4th American Infantry Division).
- Second Echelon Force "B": Commander, US Navy Commodore S. Edgar. Flagship "Small" (2nd, 9th, 79th and 90th American divisions and the rest of the 29th division).
The naval commanders of the Task Forces and the Landing Forces were to remain senior commanders in their respective sectors until the Army units were firmly established in the beachhead.
Among the ships assigned to bombard the Eastern Sector were the 2nd and 10th cruiser squadrons, under the command of Rear Admirals F. Delrimple-Hamilton and W. Petterson. Being senior in rank to the Commander of the Task Force, both admirals agreed to renounce their seniority and act according to the instructions of the Command of the Task Force. In the same way, this problem was resolved to everyone's satisfaction in the Western Sector. Rear Admiral of the Navy Free French Zhozhar, holding his flag on the cruiser Georges Leygues, also agreed with such a command system.
Composition and distribution of naval forces
In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1,213 combat ships, 4,126 transport ships, 736 auxiliary ships and 864 merchant ships).
106 ships were allocated for artillery support, including artillery and mortar landing craft. Of these ships, 73 were in the Eastern Sector and 33 in the Western Sector. When planning artillery support, a large expenditure of ammunition was envisaged, so arrangements were made for the use of lighters loaded with ammunition. Upon return to port, the lighters were to be loaded immediately, ensuring that the gun support ships could return to bombardment positions with minimal delay. In addition, it was foreseen that artillery support ships may need to change their guns due to wear on the barrels due to the intensity of their use. Therefore, a stock of gun barrels with a caliber of 6 inches and below was created in the ports of southern England. However, ships needing replacement 15-inch guns (battleships and monitors) had to be sent to ports in northern England.
Progress of the operation
Operation Neptune began on June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day) and ended on July 1, 1944. Its goal was to conquer a bridgehead on the continent, which lasted until July 25.
40 minutes before the landing, planned direct artillery preparation began. The fire was carried out by 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 23 cruisers, and 74 destroyers. The heavy guns of the combined fleet fired at the discovered batteries and reinforced concrete structures of the enemy, the explosions of their shells, in addition, had a very strong effect on the psyche German soldiers. As the distance shortened, lighter naval artillery entered the battle. When the first wave of landings began to approach the shore, a stationary barrage was placed at the landing sites, which stopped immediately as soon as the troops reached the shore.
Approximately 5 minutes before the assault troops began landing on the shore, rocket mortars mounted on barges opened fire to increase the density of fire. When firing from close ranges, one such barge, according to the landing participant, Captain 3rd Rank K. Edwards, could replace more than 80 light cruisers or almost 200 destroyers in terms of fire power. About 20 thousand shells were fired at the landing sites of British troops and about 18 thousand shells at the landing sites of American troops. Artillery fire from ships and rocket artillery strikes that covered the entire coast turned out, in the opinion of the landing participants, to be more effective than air strikes.
The following trawling plan was adopted:
- for each of the invading forces, two channels must be traversed through the mine barrier; trawling of each channel is carried out by a flotilla of squadron minesweepers;
- carry out trawling of the coastal fairway for shelling of ships along the coast and other operations;
- As quickly as possible, the trawled channel should be expanded to create more maneuvering space;
- After landing, continue to monitor the enemy’s mine-laying operations and carry out sweeping of newly laid mines.
| date | Event | Note |
|---|---|---|
| On the night of June 5-6 | Trawling approach fairways | |
| June 5-10, 6 | The warships arrived in their areas along cleared channels and anchored, covering the flanks of the landing force from possible enemy counterattacks from the sea. | |
| June 6, morning | Artillery training | 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 24 cruisers, 74 destroyers took part in the shelling of the coast |
| 6-30, June 6 | Beginning of the amphibious landing | First in the western zone, and an hour later in the eastern zone, the first amphibious assault forces landed on the shore |
| June 10th | The assembly of artificial port structures has been completed | 2 artificial port complexes "Mulberry" and 5 artificial breakwaters "Gooseberry" for port protection |
| June 17 | American troops reached the western coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in the Carteret area | German units on the peninsula were cut off from the rest of Normandy |
| June 25-26 | Anglo-Canadian offensive on Caen | The goals were not achieved, the Germans put up stubborn resistance |
| 27th of June | Cherbourg taken | By the end of June, the Allied bridgehead in Normandy reached 100 km along the front and from 20 to 40 km in depth |
| July 1 | The Cotentin Peninsula is completely cleared of German troops | |
| first half of July | Cherbourg port restored | The port of Cherbourg played a significant role in supplying Allied troops in France |
| July 25 | The Allies reached the line south of Saint-Lo, Caumont, Caen | The Normandy landing operation ended |
Losses and results
Between June 6 and July 24, the American-British command managed to land expeditionary forces in Normandy and occupy a bridgehead of about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. The dimensions of the bridgehead were approximately 2 times smaller than those provided for in the operation plan. However, the absolute supremacy of the Allies in the air and at sea made it possible to concentrate here a large number of strength and means. The landing of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Normandy was the largest amphibious operation of strategic importance during the Second World War.
During D-Day, the Allies landed 156,000 men in Normandy. American component numbered 73,000: 23,250 amphibious assault to Utah Beach, 34,250 to Omaha Beach and 15,500 to the airborne assault. 83,115 troops landed on the British and Canadian beachheads (of which 61,715 were British): 24,970 on Gold Beach, 21,400 on Juno Beach, 28,845 on Sword Beach and 7,900 by airborne troops.
11,590 air support aircraft were deployed various types, which flew a total of 14,674 sorties and shot down 127 combat aircraft. During the airborne landing on June 6, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders were involved.
The naval forces deployed 6,939 ships and vessels: 1,213 combat, 4,126 amphibious, 736 auxiliary and 864 for cargo transportation. For support, the fleet allocated: 195,700 sailors: 52,889 American, 112,824 British, 4,988 from other coalition countries.
By June 11, 1944, there were already 326,547 military personnel, 54,186 units of military equipment, 104,428 tons of military equipment and supplies on the French coast.
Allied losses
During the landing, the Anglo-American troops lost 4,414 people killed (2,499 Americans, 1,915 representatives of other countries). Generally total losses Allies on D-Day numbered about 10,000 (6,603 Americans, 2,700 British, 946 Canadians). Allied casualties included dead, wounded, missing (whose bodies were never found) and prisoners of war.
In total, the Allies lost 122 thousand people between June 6 and July 23 (49 thousand British and Canadians and about 73 thousand Americans).
Losses of German forces
The losses of Wehrmacht troops on the day of landing are estimated to range from 4,000 to 9,000 people.
Total Damage Nazi troops over a period of almost seven weeks of fighting there were 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, 2117 tanks and 345 aircraft.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 French civilians died during the invasion - mostly as a result of Allied bombing
Assessment of the event by contemporaries
Notes
Image in art
Literature and sources of information
- Pochtarev A.N. "Neptune" through the eyes of Russians. - Independent Military Review, No. 19 (808). - Moscow: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2004.
Image gallery
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 have been ongoing since the beginning of Germany's attack on the Soviet Union. The occupation of European territories, the acquired military experience, and 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 changed 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.
Landing 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 actions air force, which met 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, an intensified transfer of troops and weapons was carried out 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. The actions of partisan detachments in the rear of the German army intensified, 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 Nazi Germany in the west.
The significance of the Normandy landings
The irretrievable losses of the Allied forces in Operation Overlord amount to about 120 thousand people, the Germans lost about 110 thousand. Of course, these figures cannot be compared 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.
