Invasion of Normandy (D-Day)

June 6, 1944

by Kim Cox

Although WWII didn’t end until May 8, 1945, the ending began with the “Invasion of Normandy”.  Many Americans refer to this day as “D-day” which means only one thing--June 6, 1944.  I like to think of this day as the day the Allied troops whooped butt on the coast of Normandy, France.

This is the day the greatest combination ever assembled of land, sea and air forces cast themselves upon the Normandy coast and struck with such an impact that it was the beginning of the end of the German military.

The planning of the invasion had begun as early as 1943, and early in that year US Navy forces began to arrive in the British Isles to prepare for the invasion.  There were two bases established with “Base 1” in Ireland and “Base 2” in Scotland while they began construction of other bases in England to be used as “jumping off” points for the great attack.  Soon other amphibious bases were constructed in every cove and bay to be used for harboring and loading naval vessels.

Intensive training operations from gas-mask drills to boat handling were initiated in every phase of warfare.

To take dominant command of all invasion forces, General Eisenhower arrived in England in January 1944.  And by March the US 8th Airforce, the US 9th Airforce and the Royal Airforce started three months of constant pounding along the coast and in Northern France, the Low Countries and Western Germany.

The world knew it was coming--even Germany, but no one except a few men of the highest commanders in the Allied forces knew when or where the blow would come.  Air attacks intensified as D-day approached.  On June 1st the actual loading of assault troops began as the ships were sealed and the men briefed.  Then they awaited the final “this is it” from the Supreme Allied Headquarters.

The invasion that had originally been planned for June 5th was postponed for twenty-four hours because of adverse weather conditions.  The night of June 5th, last minute air strikes heightened while the great armada moved across the channel and paratroopers jumped far inland.  The next twenty-four hours would tell the fate of Europe.

But everything had been planned long months before, figuring the last inch and the last second.  A fleet of 4,000 ships, all of varying sizes and speeds, with split-second timing reached the rendezvous.  From then on all the vessels continued to operate just as precise.

A stretch of beach on the Normandy coast between the Seine and halfway up the Cotentin Peninsula was selected for the landing.  British troops were scheduled to land on the eastern beaches and American troops on the western beaches.

Sweeping channels right in to the beach, the minesweepers far ahead of the rest dropped lighted buoys to mark the channels they had already swept.  Posted at every turn in the courses were reference vessels to guide traffic into the precise lanes.  Special control vessels inside the 1,000 yard line off shore were to direct the assault boats in the last dash. 

The great armada stretched all across the channel with cruisers, destroyers and battleships that guarded the flanks while air coverage acted as an impenetrable umbrella that protected the vessels against air attacks.  Then the bombardment ships made their move and fired a blizzard of shells against the surprised Germans.

Transports lowered their assault craft, the troops hurled down and the amphibious craft sailed toward shore with their loads.  The Navy and Army demolition teams drove through the shallow water, blowing up underwater obstacles.  Nazi guns, lying outside the zone of fire began to shower them with heavy crossfire.  Casualties were heavy.  The US Coast Guard, especially outfitted and instructed, thrust in under the fire and made spectacular rescues.  Then hidden guns were searched out by the bombers and ships’ gun fire and they completely disabled them.

The landing beaches were secured by our troops by late afternoon.  Sixty-six thousand  troops had landed on the two American beaches by the end of the first 24 hours, and almost 250,000 Americans were ashore at the end of seven days.

Wow!  Did the allied forces whoop some butt or what?  The invasion of Normandy or D-day is my favorite part of WWII history.  What energy and patriotism these guys had.