Becky and Laura

The Normandy Invasion

June 6 1944: D-Day The Plan: Heavy naval and air attacks to knock

out German defenses so that Allied forces could cross the English channel and land along 80 km of Normandy coastline in France

Allies involved: British troops, American troops, Canadian troops

Officers

• General Eisenhower was designated supreme Allied commander in chief with Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder of the RAF as deputy commander.

• Sea and air commands also went to British officers, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay and Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory.

• General Carl A. Spaatz commanded United States strategic air forces in Europe.

Tactics

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, the Royal Canadian Navy attacked Nazi strongholds on Juno Beach.

Overhead, Canadian Spitfire squadrons provided air cover.

Paratroopers jumped from aircraft or landed in gliders in key German defense points

Unfortunately…

• Most German gun positions weren’t knocked out by the bombing or naval gunfire

• Nazi defenders made the Allied attackers pay for every inch of territory they took, leading to heavy casualties

• Canada suffered 1074 casualties on D-Day, including 359 dead

Despite those losses

• The tactics and bravery of the Allied troops on this day secured the Allied success, giving them their foothold in Europe

• The Allies sent huge amounts of men and supplies across the Channel to secure their foothold, and to start pushing the Germans back into Germany

http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-about-The-Normandy-Invasion-June-6th-1944-117513755

• D-day has been called the greatest seaborne invasion in history.

• It involved about 155 000 soldiers, 5000 ships and landing craft, 50 000 vehicles, and 11 000 planes

• The bombardment of the beaches began at 6 am, two hours later, the German defenses at Juno beach had been shattered and Canada had established the beachhead

Event• When: June 6 1944 • Where: Normandy (Northern France) • What: The western Allies landed in

Northern France, opening the “Second Front” against Nazi Germany.

• Why: Normandy was a strategically important region to drive the Germans from France and defeat the National Socialist regime.

• Outcome: Hitler’s armies were shoved back to Germany and France was liberated.

SignificanceThanks to the Allies

and the Soviets, the German troops got pushed out of France, and World War Two entered

its climactic phase.

References

• http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-eur/normandy/normandy.htm

• http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-about-The-Normandy-Invasion-June-6th-1944-117513755

• http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/06/02/f-dday-history.html

• http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/secondwar/berryman/dday