D-Day

D-DayD-Day

Trouble in June, 6th, 1944Trouble in June, 6th, 1944

(Decisions Day)(Decisions Day)

Short introductionShort introduction

• Good morning class, Good morning class,

the topic for today is the “Fight the topic for today is the “Fight in the Normandy in World War II”in the Normandy in World War II”

• We would like to introduce you We would like to introduce you what happened back in June, 6th what happened back in June, 6th 1944 at the north west coast in 1944 at the north west coast in FranceFrance

Impressions NormandyImpressions Normandy

But it wasn´t that friendly all the But it wasn´t that friendly all the time…time…

Just imagine, we would stand close to a Just imagine, we would stand close to a place called Normandy, early in the place called Normandy, early in the morning, June 6th 1944….morning, June 6th 1944….

A crazy German warlord tried A crazy German warlord tried to fight his own war against to fight his own war against the rest of the world.the rest of the world.The Americans were not able The Americans were not able to handle this anymore, so to handle this anymore, so they decided to support the they decided to support the other parties, technically and other parties, technically and mentally, after what happened mentally, after what happened to the Americans on an island to the Americans on an island called Hawaii, in a city name called Hawaii, in a city name Pearl Harbour.Pearl Harbour.

The Americans and the Brits The Americans and the Brits were looking for a spot, were were looking for a spot, were they can land, somewhere in they can land, somewhere in Europe.Europe.In a race against time they In a race against time they made their decision, and made their decision, and they figured, the best place they figured, the best place to land would be a part of to land would be a part of the Northwest coast in the Northwest coast in France name Normandy, France name Normandy, right here, were we standing right here, were we standing now ….now ….!!

A memorial….A memorial….

A smart man name Dwight A smart man name Dwight D. Eisenhower and other 80 D. Eisenhower and other 80 Generals, met in Scotland, Generals, met in Scotland, had a couple of beers, and had a couple of beers, and after that, they came to the after that, they came to the conclusion, we need to conclusion, we need to open a can of asswippen, open a can of asswippen, because that little German because that little German man is not treating the rest man is not treating the rest of the world right and of the world right and needs to be stopped!needs to be stopped!

So far so good!So far so good!

Let me allow to say, that Let me allow to say, that Mr. Hitler wasn’t dumb Mr. Hitler wasn’t dumb either! either! They already knew, or at They already knew, or at least pretended, that least pretended, that something will something will happened, sooner or happened, sooner or later, the question was later, the question was just, where and when?!just, where and when?! ! !

So they build plenty of heavy So they build plenty of heavy armoured bunkers, full heavy armoured bunkers, full heavy weapons and a lot of firepower, weapons and a lot of firepower, along the coast, which was a along the coast, which was a really hard obstacle, for the allied really hard obstacle, for the allied troops to take.troops to take.It was definitely a rough and hard It was definitely a rough and hard day for the allied troops, we going day for the allied troops, we going to talk about that later, in detailed to talk about that later, in detailed historic records, which I have historic records, which I have downloaded from the web. Like downloaded from the web. Like one of these….one of these….

Armoured howitzer site…Armoured howitzer site…

• On this pic, you can On this pic, you can see, one of the „Führers see, one of the „Führers Wunderwaffen“.Wunderwaffen“.

• He build heavy He build heavy armoured gun sites armoured gun sites along the coast. It along the coast. It needed a lot of concret needed a lot of concret and it although took live and it although took live of many people, which of many people, which suffered in german suffered in german concentration campsconcentration camps……

The German’s were not The German’s were not prepared enough, a lot of prepared enough, a lot of lucky coincidences for the lucky coincidences for the allied forces, due to weather allied forces, due to weather reasons, the Germans reasons, the Germans ignored their own weather ignored their own weather forecast, due to the fact, forecast, due to the fact, that most of the German air that most of the German air force staff and some of the force staff and some of the officers went on holidays.officers went on holidays.

Seems Seems to me, to me,

it’ll be a it’ll be a bad day bad day for the for the German German

Wehrmacht Wehrmacht and hisand his

boss..?!?boss..?!?

Prelude to Operation Prelude to Operation „Overlord“„Overlord“

During the first six months of During the first six months of 1944, the United States and 1944, the United States and

Great Britain concentrated land, Great Britain concentrated land, naval, and air forces in England naval, and air forces in England

to prepare for Operation to prepare for Operation Overlord, the assault on Hitler's Overlord, the assault on Hitler's

"Fortress Europe.""Fortress Europe."

They just had to figure out They just had to figure out where and , of course where and , of course when to land, in this when to land, in this undiscovered land…undiscovered land…

So, they decided to So, they decided to land at this land at this particular place….particular place….

They called it:They called it:

-- OHAMA BEACH OHAMA BEACH – –

- NORMANDY - - NORMANDY -

The German‘s

In 1944 the logistic issues on the west

boarderline was not fine; some military

good‘s were going the east. In may 1944 the commander in chief

army group west Fieldmarshal von

Rundstedt had have

• Fieldmarshal von Rundstedt

•48 infantry units•10 tank units•1379 tanks

•1.873.000 soldiers

•The proplem in spring 1944 was that only 39 of 1000

cannons could fight against Sea targets. They had no

powerfull Navy nor they had a powerfull Air force and no tank or troop reserves. The

troops were made of soldiers with bad

constitution or by younger soldiers who had not trained

enough.

Only a Only a fewfew days 2 go… days 2 go…

Before the invasion, the air and Before the invasion, the air and sea components played major sea components played major roles. The 12,000 planes of the roles. The 12,000 planes of the Allied air forces swept the Allied air forces swept the Luftwaffe from the skies, Luftwaffe from the skies, photographed enemy defenses, photographed enemy defenses, dropped supplies to the dropped supplies to the resistance, bombed railways, resistance, bombed railways, attacked Germany's industries attacked Germany's industries and isolated the battlefield. and isolated the battlefield.

•At the same time the allied air force were bombing all the transporting

routes so that the Atlantic-wall was cut off from the rest of German

Wehrmacht

That was the big That was the big plan……plan……

The Allies' naval The Allies' naval component was similarly component was similarly active during the buildup. active during the buildup. The navies escorted The navies escorted convoys, patrolled and convoys, patrolled and protected the English protected the English Channel, reconnoitered Channel, reconnoitered beaches and beach beaches and beach defenses, conducted defenses, conducted amphibious rehearsals and amphibious rehearsals and organized and loaded a organized and loaded a mighty flotilla to land the mighty flotilla to land the assault forces in France.assault forces in France.

Here ist comes…Here ist comes…Meanwhile, the nine army Meanwhile, the nine army divisions (three airborne divisions (three airborne and six infantry) from the and six infantry) from the United States, Britain and United States, Britain and Canada trained and Canada trained and rehearsed their roles in rehearsed their roles in the carefully the carefully choreographed operation.choreographed operation.

Fieldmarshal Rommel

• On June 6th 1944 the german comanding officers were not in the field. Fieldmarshal Erwin Rommel stayed at home to celebrate his wifes birthday. Fleetadmiral Dönitz stayed in vacation, an the German High Command had a look on the Battlefield of Italy.

•Fieldmarshal von Rundstedt stays with his Staff near

Paris to train an assault by enemy paratroops behind the west wall. After the landing of the allied paratroops in the night of June 6th in the

Normandy, the German command did not know what happened they thought that it was a part of the training.

•The information about the landing paratroops where

so different that they couldn’t belive it. On the

one hand they where talking about hard fights on

the other hand, the were talking about little plastik dummys which looked like

British paratroops.

Rock´n Roll….Rock´n Roll….

• In the morning at 6:30 German Soldiers saw the fleet in front of

the Normandy they saw the biggest Fleet they had seen in

theire life before. 6500 ships and boats where coming closer to the beach to drop of the allied troops

to landing in the Normandy.

• Fieldmarshal Rommel came emidiadly to the battlefield his staff ordered the tank reserve which was stationed close to Paris, but fieldmarshal Keitel Commander in chief German

Highcommand didn’t let them go. And WWI private first class Hitler comander in chief of the Wehrmacht was sleeping and it was not allowed to wake him

up.

• If we do not succeed in our mission to close the seas to the Allies, or in the first 48 hours, to throw them back, their invasion

will be successful ... • In the absence of strategic

reserves and due to the total inadequacy of our navy and of our air force we will have lost

the war. • Fieldmarshal Erwin Rommel• Commander in chief German

Army Group B

Point of no return…Point of no return…• Rangers climbed cliffs, Rangers climbed cliffs,

engineers destroyed engineers destroyed beach obstacles, beach obstacles, quartermasters quartermasters stockpiled supplies stockpiled supplies and infantrymen and infantrymen waded through the waded through the English surf as each English surf as each honed the skills honed the skills necessary for the necessary for the invasion's success. invasion's success.

D-Day memories…D-Day memories… After all what happend, After all what happend, we should keep in mind, we should keep in mind, that a war is never that a war is never something that need to something that need to be done, not even as a be done, not even as a „last option“.„last option“.A wise man said:…..A wise man said:…..

„„ I don´t kow which and what I don´t kow which and what kind of weapons we use kind of weapons we use against eachother in World against eachother in World War III,War III,

………… but what I do know, in World but what I do know, in World War IV we going to fight with War IV we going to fight with clubs, rocks and woodpieces.clubs, rocks and woodpieces.

„„Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein

In loving memory to In loving memory to the unknown the unknown soldier…soldier…

Casualties Casualties

• Omaha: Omaha: USA 4000 USA 4000 Germany 700Germany 700• Juno:Juno: CAN 50%CAN 50% No digitsNo digits• Sword:Sword: Brit. 700 Brit. 700 No digitsNo digits• Utha:Utha: Brit.Brit. 197197 No digitsNo digits• Gold:Gold: No digitsNo digits No digitsNo digits

•In 24 hoursIn 24 hours

PeacePeace