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, Britain and the USA on joint military operations were conducted from the beginning of the German attack on the Soviet Union. The occupation of European territories, the acquired military experience, the devotion of the troops to their Fuhrer made the German war machine almost invincible. From the very beginning, the USSR suffered defeats, giving up territory to the enemy and incurring heavy human and material losses. A serious threat was created to the very existence of the state. In Stalin's correspondence with Churchill, the question of help constantly arises, which, however, hangs unanswered. Britain and the United States limit themselves to Lend-Lease aid and declarations of boundless faith in the victory of the Soviet troops.
The situation changes somewhat after the conference in Tehran (1943), where cooperation agreements were worked out. However, a radical change in the plans of the allies takes place in 1944, when the Soviet Union, having won decisive victories, begins a steady offensive against 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 power
The landing in Normandy was preceded by a long preparation and careful development of all the details. The place for landing (the coast of the Bay of Senskaya) was chosen specifically taking into account the complexity 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, considering it ideal for the operation, and concentrated the main antiamphibious forces in this area. Normandy was very weakly 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 confronted by 6 German divisions, staffed by 70-75%. 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 formations. Allied forces had a threefold superiority in equipment and weapons. Dominance in the air and at sea was overwhelming.
The landing in Normandy was named "Overlord". Its implementation was led by General Montgomery. The supreme command over all expeditionary forces belonged to the American General D. Eisenhower. The landing was to be carried out on a section 80 km wide and divided into western (American) and eastern (English) zones.
The operation was preceded by a lengthy 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 the original plans, the landing in Normandy was 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, reinforced by the actions of the air forces, which practically did not meet resistance. The fire was then moved inland, and the Allies began to land. Despite stubborn resistance, numerical superiority allowed the expeditionary forces to capture three large bridgeheads. During June 7-8, an increased 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 eliminate the offensive, but in insufficient numbers, 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., In depth - up to 40 km. An important moment was the capture of the strategic port of Cherbourg, which later became the main channel for the transfer of troops and weapons across the English Channel.

Building on success in July 1945
The Germans continued to consider the landing in Normandy a distraction 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 the members of the French Resistance. The main factor that did not allow the German command to transfer significant forces for defense was the powerful offensive of the Soviet troops in Belarus.
Under these conditions, the Anglo-American troops gradually moved further and further. On July 20, Saint-Lo was taken, 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 base was created for conducting further military operations against fascist Germany in the west.

Significance of the Normandy landings
The irretrievable losses of the Allied troops 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 nevertheless took place. The new area of ​​operations 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 was of great importance as a symbol of the unity of the allied forces. The contradictions between the West and the USSR receded into the background.

Both the flight from the European continent () and the landing in Normandy ("Overlod") are very different from their mythological interpretation ...

Original taken from jeteraconte in Allied landings in Normandy... Myths and reality.

I I think that every educated person knows that on June 6, 1944, there was an allied landing in Normandy, and finally, a full-fledged opening of a second front. T Only the assessment of this event has different interpretations.
Same beach now:

Why did the Allies last until 1944? What goals were pursued? Why was the operation carried out so incompetently and with such sensitive losses, with the overwhelming superiority of the allies?
This topic was raised by many and at different times, I will try to tell in the most understandable language about the events that took place.
When you watch American movies like: "Saving Private Ryan", games " Call of Duty 2" or you read an article on Wikipedia, it seems that the greatest event of all times and peoples is described, and it was here that the whole second world war was decided ...
Propaganda has always been the most powerful weapon. ..

By 1944, it was clear to all politicians that Germany and its allies had lost the war, and in 1943, during the Tehran Conference, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill roughly divided the world among themselves. A little more and Europe, and most importantly France, could become communist if they were liberated by Soviet troops, so the allies were forced to rush in order to catch the pie and fulfill their promises to contribute to the common victory.

(I recommend reading the "Correspondence of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR with the Presidents of the United States and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" released in 1957, in response to the memoirs of Winston Churchill.)

Now let's try to figure out what really happened and how. First of all, I decided to go and see with my own eyes the terrain, and assess what kind of difficulties the troops landing under fire had to overcome. The landing zone occupies about 80 km, but this does not mean that paratroopers landed on every meter throughout these 80 km, in fact, it was concentrated in several places: "Sord", "Juno", "Gold", "Omaha Beach" and Pointe d'oc.
I walked along the sea this territory on foot, studying the fortifications that have survived to this day, visited two local museums, shoveled a lot of different literature about these events and talked with residents in Bayeux, Caen, Saumur, Fécamp, Rouen and others.
It is very difficult to imagine a more mediocre landing operation, with the complete connivance of the enemy. Yes, critics will say that the scale of the landing is unprecedented, but the mess is the same. Even according to official sources, non-combat losses! accounted for 35%!!! from total losses!
We read "Wiki", wow, how many Germans opposed, how many German units, tanks, guns! By what miracle did the landing succeed?
The German troops on the Western Front were spread in a thin layer over the territory of France, and these units performed mainly security functions, and many of them could only be called combat ones conditionally. What is the division nicknamed the "White Bread Division" worth. An eyewitness, the English author M. Shulman, says: “After the invasion of France, the Germans decided to replace Fr. Walcheren an ordinary infantry division, division, personnel, which suffered from stomach diseases. Bunkers on about. Walcheren was now occupied by soldiers who had chronic ulcers, acute ulcers, wounded stomachs, nervous stomachs, sensitive stomachs, inflamed stomachs - in general, all known gastritis. The soldiers vowed to stand to the end. Here, in the richest part of Holland, where white bread, fresh vegetables, eggs and milk abounded, the soldiers of the 70th Division, nicknamed the "White Bread Division", expected the imminent Allied offensive and were nervous, for their attention was equally divided between the problematic threat and side of the enemy and real stomach upsets. The elderly, good-natured Lieutenant-General Wilhelm Deiser led this division of invalids into battle ... Terrifying losses among senior officers in Russia and North Africa were the reason that he was returned from retirement in February 1944 and appointed commander of a stationary division in Holland. His active service ended in 1941 when he was discharged due to heart attacks. Now, being 60 years old, he did not burn with enthusiasm and did not have the ability to turn the defense about. Walcheren in the heroic epic of German weapons.
In the German "troops" on the Western Front there were invalids and cripples, to perform security functions in good old France, you do not need to have two eyes, two arms or legs. Yes, there were full-fledged parts. And there were also, collected from various rabble, like the Vlasovites and the like, who only dreamed of surrendering.
On the one hand, the allies gathered a monstrously powerful group, on the other hand, the Germans still had the opportunity to inflict unacceptable damage on their opponents, but ...
Personally, I got the impression that the command of the German troops simply did not prevent the Allies from landing. But at the same time, he could not order the troops to raise their hands or go home.
Why do I think so? Let me remind you that this is the time when a conspiracy of the generals against Hitler is being prepared, secret negotiations are underway, the German elite about a separate peace, behind the back of the USSR. Allegedly due to bad weather, aerial reconnaissance was stopped, torpedo boats curtailed reconnaissance operations,
(More recently before this, the Germans sank 2 landing ships, damaged one during exercises in preparation for the landing and another was killed by "friendly fire"),
command flies to Berlin. And this at a time when the same Rommel knows very well from intelligence about the impending invasion. Yes, he might not have known about the exact time and place, but it was impossible not to notice the gathering of thousands of ships!!!, preparations, mountains of equipment, training of paratroopers! What more than two people know, the pig knows - this old saying clearly captures the essence of the impossibility of hiding the preparations for such a large-scale operation as the invasion of the English Channel.
Let me tell you some interesting things. Zone landings Pointe du Hoc. It is very famous, a new German coastal battery was supposed to be located here, but old French 155 mm guns, 1917, were installed. Bombs were dropped on this very small area, 250 pieces of 356 mm shells were fired from the American battleship Texas, as well as a lot of shells of smaller calibers. Two destroyers supported the landings with continuous fire. And then a group of rangers on landing barges approached the coast and climbed the sheer cliffs under the command of Colonel James E. Rudder, captured the battery and fortifications on the coast. True, the battery turned out to be made of wood, and the sounds of shots were imitated by explosives! The real one was moved when one of the guns was destroyed during a successful air raid a few days ago, and it is his photo that can be seen on the sites under the guise of a gun destroyed by the Rangers. There is a claim that the rangers still found this moved battery and ammunition depot, oddly not guarded! Then they blew it up.
If you ever find yourself on Pointe du Hoc , you will see what used to be a "lunar" landscape.
Roskill (Roskill S. Fleet and War. M .: Military Publishing House, 1974. Vol. 3. S. 348) wrote:
“More than 5,000 tons of bombs were dropped, and although there were few direct hits on the gun casemates, we managed to seriously disrupt enemy communications and undermine his morale. With the onset of dawn, defensive positions were attacked by 1630 “liberators”, “flying fortresses” and medium bombers of the 8th and 9th air formations of the US Air Force ... Finally, in the last 20 minutes before the approach of the assault waves, fighter-bombers and medium bombardiers bombed directly on the defensive fortifications on the coast ...
Shortly after 05.30, naval artillery brought down a hail of shells on the coast of the entire 50-mile front; such a powerful artillery strike from the sea had never been delivered before. Then the light guns of the advanced landing ships entered into action, and, finally, just before the hour "H", tank landing ships armed with rocket launchers moved to the shore; conducting intense fire with 127-mm rockets into the depths of defense. The enemy practically did not respond to the approach of the assault waves. There was no aviation, and the coastal batteries did not cause any harm, although they fired several volleys at the transports.
A total of 10 kilotons of TNT, this is equivalent in power to the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima!
Yes, the guys who landed under fire, at night on wet rocks and pebbles, climbed a steep cliff, are heroes, but ... The big question is how many Germans survived, who were able to resist them, after such air and art processing? Rangers advancing in the first wave 225 people ... Losses killed and wounded 135 people. Data on the losses of the Germans: more than 120 killed and 70 captured. Hmm... Great battle?
From 18 to 20 guns from the German side with a caliber of more than 120 mm fired against the landing allies ... In total!
With the absolute dominance of the allies in the air! With the support of 6 battleships, 23 cruisers, 135 destroyers and destroyers, 508 other warships. 4798 ships participated in the attack. In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1213 - combat, 4126 - transport, 736 - auxiliary and 864 - merchant ships (some were in reserve)). Can you imagine a volley of this armada along the coast in a section of 80 km?
Here's a quote for you:

In all sectors, the Allies suffered relatively small losses, except ...
Omaha Beach, American Landing Zone. Here the losses were catastrophic. Many drowned paratroopers. When 25-30 kg of equipment is hung on a person, and then they are forced to land into the water, where it is 2.5-3 meters to the bottom, fearing to come closer to the shore, then instead of a fighter, you get a corpse. At best, a demoralized person without a weapon... The commanders of the barges carrying amphibious tanks forced them to land at depth, being afraid to come close to the coast. In total, out of 32 tanks, 2 floated ashore, plus 3, which, the only captain who was not afraid, landed directly on the shore. The rest drowned due to rough seas and the cowardice of individual commanders. On the shore and in the water there was complete chaos, the soldiers were confusedly rushing along the beach. The officers lost control of their subordinates. But still, there were those who were able to organize the survivors and begin to successfully resist the Nazis.
It was here that Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of President Theodore Roosevelt, fell heroically., who, like the deceased Yakov, the son of Stalin, did not want to hide in headquarters in the capital ...
Losses killed in this area are estimated at 2,500 Americans. The German corporal machine gunner Heinrich Severlo, later nicknamed "The Omaha Monster", applied his talents to this. He is from his heavy machine gun, as well as two rifles, being in a strong pointWiderstantnest62 killed and wounded over 2,000 Americans! Such data make you think, if he hadn’t run out of ammunition, would he have shot everyone there ??? Despite huge losses, the Americans captured the empty casemates and continued the offensive. There is evidence that certain sections of the defense were handed over to them without a fight, and the number of prisoners captured in all areas of the landing was surprisingly large. But why is it surprising? The war was coming to an end and only the most fanatical followers of Hitler did not want to admit it ...

Mini museum between drop zones :

View of Pont d'Oc from above, funnels, remains of fortifications, casemates.

View of the sea and rocks in the same place:

Omaha Beach sea view and landing area:

Allied landings in Normandy
(Operation Overlord) and
fighting in northwestern France
summer 1944

Preparations for the Normandy landing operation

By the summer of 1944, the situation in the theaters of military operations in Europe had changed significantly. Germany's situation has deteriorated significantly. On the Soviet-German front, Soviet troops inflicted major defeats on the Wehrmacht in the Right-Bank Ukraine and in the Crimea. In Italy, the Allied troops were south of Rome. A real possibility was created for the landing of American-British troops in France.

Under these conditions, the United States and England began to prepare for the landing of their troops in Northern France ( Operation Overlord) and in southern France (Operation Envil).

For Normandy landing operation("Overlord") four armies concentrated in the British Isles: the 1st and 3rd American, the 2nd British and the 1st Canadian. These armies consisted of 37 divisions (23 infantry, 10 armored, 4 airborne) and 12 brigades, as well as 10 detachments of English "commandos" and American "rangens" (airborne sabotage units).

The total number of forces invading Northern France reached 1 million people. To support the Normandy landing operation, a fleet of 6,000 military and landing ships and transport ships was concentrated.

The Normandy landing operation was attended by British, American and Canadian troops, Polish formations, which were subordinate to the emigrant government in London, and French formations formed by the French Committee of National Liberation ("Fighting France"), which proclaimed itself the Provisional Government of France on the eve of the landing.

The overall command of the American-British forces was carried out by American General Dwight Eisenhower. The landing operation was commanded by the commander 21st Army Group English Field Marshal B. Montgomery. The 21st Army Group included the 1st American (commander General O. Bradley), the 2nd British (commander General M. Dempsey) and the 1st Canadian (commander General H. Grerar) armies.

The plan of the Normandy landing operation provided for the forces of the 21st Army Group to land naval and airborne assault forces on the coast Normandy on the section from the Grand Vey bank to the mouth of the Orne River, about 80 km long. On the twentieth day of the operation, it was supposed to create a bridgehead 100 km along the front and 100-110 km in depth.

The landing area was divided into two zones - western and eastern. American troops were to land in the western zone, and Anglo-Canadian troops in the eastern zone. The western zone was divided into two sections, the eastern - into three. At the same time, one infantry division, reinforced with additional units, began to land on each of these sectors. In the depths of the German defense, 3 Allied airborne divisions landed (10-15 km from the coast). On the 6th day of the operation, it was supposed to advance to a depth of 15–20 km and increase the number of divisions in the bridgehead to sixteen.

Preparations for the Normandy landing operation lasted three months. On June 3-4, the troops allocated for the landing of the first wave headed for the loading points - the ports of Falmouth, Plymouth, Weymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Newhaven. The start of the landing was planned for June 5, but due to bad weather conditions it was postponed to June 6.

Operation Overlord Plan

German defense in Normandy

The Wehrmacht High Command expected the Allied invasion, but it could not determine in advance either the time or, most importantly, the place of the future landing. On the eve of the landing, a storm continued for several days, the weather forecast was bad, and the German command believed that in such weather a landing was impossible at all. The commander of the German troops in France, Field Marshal Rommel, just on the eve of the Allied landing, went on vacation to Germany and learned about the invasion only more than three hours after it began.

In the German High Command of the Land Forces in the West (in France, Belgium and Holland), there were only 58 incomplete divisions. Some of them were "stationary" (did not have their own transport). In Normandy, there were only 12 divisions and only 160 combat-ready combat aircraft. The superiority of the grouping of allied forces intended for the Normandy landing operation ("Overlord") over the German troops opposing them in the West was: in terms of personnel - three times, in tanks - three times, in guns - 2 times and 60 times by plane.

One of three 40.6cm (406mm) guns of the German battery "Lindemann" (Lindemann)
Atlantic Wall, sweeping through the English Channel


Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-364-2314-16A, Atlantikwall, Batterie "Lindemann"

Beginning of the Normandy landing operation
(Operation Overlord)

On the night before, the landing of the Allied airborne units began, in which the Americans participated: 1662 aircraft and 512 gliders, the British: 733 aircraft and 335 gliders.

On the night of June 6, 18 ships of the British fleet conducted a demonstrative maneuver in the area northeast of Le Havre. At the same time, bomber aircraft dropped strips of metallized paper to interfere with the operation of German radar stations.

At dawn on June 6, 1944, the Operation Overlord(Norman landing operation). Under the cover of massive air strikes and naval artillery fire, an amphibious landing began on five sections of the coast in Normandy. The German navy offered almost no resistance to the amphibious landings.

American and British aircraft attacked enemy artillery batteries, headquarters, and defensive positions. At the same time, powerful air strikes were carried out against targets in the area of ​​Calais and Boulogne in order to distract the enemy's attention from the actual landing site.

From the Allied naval forces, 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 24 cruisers and 74 destroyers provided artillery support for the landing.

At 6:30 in the morning in the western zone and at 7:30 in the eastern zone, the first detachments of amphibious assault landed on the shore. The American troops that landed on the extreme western sector ("Utah"), by the end of June 6, had advanced up to 10 km deep into the coast and connected with the 82nd Airborne Division.

On the Omaha sector, where the 1st American Infantry Division of the 5th Corps of the 1st American Army landed, the enemy's resistance was stubborn, and during the first day the landing parties hardly captured a small section of the coast up to 1.5–2 km deep.

In the landing zone of the Anglo-Canadian troops, enemy resistance was weak. Therefore, by the evening they connected with units of the 6th Airborne Division.

By the end of the first day of the landing, the Allied troops managed to capture three bridgeheads in Normandy with a depth of 2 to 10 km. The main forces of five infantry and three airborne divisions and one armored brigade with a total strength of more than 156 thousand people were landed. During the first day of the landing, the Americans lost 6,603 people, including 1,465 killed, the British and Canadians - about 4 thousand people killed, wounded and missing.

Continuation of the Normandy landing operation

The 709th, 352nd and 716th German infantry divisions defended in the allied landing zone on the coast. They were deployed on a front of 100 kilometers and could not repel the landings of the Allied troops.

On June 7-8, the transfer of additional Allied forces to the captured bridgeheads continued. In just three days of landing, eight infantry, one tank, three airborne divisions and a large number of separate units were parachuted.

Arrival of Allied reinforcements to the Omaha bridgehead, June 1944


Original uploader was MickStephenson at en.wikipedia

On the morning of June 9, the Allied troops located on different bridgeheads launched a counter offensive to create a single bridgehead. At the same time, the transfer of new formations and units to the captured bridgeheads continued.

On June 10, one common bridgehead was created 70 km along the front and 8-15 km in depth, which by June 12 was expanded to 80 km along the front and 13-18 km in depth. By this time, there were already 16 divisions on the bridgehead, which numbered 327 thousand people, 54 thousand combat and transport vehicles and 104 thousand tons of cargo.

An attempt by the German troops to destroy the Allied foothold in Normandy

To eliminate the bridgehead, the German command pulled up reserves, but believed that the main blow of the Anglo-American troops would follow through the Pas de Calais.

Operational meeting of the command of Army Group "B"


Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-300-1865-10, Nordfrankreich, Dollmann, Feuchtinger, Rommel

Northern France, summer 1944. Colonel General Friedrich Dollmann (left), Lieutenant General Edgar Feuchtinger (center) and Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (right).

On June 12, German troops struck between the Orn and Vir rivers in order to cut through the Allied grouping located there. The attack ended in failure. At this time, 12 German divisions were already operating against the allied forces located on the bridgehead in Normandy, of which three were armored and one was motorized. The divisions that arrived at the front were introduced into battle in parts, as they were unloaded in the landing areas. This reduced their striking power.

On the night of June 13, 1944 the Germans first used the V-1 AU-1 (V-1) projectile. London was attacked.

Expansion of the Allied foothold in Normandy

On June 12, the 1st American Army from the area west of Sainte-Mere-Eglise launched an offensive in a westerly direction and occupied Caumont. On June 17, American troops cut off the Cotentin Peninsula, reaching its western coast. On June 27, American troops captured the port of Cherbourg, taking 30 thousand people prisoner, and on July 1 they completely occupied the Cotentin Peninsula. By mid-July, the port at Cherbourg had been restored, and the supply of allied forces in Northern France increased through it.

On June 25–26, Anglo-Canadian forces made an unsuccessful attempt to take Caen. The German defense offered stubborn resistance. By the end of June, the size of the Allied bridgehead in Normandy reached: along the front - 100 km, in depth - 20 to 40 km.

A German machine gunner, whose field of vision is limited by clouds of smoke, blocks the road. Northern France, 21 June 1944


Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1808-10A, Nordfrankreich, Rauchschwaden, Posten mit MG 15.

German guard post. Clouds of smoke from a fire or from smoke bombs in front of a barrier with steel hedgehogs between concrete walls. In the foreground is a sentry of the guard post with a machine gun MG 15.

The Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) still believed that the main blow of the Allies would be delivered through the Pas de Calais, so they did not dare to reinforce their troops in Normandy with formations from North-East France and Belgium. The transfer of German troops from Central and Southern France was delayed by allied air raids and sabotage by the French "resistance".

The main reason that did not allow to strengthen the German troops in Normandy was the strategic offensive of the Soviet troops in Belarus (Belarusian operation) that began in June. It was launched in accordance with an agreement with the Allies. The Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht was forced to send all reserves to the Eastern Front. In this regard, on July 15, 1944, Field Marshal E. Rommel sent a telegram to Hitler, in which he reported that since the beginning of the landing of the allied forces, the losses of Army Group B had amounted to 97 thousand people, and the reinforcements received were only 6 thousand. people

Thus, the supreme command of the Wehrmacht was unable to significantly strengthen the defensive grouping of its troops in Normandy.

United States Military Academy's Department of History

The troops of the 21st Allied Army Group continued to expand the bridgehead. On July 3, the 1st American Army went on the offensive. In 17 days, she deepened 10-15 km and occupied Saint-Lo, a major road junction.

On July 7–8, the 2nd British Army launched an offensive with three infantry divisions and three armored brigades against Caen. To suppress the defense of the German airfield division, the allies brought in naval artillery and strategic aviation. Only on July 19 the British troops completely captured the city. The 3rd American and 1st Canadian armies began to land on the bridgehead.

By the end of July 24, the troops of the 21st Allied Army Group reached the line south of Saint-Lo, Caumont, Caen. This day is considered the end of the Normandy landing operation (Operation Overlord). During the period from June 6 to July 23, German troops lost 113 thousand people killed, wounded and captured, 2,117 tanks and 345 aircraft. The losses of the allied troops amounted to 122 thousand people (73 thousand Americans and 49 thousand British and Canadians).

The Normandy landing operation ("Overlord") was the largest landing operation during the Second World War. In the period from June 6 to July 24 (7 weeks), the 21st Allied Army Group managed to land expeditionary forces in Normandy and occupy a bridgehead about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth.

Fighting in France in the summer of 1944

On July 25, 1944, after a "carpet" bombardment by B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator aircraft and an impressive artillery preparation, the Allies launched a new offensive in Normandy from the Len-Lo region with the aim of breaking through from the bridgehead and entering the operational space ( Operation Cobra). On the same day, more than 2,000 American armored vehicles entered the breach towards the Brittany Peninsula and towards the Loire.

On August 1, the 12th Allied Army Group was formed under the command of the American General Omar Bradley as part of the 1st and 3rd American armies.

Breakthrough of American troops from the bridgehead in Normandy to Brittany and the Loire.


United States Military Academy's Department of History

Two weeks later, General Patton's 3rd American Army liberated the Brittany Peninsula and reached the Loire River, capturing the bridge near the city of Angers, and then moved east.

The offensive of the allied troops from Normandy to Paris.


United States Military Academy's Department of History

On August 15, the main forces of the German 5th and 7th tank armies were surrounded, in the so-called Falaise "cauldron". After 5 days of fighting (from 15 to 20), part of the German group was able to get out of the "cauldron", 6 divisions were lost.

Great assistance to the allies was provided by the French partisans of the Resistance movement, who acted on German communications and attacked the rear garrisons. General Dwight Eisenhower estimated guerrilla assistance at 15 regular divisions.

After the defeat of the Germans in the Falaise Cauldron, the allied troops rushed east almost unhindered and crossed the Seine. On August 25, with the support of the rebellious Parisians and French partisans, they liberated Paris. The Germans began to retreat to the Siegfried Line. The allied troops defeated the German troops stationed in Northern France and, continuing their pursuit, entered Belgian territory and approached the Western Wall. September 3, 1944 they liberated the capital of Belgium - Brussels.

On August 15, the allied landing operation Envil began in the south of France. Churchill objected to this operation for a long time, proposing to use the troops intended for it in Italy. However, Roosevelt and Eisenhower refused to change the plans agreed upon at the Tehran Conference. According to the Anvil plan, two Allied armies, the American and the French, landed east of Marseille and moved north. Fearing being cut off, German troops in Southwestern and Southern France began to withdraw towards Germany. After the connection of the allied forces advancing from Northern and Southern France, by the end of August 1944, almost all of France was cleared of German troops.

On June 6, 1944, the long-awaited landing of the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition on the northern coast of France began, which received the general name "Suzerin" ("Overlord"). The operation was prepared for a long time and carefully, it was preceded by difficult negotiations in Tehran. Millions of tons of military cargoes were delivered to. On the secret front, the Abwehr was misinformed by the intelligence services of Britain and the United States regarding the landing area and many other activities that ensured a successful offensive. At different times, both here and abroad, the scale of this military operation, depending on the political situation, was sometimes exaggerated, sometimes underestimated. 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.

Stew, condensed milk and egg powder

As is known from the movies, Soviet soldiers, participants in the war of 1941-1945, called the "second front" 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 little hidden contempt for the "allies". The meaning was invested in it: while we are shedding blood here, they are delaying the start of the war against Hitler. They sit out, in general, wait to enter the war at the moment when both the Russians and the Germans weaken and exhaust their resources. That's when the Americans and the British will come to share the laurels of the winners. The opening of the Second Front in Europe was being postponed, the main burden of hostilities continued to be borne by the Red Army.

In a way, that's exactly what happened. Moreover, it would be unfair to reproach F. D. Roosevelt for not hastening to send the American army into battle, but waiting for the most opportune moment for this. After all, as the President of the United States, he was obliged 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 alone waged war with Hitler, she managed to survive, but there was not even a talk of the onset. So there is nothing particularly to reproach Churchill with. In a sense, the Second Front existed throughout the war and until D-Day (day of landing), it fettered significant forces of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. Most (about three-quarters) of the German navy and air fleet was engaged in operations against Britain.

Nevertheless, without detracting from the merits of the Allies, our participants in the Great Patriotic War 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 the Eastern Front with similar numbers of dead Americans, British, Canadians and the same Germans, but already 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 skyscrapers, near obscure villages, the backbone of the army that easily defeated almost all European armies and conquered countries in a matter of weeks, and sometimes even days, was broken. Maybe the Second Front in Europe was not needed at all and could have been dispensed with? By the summer of 1944, the outcome of the war as a whole was a foregone conclusion. The Germans suffered monstrous losses, human and material resources were catastrophically lacking, while Soviet military production reached unprecedented speed in world history. The endless "leveling of the front" (as Goebbels' propaganda explained the constant retreat) was essentially a flight. Nevertheless, I. V. Stalin persistently reminded the allies of their promise to strike at 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 in such a way as to put into one or two words the entire strategic essence of the upcoming action. At the same time, the enemy, even recognizing him, should not guess about the main elements of the plan. The direction of the main attack, the technical means involved, the timing, and similar details for the enemy necessarily remain a secret. The upcoming landing on the northern European coast was called "Overlord". The operation was divided into several stages, which also have their own code designations. It began on D-Day with the Neptune, and ended with the Cobra, which involves moving deep into the mainland.

The German General Staff had no doubts 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 methods, it was difficult to assume that the allies of the USSR would launch an offensive in the unfavorable autumn or winter months. In the spring, an invasion was also considered unlikely due to erratic weather conditions. So, summer. The intelligence provided by the Abwehr confirmed the massive transportation of technical equipment. Disassembled B-17 and B-24 bombers were delivered to the islands by Liberty ships, like Sherman tanks, and in addition to these offensive weapons, other cargoes arrived from across the ocean: food, medicine, fuel and lubricants , ammunition, marine vehicles and much more. It is practically impossible to hide such a large-scale movement of military equipment and personnel. The German command had only two questions: "When?" and where?".

Not where they are waiting

The English Channel is the narrowest stretch of water between the British Mainland and Europe. It was here that the German generals would have begun the landing, if they had decided on it. This is logical and corresponds to all the rules of military science. But that's why General Eisenhower ruled out the English Channel entirely when planning Overlord. The operation was supposed to come as a complete surprise to 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 the 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 the Second Front was inevitable. 1944 was marked by the arrival of General Field Marshal Rommel, whom the Fuhrer respectfully called either the "desert fox" or his "African lion", at the proposed landing site for the Allied troops. This military specialist spent a lot of energy on improving the fortifications, which, as time has shown, were almost not useful. This is a great merit of the American and British intelligence services and other soldiers of the "invisible front" of the allied forces.

Deceive Hitler

The success of any military operation depends to a greater extent on the surprise factor and timely troop concentration, than on the balance of forces of the opposing sides. The second front was to be opened on that part of the coast where the invasion was least expected. The possibilities of the Wehrmacht in France were limited. Most of the German armed forces fought against the Red Army, trying to hold back its advance. The war was transferred 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 a chess zuntzwang, when almost any move led to irreparable consequences, and even more so wrong. It was impossible to make a mistake, but the German headquarters nevertheless drew the wrong conclusions. This was facilitated by many actions of allied intelligence, including the planned "leak" of disinformation, and various measures to mislead agents of the Abwehr and aerial reconnaissance. Models of transport ships were even made, located in ports far from places of real loading.

The ratio of military groupings

Not a single battle in the entire history of mankind has gone according to plan, there have always been unexpected circumstances that prevent this. "Overlord" - an operation that was planned for a long time and carefully, repeatedly postponed for various reasons, which was also no exception. However, the two main components that determined its overall success were still managed to be preserved: the landing site remained unknown to the enemy until D-Day itself, and the balance of forces developed in favor of the attackers. In the landing and subsequent hostilities on the continent, 1,600,000 soldiers of the Allied forces took part. 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 that most of them were Douglas transports (but there were many " Flying Fortresses, and Liberators, and Mustangs, and Spitfires). An armada of 112 ships could only resist 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.

The beaches of Normandy

The American military did not use French geographical concepts, they seemed difficult to pronounce. Like the names of military operations, sections of the coast called beaches were coded. Four of them were singled out: Gold, Omaha, Juno and Sword. Many soldiers of the allied forces died on their sand, although the command did everything to minimize losses. On July 6, eighteen thousand paratroopers (two divisions of the Airborne Forces) were landed from DC-3 aircraft and by means of gliders. Previous wars, like the entire Second World War, did not know such a scale. The opening of the Second Front was accompanied by powerful artillery preparation and air 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 there was a dispersion of forces, but this did not matter much. Vessels were coming to the shore; by the end of the day, 156,000 soldiers and 20,000 military vehicles of various types were already on the shore. The captured bridgehead measured 70 by 15 kilometers (on average). As of June 10, more than 100,000 tons of military cargo had already been unloaded onto this runway, and the concentration of troops had reached almost a third of a million people. Despite the huge losses (for 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 the territories occupied by the Nazis, not only soldiers and equipment were required. War devours 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. The expeditionary corps, deprived of supplies, is doomed.

After the Second Front was opened, the advantage of a developed American economy became obvious. The allied forces had no problems with the timely supply of everything they needed, but this required ports. They were captured very quickly, the first was the French Cherbourg, it was occupied on June 27th.

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 first used the V-1 - the prototype of cruise missiles. For all the scarcity of the Reich's capabilities, Hitler found the resources to mass-produce ballistic V-2s. London was shelled (1100 missile strikes), as well as the ports of Antwerp and Liege located on the mainland and used by the allies to supply troops (almost 1700 FAAs of two types). Meanwhile, the Normandy bridgehead expanded (up to 100 km) and deepened (up to 40 km). It deployed 23 air bases capable of receiving all types of aircraft. The number of personnel increased to 875 thousand. Conditions were created for the development of the offensive already towards the German border, for which the Second Front was opened. The date of victory was approaching.

Allied failures

Anglo-American aviation carried out massive raids on the territory of fascist Germany, dropping tens of thousands of tons of bomb loads on cities, factories, railway junctions and other objects. The Luftwaffe pilots could no longer resist this avalanche in the second half of 1944. Over the entire period of the liberation of France, the Wehrmacht suffered half a million losses, and the Allied forces - only 40 thousand killed (plus more than 160 thousand wounded). The tank troops of the Nazis numbered only a hundred combat-ready tanks (the Americans and the British had 2,000). For every German aircraft, there were 25 Allied aircraft. And there were no more reserves. The 200,000th group of Nazis was blocked in the west of France. In the conditions of the overwhelming superiority of the invading army, the German units often hung out a white flag even before the start of the 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 English (8th) and Canadian (2nd) corps ran into well-fortified German positions, their attack bogged down, prompting Marshal Montgomery to further argue that the blow was a false and distracting one.

An unfortunate incidental consequence of the high firepower of the American troops was the losses from the so-called "friendly fire", when the 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 strategically there was little to solve.

The result of the operation and the war

After the Second World War began, the participating countries changed from time to time. Some stopped armed actions, others started them. Some took the side of their former enemies (like Romania, for example), 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, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Britain, remained invariably adversaries (they fought even longer, from 1939). France was also among the winners, although Field Marshal Keitel, signing the surrender, could not resist making an ironic remark about this.

There is no doubt that the Normandy landing of the allied troops 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 inhuman nature. However, it is very difficult to compare these efforts, which certainly deserve respect, with the battles of the Eastern Front. It was against the USSR that Hitlerism waged a total war, the purpose of which was the complete destruction of the population, which was also declared by the official documents of the Third Reich. All the more respect and blessed memory deserve our participants in the Great Patriotic War, who performed their duty in much more difficult conditions than their Anglo-American brothers in arms.

On the night of June 5-6, 1944, the landing of allied troops in Normandy began. In order for the most grandiose landing operation in history not to end in such a grandiose failure, the Allied command needed to achieve the highest level of coordination of all branches of the troops taking part in the landing. The exceptional complexity of the task, of course, did not allow the gigantic mechanism of invasion to work out without a single failure; there were enough issues and issues. But the main thing is that the goal was achieved, and the Second Front, the opening of which had been expected for so long in the East, began to function in full force.

Already at an early stage of preparations for the invasion, it was clear to the Allied command that without gaining absolute air superiority, any actions by sea and land forces were doomed to failure. In accordance with the preliminary plan, the actions of the air force were to take place in four stages. The first stage is the bombing of strategic targets in Germany. The second is an attack on railway junctions, coastal batteries, as well as on airfields and ports within a radius of about 150 miles from the invasion zone. At the third stage, aviation was supposed to cover the troops during the crossing of the English Channel. The fourth stage included close air support for the ground forces, preventing the transfer of reinforcements for the German army, conducting airborne operations and providing air supplies to the troops with the necessary cargo.

Note that it was quite difficult to establish interaction between aviation and other branches of the military. The British Air Force, after it left the subordination of the army and navy in 1918, tried with all its might to maintain independence.

The US Air Force also sought maximum independence. At the same time, both the British and the Americans were confident that the bombers would be able to crush the enemy with minimal participation of soldiers and sailors.

There was some truth in this belief. Since the autumn of 1943, British and American strategic bombers have been attacking Germany, aimed at destroying industrial centers and reducing the will of the Germans to resist. The use of "flying fortresses" and "Liberators" accompanied by fighters led to the fact that the Germans, repelling air attacks, lost not only cars, but also pilots in battles with escort fighters (which was much more serious, since it was impossible to quickly bring up a good pilot ). As a result, the average skill level of the Luftwaffe pilots had dropped dramatically by the time Operation Overlord began.

A major success of the allied aviation was that, due to constant bombing from May to August 1944, the level of production of synthetic fuel and aviation alcohol in Germany fell sharply. According to some researchers, if the “flying fortresses” of General Karl Spaats continued to operate in the same spirit, then Germany could have been defeated by the end of 1944. How true this belief is, one can only guess, because from the very beginning of the year the generals who worked out the landing plans tried to subordinate strategic aviation to their interests. And after much debate, the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, Dwight Eisenhower, got his way: bomber aircraft were transferred to the subordination of the joint Anglo-American committee of chiefs of staff.

To participate in the operation, the British bomber command of A. Harris, the 8th American army of strategic aviation K. Spaats and the Allied Expeditionary Air Force as part of the 9th American Air Force and the British Second Tactical Air Force were allocated. This unit was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Trafford Leigh Mallory. The latter was not satisfied with the existing division of forces. He stated that without the participation of the bomber force, he would not be able to ensure the fulfillment of the tasks of covering the fleet during the crossing of the English Channel, as well as adequate support for the ground forces. Leigh Mallory wanted a single headquarters to direct all air operations. Such a headquarters was deployed in the town of Hillingdon. Air Marshal Coningham became Chief of Staff.

A two-stage plan for the use of bombers was developed. In accordance with this idea, at first strategic aviation was supposed to inflict maximum damage on the French and Belgian railways in order to reduce their throughput. Then, just before the landing, it was necessary to focus on the bombing of all lines of communication, bridges, etc. transport rolling stock in the landing zone and in the adjacent territories, thereby blocking the movement of German troops. Lee-Mallory outlined 75 targets that should have been destroyed in the first place.

The command decided to test the plan in practice. To begin with, on the night of March 7, about 250 British bombers "worked out" at the Trapp station near Paris, putting it out of action for a month. Then, within a month, eight more similar blows were dealt. An analysis of the results showed that Lee-Mallory was right in principle. But there was an unpleasant moment: such bombardments inevitably entailed civilian casualties. If it were the Germans, the Allies would not be too worried. But France and Belgium were to be bombed. And the death of civilians would hardly contribute to a benevolent attitude towards the liberators. After much debate, it was decided: to strike only where the risk of civilian casualties would be minimal. On April 15, the final list of targets was approved and brought to the attention of the commanders of strategic aviation.

By the beginning of the Allied landings, about 80 objects had been bombed, on which more than 66 thousand tons of bombs had fallen in total. As a result, the movement of German troops and cargo by rail turned out to be very difficult, and when Operation Overlord began, the Germans were unable to organize a quick transfer of forces for a decisive counterattack.

The closer was the date of the attack, the more active became the Allied air raids. Now the bombers smashed not only railway junctions and industrial facilities, but also radar stations, echelons, military and transport airfields. Coastal artillery batteries were subjected to heavy attacks, and not only those that were in the landing zone, but also others located on the coast of France.

In parallel with the bombing, the Allies were engaged in providing air cover for the areas where troops were concentrated. Continuous fighter patrols were organized over the English Channel and in the vicinity. The order of the command read: the appearance of German aircraft over southern England must be completely excluded. However, the Luftwaffe was no longer capable of a serious air offensive, so the few reconnaissance sorties could not reveal the Allied plans.

The Germans, of course, understood that the landing of Anglo-American troops on the continent was inevitable. But they did not receive the vital knowledge of exactly where this would happen. Meanwhile, the German army did not have the strength to ensure reliable defense of the entire coast. And the so-called "Atlantic Wall", whose impregnable fortifications in Germany were not heard except perhaps by the deaf, was more of a propaganda fiction than a real defensive structure. When Field Marshal Rommel was appointed commander of Army Group B, he made an inspection tour of the Val and was unpleasantly struck by what he saw. Many fortifications existed only on paper, construction work was carried out with impermissible neglect, and the existing
the presence of troops was not always enough even to fill the already built fortifications. And the worst thing that Rommel realized then was that no efforts would be enough to change this situation for the better.

At the time of the start of Operation Overlord, the Air Force had two main tasks: to cover the invasion fleet and the landing of troops, as well as to deliver glider and parachute units of airborne troops to their destination. Moreover, gliders were even more important to some extent, because they carried anti-tank guns, cars, heavy weapons and other massive cargo.

The airborne assault began on the night of June 5-6. It was attended by 1662 aircraft and 500 gliders from the US Air Force and 733 aircraft and 335 gliders of the British military aviation. During the night, 4.7 thousand soldiers, 17 guns, 44 Willis vehicles and 55 motorcycles were dropped into the territory of Normandy. Another 22 gliders with people and cargo crashed during landing.

In parallel with the airborne assault, diversion operations were carried out in the area of ​​Le Havre and Boulogne. Near Le Havre, 18 British ships maneuvered defiantly, and bombers dropped metal tapes and mirror reflectors so that German radar screens displayed a lot of interference and it seemed that a large fleet was moving towards the continent.

At the same time, another spectacle was being played out in northwestern France: stuffed paratroopers and pyrotechnics were being dropped from airplanes to simulate shooting.

While the fleet was approaching the shores of Normandy, Allied aviation bombed the locations of German troops, headquarters, and coastal batteries. Aircraft of the Anglo-American Air Force dropped more than 5,000 tons of bombs on the main batteries, and almost 1,800 tons on the defenses in the Seine Bay.

Opinions regarding the effectiveness of this raid are rather contradictory. In any case, it is known for certain that many batteries, even after intensive bombing, fired at the Allied amphibious assault. And the bombing itself was not always accurate. In the town of Merville, the 9th parachute battalion was covered with its own bombs. The unit suffered heavy losses.

Around 10 am, when the landing from the sea was already in full swing, there were about 170 fighter squadrons in the air. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses and participants, real chaos was happening in the air: due to low cloud cover, the Mustang and Typhoon aircraft were forced to fly at low altitude. Because of this, German anti-aircraft artillery managed to shoot down 17 and damage a large number of winged vehicles.

The few German air forces were taken by surprise. In general, the Germans did not have the slightest chance to establish resistance to the Allied winged armada, since out of the four hundred combat aircraft available to the 3rd Air Fleet, less than two hundred could take to the air. In fact, only a few aircraft took off, which did not have the slightest effect on the situation.
influence.

Small groups of Focke-Wulf and Me-110 fighters tried to operate against the invasion fleet. Between June 6 and 10, they managed to sink an American destroyer and one landing craft. On the scale of the landing, these were completely miserable losses.

On the morning of June 7, 175 German bombers attempted to attack the landing troops. RAF Spitfires repulsed this attack, and the only thing the Germans managed to do was throw a small number of mines into the bay of the Seine. Several landing ships were blown up on them.

By June 10, the Allies managed to complete the construction of the first airfield in Normandy. Three squadrons from the 144th Air Wing of the Canadian Air Force began to operate from it. Other units of this and other airfields, which were rapidly being built on the continent, were initially used as points for refueling and replenishment of ammunition, and as the front line moved away from the coast, Allied aircraft began to use them as permanent ones.

The losses of German aviation in the period from June 6 to September 5 amounted to more than 3,500 aircraft, the British lost 516 aircraft. One of the results of this defeat was that the number of aces pilots in the allied air forces decreased, as the likelihood of meeting the enemy in the air fell sharply.

The importance of the Air Force at the preparatory stage of the invasion of Normandy and directly during Operation Overlord can hardly be overestimated. Allied strategic aviation caused severe damage to transport communications in the occupied territories of France and Belgium. Fighters and light bombers seized unconditional air supremacy over the landing zone, thanks to which the German aviation, which was already not very strong, was neutralized by almost one hundred percent. The anti-aircraft artillery of the Germans physically could not cope with those armadas of aircraft that the Allies had lifted into the air. Even despite the mistakes made and the rather dubious effectiveness of aviation operations at a number of points, it was a clear victory.