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Battle in the West - D Day & Beyond

Battle in the West - D Day & Beyond. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond. From the Battle of Britain to the invasion of Italy… increased resistance to Nazi occupation build up of Bomber Command & USAAF in Britain leads to night & then day bombing of mainland Casablanca Conference (Jan 1943)

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Battle in the West - D Day & Beyond

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  1. Battle in the West - D Day & Beyond

  2. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • From the Battle of Britain to the invasion of Italy… • increased resistance to Nazi occupation • build up of Bomber Command & USAAF in Britain leads to night & then day bombing of mainland • Casablanca Conference (Jan 1943) • ‘Germany first’ reaffirmed • unconditional surrender • Sicily invaded in July • France to be invaded in August, later postponed • Deutsches Afrika Korps defeated • Battle of the Atlantic on the improve for the Allies • Deutsches Afrika Korps defeated • Operation ’Husky’: Sicily (July 10)

  3. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • The ‘soft underbelly of Europe’ – NOT • July 10 to Aug 17 1943: conquest of Sicily • July 25: Mussolini overthrown by Fascist Grand Council, Italians make secret peace overtures • August 13 - 23: Quebec Conference • ‘Overlord’ set for May 1944 • Sept 8 - 10: Italy surrenders, Italian mainland is invaded, Germans move in • end of Sept: Germans defending Gustav Line = stalemate • Nov 28 - Dec 1: Tehran Conference • Monte Cassino: fierce fighting • Jan 22, 1944: Anzio landings • June 5: Allies enter Rome • front remained fairly static until end of war.

  4. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • Planning for ‘Overlord’ • begins April 1943 • Dieppe Raid (Aug 1942) • Gen Eisenhower appointed Allied C-in-C • where to attack • specialised equipment • combined arms • deception • Russian offensive timed to coincide

  5. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond

  6. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • The Normandy Landings • night of June 5/6: airborne attacks to create confusion, capture/destroy bridges, etc • French Resistance join in • 3400 ships, 2500 landing craft • landings at 5 beaches: • Utah (US) - light casualties, Omaha (US) - almost 10% casualties • Gold, Sword (Br) & Juno (Can) - light casualties • German resistance was heavy but confused • Hitler believed real invasion was still to come & refused to release the German reserves • landed 155,000 troops but not all objectives were achieved • logistics & supply vital

  7. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • Breakout • By June 30, Allies had only secured the Normandy coast & port of Cherbourg (damaged by the German occupiers) • July: desperate British attacks in eastern Normandy wear down German resistance & allow American attack in the west to succeed (Operation Cobra) • Aug 15: Allies land on coast of southern France • Aug 25: Paris liberated • Sept 3: Brussels liberated • Sept 11: Allied troops reach the Franco-German border. • Sept 17 to 26: Operation Market Garden, Montgomery’s gamble fails • end of Sept: almost all of France, Belgium & Luxemburg have been liberated, Normandy & S. French forces linked up

  8. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • Closing the noose… • Oct & Nov: spent consolidating supply lines, conquering Alsace-Lorraine & opening Antwerp as a supply port • autumn/winter brings a halt to the advance • Dec 16 to Jan 1: ‘Battle of the Bulge’ • German counterattack through the Ardennes • Aimed to capture Antwerp • False hopes that the Allies would retreat/split(!) • Allied resistance strong after initial surprise • American resistance at Bastogne • Germans had little in the way of supplies • Results: no German reserves, loss of experienced troops, held up Allies for six weeks

  9. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • The End - ‘Twilight of the Gods’ • Feb 1945: Allies advance to the Rhine River • March: Allies cross the Rhine in several places • March 19: Hitler orders ‘scorched earth’ policy, but it is not carried out • Allied advance speeds up: Germans have few units of quality, little in the way of supplies, morale has collapsed • April 25: Western Allies & Russians meet on the River Elbe • April 28: Himmler discredited, April 29: Adm Doenitz appointed Hitler’s successor • April 30: Hitler commits suicide in Berlin • May 2: Berlin surrenders to the Russians • May 7: Germany surrenders unconditionally (after trying to arrange a separate peace with the West, but failing)

  10. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond • Aftermath • carving up of Europe: Democracy -v- Communism • distrust of the Allies for each other • Nuremburg Trials

  11. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond

  12. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond

  13. Battle in the West – D Day & Beyond

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