The Battle Of Normandy: The Invasion Of Normandy

The battle along the coast of Normandy was a turning point in the Allies fight against the German occupation of France. The eventual (and hard-earned) success of the five landings prevented Hitler from sending more troops into France to build up the Eastern Front against the Soviets. Normandy was a difficult and well-fought battle, which used multiple ingenious strategies in order to overcome German forces.

In order to lower the enemy’s defenses at Normandy enough to where a successful invasion could be carried out, the Allied Forces devised a clever plan in order to reduce Germany’s tactical advantage. A series of “Ghost Armies” were stationed in areas that were plausible points to invade German-occupied regions (such as Greece, on the Adriatic
While lacking a proper commander and support from Hitler, the Allies had a distinct advantage in Normandy. Commander Erwin Rommel was on leave during the battle, which played a major role in defeating the Germans. The invasion of Normandy turned the tide against Nazi Germany and prevented Hitler from sending French troops to build up the eastern front against the Soviets. Dwight D. Eisenhower directed British, Canadian, American, and French troops as Supreme Commander of the operation. The goal for the first twenty-four hours of battle was to establish a beachhead and to protect the area from the soon to come enemy attacks. Eisenhower had planned to have one hundred thousand men, tanks, guns, and other essential equipment ashore as well. Pointe Du Hoc was a prominent position along Normandy’s coast and was the focal point of the U.S. forces assault.The troops assigned to seize, and neutralize the enemy positions at Pointe Du Hoc were known as the US Rangers. Eisenhower’s plan was put into action just after midnight on June 6, as paratroops floated in and began to seize bridges and road junctions. At dawn, over six hundred warships and three thousand transport ships arrived off the coast of Normandy. There were only a hundred and thirty-two thousand men on land, much less than what Eisenhower had envisioned. Warships opened fire on German defenses as men began making their way to shore. The Germans began bringing in reinforcements including the twenty-first Panzer Division from Caen, which was still under German control and attacking British positions. At Omaha beach, the German forces were much stronger than anticipated, and the U.S. first division was pinned down by heavy machine fire and suffered many casualties. At this point, the Allies had a foothold in France. Bernard L. Montgomery won the crucial battle of El Alamein in