Chapter 24: The United States in World War II section 1: The War in Europe and North Africa The Battle of the Atlantic

The Germans had built formidable defenses all along the French coast, the Atlantic Wall. Field Marshall Irwin Rommel was given command of the defenses. Hitler was convinced that Calais was the primary target.

Operation Overlord was planned for May. Unfortunately bad weather forced a postponement. The next day chosen was June 5. Again due to bad weather the invasion was postponed. The invasion needed specific criteria to take place. They needed a late rising full moon and they needed low tide at dawn.

The chief meteorologist for the Allies saw a break in the weather that might provide the necessary minimal conditions for the invasion to take place, June 6, 1944. Although it would not be optimum conditions, Eisenhower gave the order to go.

The coast was divided onto 5 beaches-Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah. The British were responsible for the first 3; the Americans for Omaha and Utah.

During the night paratroopers were dropped on the flanks behind the German lines. They were to disrupt communications and prevent reinforcements from reaching the coast. At Dawn 5000 ships appeared off the coast of Normandy. The landings were heavily opposed on most beaches. The Germans had zeroed in on the beaches and men were killed as the landing craft dropped its ramp. Omaha was particularly brutal; it was questionable whether Omaha was going to have to be abandoned. If that happened, the whole invasion would have failed. By noon the soldiers were off the beach and moving inland.

Omaha Beach