Reasons for D-Day General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces – complete reasons why he decided to reinvade Europe in June 1944. What would.

Reasons for D-DayReasons for D-Day

General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces – complete reasons why he decided to reinvade Europe in June

1944. What would be the dangers?

Stalin wanted a second front in Europe to ease the pressure on

his troops fighting in EastAllies had

already won victories in

North Africa (1942) and Italy (1943) France had

been occupied since 1940, the time had

come to liberate the

country

Since 1942 US troops &

equipment steadily

building up in Britain

starter activity

Reasons for D-DayReasons for D-Day

General Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces

Stalin wanted a second front in Europe to ease the pressure on

his troops fighting in EastAllies had

already won victories in

North Africa (1942) and Italy (1943) France had

been occupied since 1940, the time had

come to liberate the

country

Since 1942 US troops &

equipment steadily

building up in Britain

starter activity

Could you Could you manage to stage manage to stage your own D-Day?your own D-Day?

TBAT explain how Allies TBAT explain how Allies managed to return to Europe managed to return to Europe on 6on 6thth June 1944 to end WWII June 1944 to end WWII

Write a reportWrite a report

LOs

Key words: Operation Overlord

Your taskYour task

D-Day, 6 June 1944, marked the start of the D-Day, 6 June 1944, marked the start of the allied invasion of Europe, the greatest allied invasion of Europe, the greatest amphibious operation in history. Code-named amphibious operation in history. Code-named OVERLORD, this vast cross-Channel attack OVERLORD, this vast cross-Channel attack enabled the United Kingdom, the United States enabled the United Kingdom, the United States and their allies to land substantial forces on and their allies to land substantial forces on mainland Europe and defeat the enemy in mainland Europe and defeat the enemy in battle. Your task is to imagine you are a battle. Your task is to imagine you are a military general planning the invasion of military general planning the invasion of Europe. Have you got what it takes to land your Europe. Have you got what it takes to land your troops and break through the German troops and break through the German defences?defences?

Task sheet

1. You need to gather your troops and supplies near departure zone. How do you conceal them so they

won’t be spotted by German reconnaissance

planes?

Operation FortitudeOperation Fortitude

US troops, US troops, vehicles, supplies vehicles, supplies arrive in southern arrive in southern EnglandEngland

TrainingTraining Deception – Deception –

operation operation FORTITUDEFORTITUDE

BombingBombing ReconnaissanceReconnaissance

January 1942January 1942 4,0004,000

July 1942July 1942 80,00080,000

January 1943January 1943 120,000120,000

July 1943July 1943 240,000240,000

January 1944January 1944 930,000930,000

May 1944May 19441,500,0001,500,000

Table showing build up of US troops in UK

2. Which site do you choose for the invasion? Calais is much nearer but heavily defended.

Normandy & Brittany are further away, but there is

more chance of getting past the German defences.

Calais too heavily defended

Normandy relatively near, but less well defended

Coastline more suitable for landing invasion army & equipment

Germans expecting Allies to land in Calais

3.Once you have chosen your landing site, how do you deceive the Germans into thinking you are not

going to land there?

Allied bombing of Calais intensifiedAllied bombing of Calais intensified Misinformation & decoys – e.g. ‘Man Misinformation & decoys – e.g. ‘Man

Who Never Was’Who Never Was’ 9 separate major decoy operations 9 separate major decoy operations

including, e.g. Operation Titanic (10 including, e.g. Operation Titanic (10 SAS paratroopers simulated major SAS paratroopers simulated major invasion of Boulogne)invasion of Boulogne)

RAF dropped foil strips to blind RAF dropped foil strips to blind German radarGerman radar

4. There are only a few days to go now until D-Day. With so many people

involved, how do you stop news of your invasion

plans leaking out?

Soldiers restricted Soldiers restricted to military basesto military bases

Leave cancelledLeave cancelled News blackoutNews blackout Movement around Movement around

coastline restrictedcoastline restricted Crossword in Crossword in

Telegraph Telegraph contained many contained many Overlord codewordsOverlord codewords US troops in Portsmouth

before D-Day, aka ‘The Longest Day’

5.You arrive at the beaches and find they are heavily

defended with mines, barbed wire and anti-tank weapons. How do you get your troops ashore with the minimum

number of casualties?

Aerial bombardmentAerial bombardment Landings at low tideLandings at low tide Hobart’s funnies - Hobart’s funnies -

‘Swimming’, bridge ‘Swimming’, bridge & flail tanks& flail tanks

Infantry follow Infantry follow behind armoured behind armoured vehiclesvehicles

Heavy machinery, Heavy machinery, e.g. bridge-layinge.g. bridge-laying

Swimming tanks

Bridge tanks

Sherman ‘flail’ tank

Diagram showing Allied invasion strategy

6. Your troops have landed, 6. Your troops have landed, but they need constant but they need constant

supplies of weapons, food supplies of weapons, food and fuel. How do you and fuel. How do you

manage to maintain your manage to maintain your supplies throughout the supplies throughout the

heavy fighting?heavy fighting?

‘‘Mulberry’ harboursMulberry’ harbours Pluto – undersea fuel pipelinePluto – undersea fuel pipeline Mulberry

harbours

7. You are facing heavy 7. You are facing heavy resistance from the resistance from the

Germans. How do you Germans. How do you break through and push break through and push towards your primary towards your primary

objective – Berlin?objective – Berlin?

Build-up of Allied Build-up of Allied troops & equipmenttroops & equipment

Air superiority used Air superiority used to attack German to attack German positionspositions

ResistanceResistance fighters fighters disrupted disrupted communications & communications & destroyed suppliesdestroyed supplies

Strategic cities Strategic cities besieged, e.g. Caenbesieged, e.g. Caen

August 1944 Paris liberatedAugust 1944 Paris liberated September 1944, Allies reached RhineSeptember 1944, Allies reached Rhine December 1944, Ardennes counter-offensiveDecember 1944, Ardennes counter-offensive Soviets pushing in from East, Germans retreat Soviets pushing in from East, Germans retreat

through Italythrough Italy 3030thth April 1945 Hitler commits suicide in Berlin April 1945 Hitler commits suicide in Berlin

Your taskYour task

General Eisenhower has asked you to General Eisenhower has asked you to produce a report for Winston Churchill on produce a report for Winston Churchill on the success/failures of the D-Day landings. the success/failures of the D-Day landings. Assess the reasons why you think the Assess the reasons why you think the campaign was so successful making campaign was so successful making reference to the following:reference to the following: PreparationsPreparations Military equipmentMilitary equipment Technical supportTechnical support

Mention too the risks you faced & the Mention too the risks you faced & the difficulties encountered once in Francedifficulties encountered once in France

Satisfactory Satisfactory report report (not (not

much to mark much to mark you out for you out for promotion)promotion)

Successful Successful report report (shows (shows promise, one to promise, one to look out for!)look out for!)

Star report (officer

material!)

Covers some, Covers some, not all the not all the factors. Limited factors. Limited use of technical use of technical vocab. Little vocab. Little effort to give effort to give the appearance the appearance or use the or use the language of a language of a reportreport

Good range of Good range of factors and use factors and use of technical of technical vocab, e.g. vocab, e.g. codenames & codenames & new new technologies. technologies. Convincing Convincing attempt at attempt at produce a produce a document which document which resembles in resembles in tone & tone & appearance a appearance a military report.military report.

Full range of Full range of factors, before, factors, before, during & after during & after D-Day. Detailed D-Day. Detailed factual factual information and information and accurate and accurate and abundant abundant technical vocab. technical vocab. Excellent Excellent presentation presentation skills and skills and appropriate appropriate register.register.

PlenaryPlenary

What strategies did the Allies use to What strategies did the Allies use to reinvade Europe?reinvade Europe?

Why did the Allies wait until 1944 to Why did the Allies wait until 1944 to return?return?

What did you need to do in order to What did you need to do in order to improve your report?improve your report?

Which was a greater victory Which was a greater victory Dunkirk or D-Day?Dunkirk or D-Day?

ExtensionExtension

The British used lots of deception The British used lots of deception techniques during WWII. What’s odd about techniques during WWII. What’s odd about the stamp on the left?the stamp on the left?

Find out about the part played by magician Find out about the part played by magician Jasper Maskelyne in winning the warJasper Maskelyne in winning the war