D-DayJune 6th, 1944

Prior to D-Day The Allies had been fighting in Italy in

1943 Germany had been constructing the

Atlantic Wall since 1942• Atlantic Wall was a series of coastal

fortifications• Invasion plan called Operation Overlord

(Eisenhower led)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Prior to the Invasion Began early June 6th,

1944 20,000 paratroopers

landed behind enemy lines

Consisted of 6,000 ships

150,000 men in first wave

Germans think this is a decoy, think invasion will be at Calais

The Beaches Landing zone was split into several

different zones• Sword Beach• Juno Beach• Gold Beach• Omaha Beach (2,400 casualties)• Utah Beach

D-Day: Allied Invasion of France

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Normandy7.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/NormandySupply_edit.jpg

Results of the Invasion Allies launch Operation Dragoon,

invade France from south (August 15th, 1944)

Assassination attempt on Hitler’s life July 20th, 1944

Allies liberate Paris August 25th

Allied Casualty ListsNATION / SECTOR ESTIMATED CASUALTIES

U.S. AIRBORNE 2,499U.S. / UTAH 197U.S. / OMAHA 2,000U.K. / GOLD 413CAN. / JUNO 1,204U.K. / SWORD 630U.K. AIRBORNE 1,500CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE 8,443REASONABLEGUESS

9,000 total (of which 3,000 may have been fatalities)

Aftermath of the Invasion Germany is surrounded

• Soviets on the east• Americans, British, French on the west

Germany is devastated by allied bombing

Germany continues to run low on oil Hitler orders all men between 16-60

to join the army

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=allied+invasions+WWII+map&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5G-4Pb913HE-VM&tbnid=ZPBcpZjw6BpJvM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-C-WWII/&ei=TvmQUeySK8iB0QHR-oCgCQ&bvm=bv.46340616,d.dmQ&psig=AFQjCNFC6k-AfzPp9SiWqt2tTN-pOqEK3g&ust=1368541862928633

Omaha Beach – Saving Private Ryan

Omaha Beach – Saving Private Ryan

Invasions of Italy Operation Shingle Operation Avalanche

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Atlantic Wall During the Second

World War, the Germans took four years to build the Atlantic Wall. On four beaches it held up the Allies for about an hour; at Omaha it held up the U.S. for less than one day. The Atlantic Wall must therefore be regarded as one of the greatest blunders in military history. – Stephen Ambrose

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Overlord

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