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Operation Overlord: The Invasion of Normandy

Operation Overlord, planned from 1942 to 1944, marked the invasion across the English Channel into Nazi-occupied France. Led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Allied forces executed a two-fold attack on Normandy, catching the Germans off guard. Despite challenges, the Allies gained control of the skies and successfully landed 150,000 troops on French soil. The operation initiated the liberation of Western Europe. The Battle of the Bulge, VE Day, and the eventual surrender of Germany in 1945 sealed the end of the war in Europe.

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Operation Overlord: The Invasion of Normandy

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  1. The War in Europe

  2. Operation Overlord • Planned from 1942-1944 • Invasion across the English channel into Nazi-occupied France • Took 2 years to plan due to insufficient number of troops • Two-Fold: • Planned attack on Normandy in Northern France • Allied Intelligence campaign to trick the Germans into believing the Allies would attack further north

  3. Dwight D. Eisenhower • American General • Commanded Allied troops during the North Africa campaign • Named Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord

  4. Invasion of Normandy • June 5, 1944: 700 warships, 2,500 landing craft, 2,700 support ships, and 150,000 Allied soldiers set sail across the English Channel • Germans were not expecting an invasion due to poor weather • Hitler refused to send reinforcements (fell for the Allied trap, thought the real invasion would occur further north)

  5. Normandy continued • Allied warships bombarded the Nazis with artillery • Allies had complete control of the skies • The only difficulties occurred on Omaha Beach where casualties exceeded 4,600 • By the end of the day, 155,000 Allied troops were on French soil • The liberation of Western Europe had begun

  6. Battle of the Bulge • The last German offensive • December 16, 1944-February 7, 1945 • Goal was to drive a wedge between Allied troops in the Low Countries and France • Attacked in the Ardennes Forest • Surprise: the Allies thought the Germans were too weak to launch an offensive • Worked at first, however Patton’s 3rd Army and Allied aircraft came to the rescue

  7. VE Day • April 16-May 2, 1945: Battle of Berlin • Soviet Troops vs. Nazis in street combat • 300,000 Soviet troops lost, 450,000 German troopscaptured (# dead unknown) • May 8, 1945: Germany surrenders unconditionally • The war in Europe is over.

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