FROM HISTORYCHANNEL.COM

June 5

1944 Allies prepare for D-Day


On this day in 1944, more than 1,000 British bombers drop 5,000 tons of bombs on German gun batteries placed at the Normandy assault area, while 3,000 Allied ships cross the English Channel in preparation for the invasion of Normandy-D-Day.

The day of the invasion of occupied France had been postponed repeatedly since May, mostly because of bad weather and the enormous tactical obstacles involved. Finally, despite less than ideal weather conditions-or perhaps because of them-General Eisenhower decided on June 5 to set the next day as D-Day, the launch of the largest amphibious operation in history. Ike knew that the Germans would be expecting postponements beyond the sixth, precisely because weather conditions were still poor.

Among those Germans confident that an Allied invasion could not be pulled off on the sixth was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was still debating tactics with Field Marshal Karl Rundstedt. Runstedt was convinced that the Allies would come in at the narrowest point of the Channel, between Calais and Dieppe; Rommel, following Hitler's intuition, believed it would be Normandy. Rommel's greatest fear was that German air inferiority would prevent an adequate defense on the ground; it was his plan to meet the Allies on the coast-before the Allies had a chance to come ashore. Rommel began constructing underwater obstacles and minefields, and set off for Germany to demand from Hitler personally more panzer divisions in the area.

Bad weather and an order to conserve fuel grounded much of the German air force on June 5; consequently, its reconnaissance flights were spotty. That night, more than 1,000 British bombers unleashed a massive assault on German gun batteries on the coast. At the same time, an Allied armada headed for the Normandy beaches in Operation Neptune, an attempt to capture the port at Cherbourg. But that was not all. In order to deceive the Germans, phony operations were run; dummy parachutists and radar-jamming devices were dropped into strategically key areas so as to make German radar screens believe there was an Allied convoy already on the move. One dummy parachute drop succeeded in drawing an entire German infantry regiment away from its position just six miles from the actual Normandy landing beaches. All this effort was to scatter the German defenses and make way for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

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I am putting up a link on the home page for the remainder of June to commemorate Operation Overlord. Please post and discussions or links to other sites of interest here so we can all share in this historic memorial event.

Thanks,
Jim

As well as the seabourne forces -
The British glider assault on the Orne bridges - now renamed 'Pegasus Bridge' in their honour and the 82nd/101st Airbourne parachute descent upon St Mere L'eglise (I think thats spelt right). We shouldn't forget the French Resistance either, without them plans for some of Rommels defences wouldn't have fallen into our hands prior to the invasion, and the sabotage carried out made it more difficult for Rommel to reinforce his positions.

I'll post these here.
Thanks for the link to this thread, it will hopefully generate an interesting collection of stories from around the world.

Here's a link to a set of June 5 recollections from 7 U.S. veterans.
Three More stories will follow on 6/6/04 (If no ones mind, I'll post those links as well).

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_16189468.shtml

Was it Utah, Sword, Omaha, and Juno?

and Gold

I remeber from the movie "The Longest Day" about those rangers who scaled up a rocky cliff they named "Pointe du Hoc"... Their deed was dangerous, since all of them were vulnerable from attacks while climbing... Ah, such great courage and bravery....

Yes, the 2nd Rangers who scaled the cliffs to find the 155s indeed were brave. They came within metres of a German platoon who weer unaware of them while they disabled the guns by silent thermite grenades to weld the breeches and aiming devices together. Also significant is the incredible post beach assault Fighter/bomber aircover provided byu those wonderful men in their flying machines... RAF Typhoons. and the others...

Here is an additional set of stories:

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_16192528.shtml

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_16245291.shtml

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/news/archive/local_16269395.shtml

Here's a link to Nazi propaganda aimed against Allied Liberators. I think it's related, anyhow....

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/ww2leaf.htm

If you guys want to pick up a good book that was put out for the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. Go to your local magazine shop and see if they have the Time Magazine special edition.

60th Anniversary Tribute, Time, D-Day, 24 Hours That Saved the World. Has an introduction by Tom Hanks.

Really good information, it chronicles the landings hour by hour, by what happened on each beach.

Good maps of the beach landings...where all the different forces deployed, what forces deployed where, some good pictures of equipment used on both sides.

Also this month's FSM magazine is all dedicated to modelling of the equipment of the D-Day landings.

Here is a great site for the salty side of D-Day.

http://www.eurosurf.com/ddaynavy/ddaynavy.6.html

The site is called, The D-Day Navy Memorial.
Thanks for this post Jim, in memory of all the brave people who fought and gave there all for our freedom on this day!

I salute them all!
With respect,

Garry

I have watched about -7 hours of television coverage today, from President Bush at Omaha, and the Queen at Juno, and at Arremanche; the service from Bayeux and the joint Heads of State at the official march past and presentation of the Legion D'Honneur to veterans of all the Allied Nations.
I was almost moved to tears, something that rarely happens. The pride and raw emotion on the faces of the Veterans, the genuine feelings and gratitude of the French people ,and the wishes that we should never face this kind of conflict again. This was the last 'official' parade of The Normandy Veterans Association, though in future individuals will still return for as long as they can.
I'm reminded of the words of a Dutch grandmother, when asked by her grandson at a Canadian War Grave site " How long do we have to carry on putting flowers here?" and her reply "For as long as any of us are alive".

Gentlemen of all the nations that took part - WE THAT ARE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF THE SACRIFICE THAT YOU MADE THEN, SALUTE YOU.

Not a pretty picture ahead! US troops head for the beach in a landing craft, on June 6, 1944. D-day has begone. Let us salute these brave men that were there for all of us!



Garry

I'm gonna grab me a copy of that TIME MAGAZINE SPECIAL for sure.....

Thanks for the info!!

To all those who sacrificed so that our freedom may live - Salutations....

May all those who perished in the war, Allied or Axis alike, rest in peace.

It is said that "tradition" was born at Pointe du Hoc. It was here that the Ranger's famous battlecry and credo, "Rangers lead the way" was coined." IIRC. And lead the way they did, and would be repeated by later generations of Rangers.

Aside from the Longest Day, let's not forget the deeds of the paratroops (Band of Brothers). Where elements of E and later D company took out German gun emplacements which would have menaced the beach head at Utah Beach.

Even though they got scattered and missed their actual DZ's, they did not lose their wits and they maintained ther poise to carry out their mission.

I am proud to say that my dad was over the beaches flying a Mosquito giving aircover for the troops landing on Dday and many days thereafter.There is no glory in war but there is honor.Thank God that those honorable men of 60 years ago fought for all the freedoms that we enjoy today.Cheers! John.

To the great men and women of the Allied forces, may they rest in peace.

Take time to thank a veteran. It is said that we are losing over 1000 WWII vet's a day, I do not honor war, but I do honor their memories, resourcefulness, and their ability to accomplish their misisons. They are indeed "the Greatest Generation". I grew up knowing many WWII vet's, going to my father's reunions, all my uncles, cousins, and their friends who served in WWII, I am sadend by the fact that the new generation is not taught this in school any more. I use my hobby, as a tool to honor their memories, and hopefully draw attention to the fading the stories... We should all be thankful for their courage, for they were all hero's, we will never fully understand the impact they had on our live's.

I wish I could meet some....But I lost my grandpappy before I had the chance to meet him...He was from the Philippine Army back in WW2...

I also lost my other grandpappy many years ago....He was in the guerilla movement against the Japanese Occupational Army here in our country....I found it too late - only when he died I found out about his documents...he had veteran benefits and all other of those perks....

When I do get to meet some, I'll really bow to them. And I'll be proud that once in my life, I encountered a real hero.

Aye, I agree...Today's generation take this freedom our vets given us for granted. They do not realize the great sacrifices these "old" people have done for us. It pains me greatly hearing about people not knowing and not bothering to know what happened 60 years ago.

Dude, my grandpa in my father side was a war vet. He served with the Navy and ranked Ensign on 1947.