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Allied landings in Normandy (Operation Overlord) (1944)

By mid-1944, the position of the warring states and the coalition had changed significantly. Soviet troops inflicted major lesions the Wehrmacht on the eastern front and were approaching vital enemy centers. The USA and England intensified the actions of their troops and achieved success on other fronts. The situation for Germany deteriorated sharply. The German command foresaw the inevitability of continuing the offensive Soviet troops and sought to create powerful defense in the most dangerous directions, the main forces of the Wehrmacht were kept here.

Germany's position was also worsening due to the real prospect of an imminent landing of American-British troops in France. Line of defense German troops on the western front it passed along the coasts of Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France, then went along the southern coast of France, south of Rome it crossed Italian territory, continued along the coast of Yugoslavia, Albania and ended in Greece. (History of the Second World War, 1939–1945. T.9. M., 1978. P. 23.)

Based on their plans, assessment of the situation and prospects for military events, the opposing coalitions launched preparations for military operations in the summer of 1944.

The USA and England, taking advantage of favorable conditions, began preparations for the landing of their troops in Northern France(Operation Overlord) and an auxiliary strike in Southern France (Operation Anvil). The headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces in Britain was converted into the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Force. American General D. Eisenhower was appointed supreme commander of these forces.

The plan of action for the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Operation Overlord was to land troops on the Normandy coast, seize a bridgehead, and, having accumulated forces and material resources, launch an offensive in an easterly direction to occupy the territory of North-Eastern France. (Ibid., p. 238.) Subsequently, the expeditionary forces had to, interacting with the troops landed in the south of France, cut off the Wehrmacht grouping in southwestern France, break through the Siegfried Line and invade German territory.

Before direct implementation During Operation Overlord, four armies were concentrated in the British Isles: the 1st and 3rd American, the 2nd British and the 1st Canadian. These armies consisted of 37 divisions (23 infantry, 10 armored, 4 airborne) and 12 brigades. (Samsonov A. M. Second world war. M., 1985. P. 374.) There were also 10 “commando” and “rangens” detachments (British and American airborne sabotage units of the Marine Corps).

Significant air forces were involved in ensuring the landing - 10,859 combat vehicles, 2,316 transport aircraft and 2,591 gliders. (History of the Second World War, 1939–1945. P. 238; Samsonov A.M. (decree, op., p. 374) provides other data.) The strategic air force (Air Force) in the European Theater of Operations consisted of 8 th American Air Force and the British Strategic Air Force. The commander of the 8th Air Army, Lieutenant General K. Spaats, and his headquarters also coordinated the actions of the 15th Air Army, which was based in Italy. Tactical air forces included the US 9th air army and two armies of the British Air Force. They were commanded by Air Chief Marshal T. Lee-Mallory.

As part of the allied expeditionary forces naval forces(commander English Admiral B. Ramsay) included 1213 warships and boats, 4126 landing craft and landing craft, 736 auxiliary ships and 864 merchant ships. To further accumulate the invasion forces, 2 thousand merchant ships with a total displacement of 4 million tons were constantly used, they were served by 70 thousand officers and sailors merchant fleet. (Belli V.I., Penzin KV. Fighting in the Atlantic and Mediterranean 1939–1945 M., 1967. P. Z36.). Canadian, French, Czechoslovakian, Polish units and parts. As of June 6, the expeditionary armies included more than 2,876 thousand soldiers and officers. (History of the Second World War, 1939–1945. Vol. 9. P. 239.)

The first stage of the landing operation was carried out by the 21st Army Group under the command of the English General B. Montgomery. It included the 1st American (commander General O. Blier), 2nd British (commander General M. Dempsey) and 1st Canadian (commander General H. Grerard) armies.

The landing was carefully prepared. There were tanks for making passages in minefields, amphibious tanks, tanks for destroying concrete fortifications, tanks that themselves spread coverings on the roads, tanks for building bridges. Two artificial ports called Melbury were prepared and were to be towed across the English Channel. The concentrated forces were truly enormous. Eisenhower once wittily remarked: “Only the barrage balloons, which flew in great numbers over England, held the islands, preventing them from sinking.” (Second World War: Two views. M., 1995. P. 519.)

The inevitability of the opening of a second front was obvious to the political leadership of Germany and the Wehrmacht command. Back on November 3, 1943, Hitler stated in Directive No. 51: “...The danger in the East remains, but it looms even more in the West: an Anglo-Saxon invasion.” However, German forces on the English Channel and the Atlantic coast of France were largely determined by military operations on Soviet-German front. In the Western European theater of operations, the German command had 61 divisions, including 10 tank and one motorized. They united into two army groups: “B” (commander Field Marshal E. Rommel) and “G” (commander General I. Blaskowitz) and were subordinate to the commander-in-chief of the German troops in the West, Field Marshal G. Rundstedt. In its reserve there were 13 divisions, including 4 tank and 1 motorized (tank group "West").

However, infantry divisions were, as a rule, understaffed and poorly armed. Of the total number of divisions located on the territory of France, Holland and Belgium, 23 were so-called stationary. (Müller-Gillenbrand B. Ground Army Germany, 1933–1945. Per. with him. T.Z. M., 1976. P. 187.) They differed from ordinary infantry formations almost complete absence vehicles. Seven infantry divisions were in the process of formation.

German divisions were dispersed over a vast area. Along the coast of Normandy, west of the river. Seine, for more than 300 kilometers there were only six divisions. In Normandy, in the area of ​​the amphibious landing, only two divisions held the defense on a 70-kilometer front. (Volkov F.D. The secret becomes clear. M., 1989. P. 245.) The average operational density was no more than one division per 100 kilometers of coast. All German aviation in the West did not exceed 500 combat aircraft, of which only 160 (90 attack aircraft and 70 fighters) could take off. By the time the Anglo-American troops landed in northern France, the Allies outnumbered the enemy in men by 2.1 times, in tanks by 2.2 times, and in aircraft by almost 23 times. (History of the Great Patriotic War Soviet Union, 1941–1945. T.4. M., 1962. P. 525.)

The combat effectiveness of German formations in Western Europe was not tall. Even Hitler admitted that the German troops in the West, neither in terms of weapons nor equipment, were suitable for waging “maneuver warfare,” and their combat effectiveness “could not be measured by the number of divisions.” (Kulkov E. N. Operation “Watch on the Rhine”. M., 1986. - P. 51–52.)

German defenses in the West relied on the Atlantic Wall, a system of fortifications along the coast. Its construction was not completed. By July 1944, 68 percent of the work on the English Channel coast had been completed, and 18 percent in the Normandy invasion area. Strong fortifications were located in the areas of naval bases and the Calais-Boulogne area, where the depth of anti-landing defense reached 20 km from the coast. In other areas, including Seneca Bay itself, anti-landing defenses were much weaker. Defensive structures were just being created; their construction proceeded slowly due to a lack of materials and labor.

The German command made a miscalculation in determining possible area landing of American-British troops. It believed that the landing would take place through the Pas de Calais Strait, so the strongest defense was created here.

On the night of June 6, simultaneously with the transition of the amphibious assault, more than 2 thousand allied bombers attacked artillery batteries, individual resistance centers, headquarters, troop concentrations and enemy rear areas. 14 thousand combat sorties were made per day. The bombing of German troops facilitated the airborne landings. 1662 aircraft and 512 gliders of American aviation, 733 aircraft and 335 gliders of British aviation took part in it. air force. The 101st and 82nd American and 6th British airborne divisions were dropped by parachute and gliders 10–15 km from the coast. They coped with their tasks and assisted the amphibious assault in landing and capturing the bridgehead.

At dawn on June 6, under the cover of artillery and massive air strikes, the landing of troops began almost unhindered on five sections of the coast. German units did not take decisive measures to disrupt the actions of the Allied forces. German aviation and the navy did not provide adequate resistance to the landing, although individual units and formations located on the coast defended stubbornly, especially in the area where the 1st Infantry Division of the 5th American Corps landed. From the first day of the invasion, the Allies captured three bridgeheads, on which 8 divisions and armor landed tank brigade, with a total number of 150 thousand soldiers and officers. The time for a German counterattack was largely lost. The 709th, 352nd and 716th German divisions, located directly on the coast, fought on a 100-kilometer front and were unable to repel the Allied landings (Samsonov A.M. Op. cit. P. 376.) On the first day During the landing operation, the Americans lost 6,603 people, including 1,465 killed, the British and Canadians - about 4 thousand people killed, wounded and missing.

The command of the expeditionary forces transferred new forces and equipment to the captured bridgeheads. Reflecting the attacks of the German units, the formations deployed to the bridgehead, the British American troops moved deeper into the coast. On June 10, one common bridgehead was created, which had 70 km along the front and 8-15 km in depth. By June 12, the expeditionary forces managed to expand it to 80 km along the front and 13–18 km in depth. There were already 16 divisions and armored units on the bridgehead, equivalent to three armor tank divisions. By this time, the Anglo-American troops in Normandy included 327 thousand people, 54 thousand combat and transport vehicles and 104 thousand tons of cargo. (History of the Second World War, 1939–1945. T| P. 247.). The 7th Corps of the 1st American Army fought stubborn battles on the rear approaches to Cherbourg. However, the allies failed to capture the city and port of Caen.

The command of the German troops brought up reserves to eliminate the bridgehead on the coast. But it still believed main blow Anglo-American troops followed through the Strait of Calais and continued to maintain large forces here. On June 12, German troops took unsuccessful attempt cut through the Allied group between the Orne and Vir rivers.

Hitler laid high hopes for a new weapon - V-1 aircraft shells. It was launched soon after the landing - on the night of June 13. The most intensive shelling of London by V-1 aircraft began on June 16. Unmanned missiles destroyed 25,000 homes and killed 6,184 people, almost exclusively in London. The moral and psychological effect of the new weapon was significant at first, but in other respects it was unable to change the course of events. By August 1944, 80 percent of V-1 missiles were destroyed in the air. (The Second World War: Two Views. P. 524.)

On July 20, the landing Allied expeditionary forces fought: creating a strategic bridgehead.

Formations of the 1st American Army began their offensive on June 12 from the area west of Sainte-Mère-Eglise to westward captured Komon. On June 17, they cut off the Cotentin Peninsula, on June 27 they captured Cherbourg, taking 30 thousand people prisoner, and then completed clearing the Cotentin Peninsula from German troops.

The heavy battles of the Anglo-Canadian troops for the city of Caen did not end in success, but they pinned down large enemy forces here. By the end of June, the Allied bridgehead in Normandy reached 110 km along the front and 12-4 km in depth. As Eisenhower recalled, the first major objective of the Normandy campaign had been completed, “which was to establish a secure bridgehead with adequate supply lines in the area not between Cherbourg and the mouth of the Orne River.” (The Second World War in Memoirs. M., 1990. P. 458.) The forces of the 1st American and 2nd British armies were located here. The total number of expeditionary forces on the bridgehead by June 30 was over 875 thousand people. They were opposed by 18 German divisions, which had suffered heavy losses in previous battles. On July 1, the command of the “West” came to the conclusion that it was not possible and would not be possible to cope with the landed Anglo-American troops.

The headquarters of the Wehrmacht High Command (OKB) did not dare to reinforce its troops in Normandy with formations from North-Eastern France, still fearing an Allied landing in the Pas-de-Calais Strait area. The powerful offensive of the Red Army in the summer of 1944 did not allow the German command to send troops and equipment to Western Europe at the expense of strategic reserves and the transfer of forces from the Soviet-German front. Thus, the German defense in Normandy could not be significantly strengthened. The OKB headquarters carried out only a partial transfer of forces and made a change in the leadership of German troops in Normandy. Field Marshal Rundstedt was replaced on July 3 by Field Marshal G. Kluge. Kluge soon took over command of Army Group B, as Rommel was wounded. General G. Everbach became the commander of Panzer Group “West” instead of General G. Schweppenburg.

Allied forces landing in Normandy continued to expand the bridgehead. On July 3, the 1st American Army went on the offensive. In 17 days, she advanced 10–15 km and occupied the mountain and the important road junction of Saint-Lo. The British 2nd Army, after heavy and difficult attacks, captured Caen on July 19. The 3rd American and 1st Canadian armies were landed on the bridgehead. By July 25, the allied forces reached the line south of Saint-Lo, Caumont, and Caen. This completed the Normandy landing operation. (History of the Second World War 1939–1945. Vol. 9. P. 250.) The Allies lost 122 thousand people (49 thousand British and Canadians and about 73 thousand Americans) during the period from June 6 to July 23. The losses of German troops amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, as well as 2,117 tanks and 345 aircraft.

The Allied landing on French soil, which meant the opening of a second front in Western Europe, was the largest landing operation strategic importance during the Second World War. It became an important factor in the armed struggle against fascist bloc. Germany found itself squeezed from the east and west and was forced to fight on two fronts. Allies distracted certain part Germany's strategic reserves. The second front made it possible to reduce the duration of the war and the number of its victims.

1. Bailey V. A., Penzin K. V. Combat operations in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. 1939–1945 - M., 1967.

2. Doenitz K. German submarines in the Second World War. - M., 1964.

4. History of the Second World War. 1939–1945: In 12 vols. / Ch. ed. co-miss. A. A. Grechko (prev.). - T.8. - M., 1977.

5. Kulish V. M. History of the second front. - M., 1971.

6. Morison S.-E. Invasion of France and Germany. 1944–1945. - M., 1963.

70 years ago, on June 6, 1944, thousands of soldiers and officers were preparing to take part in the operation that marked the end of World War II. The Allied landing in Normandy, in which more than 130 thousand troops were involved, was planned more than a year. By the evening of that “longest day,” more than 10 thousand people were killed, wounded and captured. This operation became the largest naval battle in world history.

You can get acquainted with the most significant and also little-known facts of that operation and see rare photographs.

1. Deadly D-Day rehearsal

On July 28, 1944, eight ships carrying American infantry and equipment left the shores of British Devon and began rehearsing for the planned Normandy landings. However, not everything went smoothly. The ships used radio frequencies that were intercepted by German intelligence officers. Due to a poorly established communications system, ships became easy targets for submarines Hitler's army. As a result, about 800 people died.

Concerned about the leakage of classified information, the command of the armies of the allied states froze all data archives. Consequently, some families were never able to find out how their loved ones died.

2. Temptation

Jonathan Mayo's book “D-Day” tells about an unusual test that Lieutenant Colonel Terence Otway gave his military unit. He wanted to be sure that before landing the soldiers would not spill the beans about the planned operation. To test the soldiers' strength, Otway asked the most beautiful girls from the air squadron to go to the pub, seduce the military men who were relaxing there, and find out the secret. None of the military fell into the trap.

3. What was Churchill thinking about on the eve of the operation?

4. Codenames for “D-Day”

A number of code names were used in preparation for the operation. “Utah,” “Omaha,” “Gold,” and “Sordo” designated beaches on the Normandy coast. “Neptune” is the name of the
landing, and “Overlord” - the entire operation to liberate Normandy from the Nazis. ‘Bigo’ is the code name for those who had clearance at the highest level.

This secret data was hidden behind seven locks. How frightened the command was when, shortly before the start of the operation, the Daily Telegraph published a crossword puzzle containing as many as five code names, including “Utah,” “Omaha” and “Neptune.” British intelligence sounded the alarm, suspecting that in this way someone was trying to transfer secret information to the enemy. However, searches in the house of the crossword puzzle author yielded nothing.

5. Disinformation campaign

When developing the invasion plan, the Allies relied heavily on the belief that the enemy did not know two crucial details - the place and time of Operation Overlord.
To ensure the secrecy and surprise of the landing, the largest disinformation operation in history (Operation Fortitude) was developed and successfully carried out.

To misinform the enemy, the Allied armies developed false codes and operation plans.

Early in the morning of June 6, troops of drummers in military uniform landed in Normandy and Pas-de-Calais. They had special noise equipment that simulated the sound of gunfire and air raids. This episode went down in history under the name “Titanic”. His main goal was to divert the enemy's attention from the main forces of the Allies, who had landed a little to the west of this place.

6. What does the “D” in the term “D-Day” mean?

Over the years, people have wondered what the “D” in the name “D-Day” is known as Normandy operation.

“D-Day” is a generally accepted military term for the day a military operation began. It was used both before and after the Allied landings in France.

The military terms “D-day” and “H-hour” indicate the start time of any operation, real time which cannot be clearly determined and where strict secrecy is maintained.

As a rule, “D” and “H” are generally unknown in advance. The start time of action is announced on the day of the offensive. In documents on planning actions during a military operation, time is calculated approximately as follows: the preparation time for the operation is “H” minus XX hours XX minutes, and all subsequent actions are “H” plus XX hours XX minutes.

7. Letter from General Eisenhower in case of defeat

US General Eisenhower wrote a letter that would have to be published in the event of defeat.
“The landing of our troops in the Cherbourg-Le Havre zone did not bring successful results and I recalled our troops. My decision to strike at the moment is based on reliable information. Our sea and air forces demonstrated unprecedented courage. If anyone is to blame for their defeat, it is only me,” said the letter, which the general accidentally signed on July 5, and not June 5.

8. The weather was on the side of the allies

9. Crack the Enigma code

10. “The Man Who Won the War”

General Dwight Eisenhower once said, “Andrew Higgins is the man who won the war for us.”
So who is Andrew Higgins?

Higgins was a self-taught boat design genius who designed and built the amphibious landing craft that carried Allied forces across the English Channel. “If Higgins had not created these ships, we would never have been able to land on the open beach. The strategy of the entire war would have been completely different.”

Operation Neptune

Allied landings in Normandy

Opponents

Commanders

Strengths of the parties

Operation Neptune(eng. Operation Neptune), D-Day or Normandy landings - a naval landing operation carried out from June 6 to July 25, 1944 in Normandy during World War II war by the forces of the USA, Great Britain, Canada and their allies against Germany. Was the first part strategic operation“Overlord” (eng. Operation Overlord) or the Normandy operation, which included the capture of northwestern France by the Allies.

General information

Operation Neptune was the first phase of Operation Overlord, and consisted of crossing the English Channel and seizing a bridgehead on the French coast. To support the operation, Allied naval forces were assembled under the command English admiral Bertram Ramsay, who had experience of similar large-scale naval operations for the transfer of manpower and military equipment(see evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, 1940).

Characteristics of the parties involved

German side

Ground units

In June 1944, the Germans had 58 divisions in the West, eight of which were stationed in Holland and Belgium, and the rest in France. About half of these divisions were coastal defense or training divisions, and of the 27 field divisions, only ten were tank divisions, of which three were in the south of France and one in the Antwerp area. Six divisions were deployed to cover two hundred miles of the Norman coast, four of which were coastal defense divisions. Of the four coastal defense divisions, three covered the forty-mile stretch of coast between Cherbourg and Caen, and one division was deployed between the Orne and Seine rivers.

Air Force

The 3rd Air Fleet (Luftwaffe III), under the command of Field Marshal Hugo Sperrle, intended for the defense of the West, nominally consisted of 500 aircraft, but the quality of the pilots remained below average. By the beginning of June 1944, the Luftwaffe had 90 bombers and 70 fighters in a state of operational readiness in the West.

Coastal defense

Coastal defense included artillery pieces of all calibers, ranging from 406 mm coastal defense turret guns to French 75 mm field guns from the First World War. On the Normandy coast between Cape Barfleur and Le Havre there was one battery of three 380 mm guns located 2.5 miles north of Le Havre. On a 20-mile stretch of coastline on the eastern side of the Cotentin Peninsula, four casemate batteries of 155 mm guns were installed, as well as 10 howitzer batteries consisting of twenty-four 152 mm and twenty 104 mm guns.

Along north coast The bays of the Seine, at a distance of 35 miles between Isigny and Ouistreham, there were only three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and one battery of 104 mm guns. In addition, there were two more batteries in this area open type 104 mm guns and two batteries of 100 mm guns.

On the seventeen-mile stretch of coast between Ouistreham and the mouth of the Seine, three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and two open batteries of 150 mm guns were installed. Coastal defenses in this area consisted of a system of strong points at intervals of about a mile from each other with echelon depths of 90–180 m. Casemate guns were installed in concrete shelters whose roofs and seaward walls reached a thickness of 2.1 meters. Smaller concrete artillery shelters, containing 50 mm anti-tank guns, were positioned in such a way as to keep the coastline under longitudinal fire. Complex system communication passages connected artillery positions, machine gun nests, mortar positions and the infantry trench system with each other and with the living quarters of the personnel. All this was protected by anti-tank hedgehogs, barbed wire, mines and anti-landing barriers.

Naval forces

The command structure of the German navy in France centered around the commander-in-chief of naval group West, Admiral Krancke, whose headquarters were in Paris. Group West included a naval admiral in command of the English Channel coast, with headquarters at Rouen. Three area commanders were subordinate to him: the commander of the Pas-de-Calais sector, which extended from the Belgian border south to the mouth of the Somme River; commander of the Seine-Somme region, the boundaries of which were determined by the coast between the mouths of these rivers; commander of the Norman coast from the mouth of the Seine west to Saint-Malo. There was also an admiral in command of a section of the Atlantic coast, whose headquarters were in Angers. Subordinate to the last commander were three commanders of the regions of Brittany, Loire and Gascony.

The boundaries of the naval areas did not coincide with the boundaries of the military districts, and there was no direct interaction between the military, naval and air administration necessary to act in the rapidly changing situation as a result of the Allied landings.

The German Navy group, under the direct control of the Channel Zone Command, consisted of five destroyers (base in Le Havre); 23 torpedo boats (8 of which were in Boulogne and 15 in Cherbourg); 116 minesweepers (distributed between Dunkirk and Saint-Malo); 24 patrol ships (21 in Le Havre and 23 in Saint-Malo) and 42 artillery barges (16 were in Boulogne, 15 in Fécamp and 11 in Ouistreham). By Atlantic coast, between Brest and Bayonne, there were five destroyers, 146 minesweepers, 59 patrol ships and one torpedo boat. In addition, 49 submarines were intended for anti-amphibious service. These boats were based in Brest (24), Lorient (2), Saint-Nazaire (19) and La Pallis (4). There were another 130 large ocean-going submarines at the Bay of Biscay bases, but they were not adapted to operate in the shallow waters of the English Channel and were not taken into account in plans to repel the landing.

In addition to the listed forces, 47 minesweepers, 6 torpedo boats and 13 patrol ships were based in various ports in Belgium and Holland. Other German naval forces, consisting of battleships Tirpitz And Scharnhorst, "pocket battleships" Admiral Scheer And Lützow, heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen And Admiral Hipper, as well as four light cruisers Nürnberg , Köln And Emden, along with 37 destroyers and 83 torpedo boats, were in either Norwegian or Baltic waters.

In general, the planned anti-amphibious measures of the German fleet consisted of the following:

• use of submarines, torpedo boats and coastal artillery to strike landing craft;
• laying a large number of mines of all types, including new and simple types, known as the KMA mine (coastal contact mine), along the entire length of the European coast;
• the use of midget submarines and human torpedoes to strike ships in the invasion area;
• intensification of attacks on allied convoys in the ocean using new types of ocean-going submarines.

Allies

Naval part of the operation

The task of the Allied Navy was to organize the safe and timely arrival of convoys with troops to the enemy’s coast, ensuring the uninterrupted landing of reinforcements and fire support for the landing force. The threat from the enemy navy was not considered particularly great.

The command system for the invasion and subsequent escort of convoys was as follows:

Eastern sector:

• Eastern Naval Task Force: Commander Rear Admiral Sir Philip Weihan. Flagship Scylla.
• Force "S" (Sword): Commander Rear Admiral Arthur Talbot. Flagship "Largs" (3rd British Infantry Division and 27th Tank Brigade).
• Force "G" (Gold): Commander Commodore Douglas-Pennant. Flagship "Bulolo" (50th British Infantry Division and 8th Tank Brigade).
• J Force (Juneau): Commander Commodore Oliver. Flagship, HMS Hilary (3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade).
• Second Echelon "L" Force: Commander Rear Admiral Parry. Flagship Albatross (7th British Tank Division and 49th Infantry Division; 4th Tank Brigade and 51st Scottish Infantry Division).

Western sector:

• Western Naval Task Force: Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral Alan Kirk. Flagship American heavy cruiser Augusta .
• Force "O" (Omaha): Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral D. Hall. Flagship USS Ancon (1st US Infantry Division and part of the 29th Infantry Division).
• Force U (Utah): Commander, US Navy Rear Admiral D. Moon. Flagship troop transport "Bayfield" (4th American Infantry Division).
• Second Echelon Force "B": Commander, US Navy Commodore S. Edgar. Flagship "Small" (2nd, 9th, 79th and 90th American divisions and the rest of the 29th division).

Naval Commanders of Task Forces and Landing forces were to remain senior commanders in their respective sectors until the army units were firmly established in the bridgehead.

Among the ships assigned to shell the Eastern Sector were the 2nd and 10th cruiser squadrons, under the command of Rear Admirals F. Delrimple-Hamilton and W. Petterson. Being senior in rank to the Commander of the Task Force, both admirals agreed to renounce their seniority and act according to the instructions of the Command of the Task Force. In the same way, this problem was resolved to everyone's satisfaction in the Western Sector. Rear Admiral of the Navy Free French Zhozhar, holding his flag on the cruiser Georges Leygues, also agreed with a similar command system.

Composition and distribution of naval forces

In total, the Allied fleet included: 6,939 ships for various purposes (1,213 combat ships, 4,126 transport ships, 736 auxiliary ships and 864 merchant ships).

106 ships were allocated for artillery support, including artillery and mortar landing craft. Of these ships, 73 were in the Eastern Sector and 33 in the Western Sector. When planning artillery support, a large expenditure of ammunition was envisaged, so arrangements were made for the use of lighters loaded with ammunition. Upon return to port, the lighters were to be loaded immediately, ensuring that the gun support ships could return to bombardment positions with minimal delay. In addition, it was foreseen that artillery support ships may need to change their guns due to wear on the barrels due to the intensity of their use. Therefore, a stock of gun barrels with a caliber of 6 inches and below was created in the ports of southern England. However, ships needing replacement 15-inch guns (battleships and monitors) had to be sent to ports in northern England.

Progress of the operation

Operation Neptune began on June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day) and ended on July 1, 1944. Its goal was to conquer a bridgehead on the continent, which lasted until July 25.

40 minutes before the landing, planned direct artillery preparation began. The fire was carried out by 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 23 cruisers, 74 destroyer. The heavy guns of the combined fleet fired at the discovered batteries and reinforced concrete structures of the enemy, the explosions of their shells, in addition, had a very strong effect on the psyche German soldiers. As the distance shortened, lighter naval artillery entered the battle. When the first wave of landings began to approach the shore, a stationary barrage was placed at the landing sites, which stopped immediately as soon as the troops reached the shore.

Approximately 5 minutes before the assault troops began landing on the shore, rocket mortars mounted on barges opened fire to increase the density of fire. When firing from close ranges, one such barge, according to the landing participant, Captain 3rd Rank K. Edwards, could replace more than 80 light cruisers or almost 200 destroyers in terms of fire power. About 20 thousand shells were fired at the landing sites of British troops and about 18 thousand shells at the landing sites of American troops. Artillery fire from ships, strikes rocket artillery, which covered the entire coast, turned out, in the opinion of the landing participants, to be more effective than air strikes.

The following trawling plan was adopted:

• for each of the invading forces, two channels must be traversed through the mine barrier; trawling of each channel is carried out by a flotilla of squadron minesweepers;
• carry out trawling of the coastal fairway for shelling of ships along the coast and other operations;
• As quickly as possible, the trawled channel should be expanded to create more maneuvering space;
• After landing, continue to monitor the enemy's mine-laying operations and carry out sweeping of newly laid mines.

Losses and results

Between June 6 and July 24, the American-British command managed to land expeditionary forces in Normandy and occupy a bridgehead of about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. The dimensions of the bridgehead were approximately 2 times smaller than those provided for in the operation plan. However, the absolute dominance of the Allies in the air and sea made it possible to concentrate a large number of forces and assets here. The landing of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Normandy was the largest amphibious operation of strategic importance during the Second World War.

During D-Day, the Allies landed 156,000 men in Normandy. The American component numbered 73,000: 23,250 amphibious landings on Utah Beach, 34,250 on Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne landings. 83,115 troops landed on the British and Canadian beachheads (of which 61,715 were British): 24,970 on Gold Beach, 21,400 on Juno Beach, 28,845 on Sword Beach and 7,900 by airborne troops.

11,590 air support aircraft were deployed various types, which flew a total of 14,674 sorties and shot down 127 combat aircraft. During the airborne landing on June 6, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders were involved.

The naval forces deployed 6,939 ships and vessels: 1,213 combat, 4,126 amphibious, 736 auxiliary and 864 for cargo transportation. For support, the fleet allocated 195,700 sailors: 52,889 American, 112,824 British, 4,988 from other coalition countries.

By June 11, 1944, there were already 326,547 military personnel, 54,186 units of military equipment, 104,428 tons of military equipment and supplies on the French coast.

Allied losses

During the landing, the Anglo-American troops lost 4,414 people killed (2,499 Americans, 1,915 representatives of other countries). Generally total losses Allies on D-Day numbered about 10,000 (6,603 Americans, 2,700 British, 946 Canadians). Allied casualties included dead, wounded, missing (whose bodies were never found) and prisoners of war.

In total, the Allies lost 122 thousand people between June 6 and July 23 (49 thousand British and Canadians and about 73 thousand Americans).

Losses of German forces

The losses of Wehrmacht troops on the day of landing are estimated to range from 4,000 to 9,000 people.

The total damage of the fascist German troops during the period of almost seven-week battles amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, 2117 tanks and 345 aircraft.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 French civilians died during the invasion - mostly as a result of Allied bombing

Assessment of the event by contemporaries

Notes

Image in art

Literature and sources of information

• Pochtarev A.N. "Neptune" through the eyes of Russians. - Independent military review, No. 19 (808). - Moscow: Nezavisimaya newspaper, 2004.

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The worst thing besides
lost battle
this is a won battle.

Duke of Wellington.

Allied landings in Normandy, Operation Overlord, "D-Day", Normandy operation. This event has many different names. This is a battle that everyone knows about, even outside the countries that fought the war. This is an event that claimed many thousands of lives. An event that will go down in history forever.

General information

Operation Overlord- a military operation of the Allied forces, which became the opening operation of a second front in the West. Held in Normandy, France. And to this day it is the largest landing operation in history - in total more than 3 million people were involved. The operation has begun June 6, 1944 and ended on August 31, 1944 with the liberation of Paris from the German occupiers. This operation combined the skill of organizing and preparing for combat operations of the Allied troops and quite ridiculous mistakes Reich troops, which led to the collapse of Germany in France.

Goals of the warring parties

For Anglo-American troops "Overlord" set a goal to inflict crushing blow into the very heart of the Third Reich and, in cooperation with the advance of the Red Army along the entire eastern front, crush the main and most powerful enemy from the Axis countries. The goal of Germany, as the defending side, was extremely simple: not to allow the Allied troops to land and gain a foothold in France, force them to suffer heavy human and technical losses and dump them into the English Channel.

Strengths of the parties and the general state of affairs before the battle

It is worth noting that the position of the German army in 1944, especially on the Western Front, left much to be desired. Hitler concentrated his main troops on the eastern front, where Soviet troops were victorious one after another. The German troops were deprived of a unified leadership in France - constant changes in senior commanders, conspiracies against Hitler, disputes about a possible landing site, and the lack of a unified defensive plan did not in any way contribute to the successes of the Nazis.

By June 6, 1944, 58 Nazi divisions were stationed in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, including 42 infantry, 9 tank and 4 airfield divisions. They were united into two army groups, “B” and “G”, and were subordinate to the “West” command. Army Group B (commanded by Field Marshal General E. Rommel), located in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, included the 7th, 15th armies and the 88th separate army corps - a total of 38 divisions. Army Group G (commanded by General I. Blaskowitz) consisting of the 1st and 19th armies (11 divisions in total) was located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and in southern France.

In addition to the troops that were part of the army groups, 4 divisions made up the reserve of the West command. Thus, the greatest densities of troops were created in North-Eastern France, on the coast of the Pas-de-Calais Strait. In general, the German units were scattered throughout France and did not have time to arrive on the battlefield in time. For example, about 1 million more Reich soldiers were in France and initially did not participate in the battle.

Despite the relatively large number of German soldiers and equipment stationed in the area, their combat effectiveness was extremely low. 33 divisions were considered “stationary”, that is, they either had no vehicles at all or did not have required quantity fuel. About 20 divisions were newly formed or recovered from battles, so they were only 70-75% of normal strength. Many tank divisions also lacked fuel.

From the memoirs of the Chief of Staff of the West Command, General Westphal: “It is well known that the combat effectiveness of the German troops in the West at the time of the landing was much lower than the combat effectiveness of the divisions operating in the East and Italy... Significant amount The formations of ground forces located in France, the so-called “stationary divisions,” were very poorly equipped with weapons and vehicles and consisted of older soldiers.”. The German air fleet could provide about 160 combat-ready aircraft. As for the naval forces, Hitler's troops had at their disposal 49 submarines, 116 patrol ships, 34 torpedo boats and 42 artillery barges.

The Allied forces, commanded by future US President Dwight Eisenhower, had 39 divisions and 12 brigades at their disposal. As for aviation and navy, in this aspect the Allies had an overwhelming advantage. They had about 11 thousand combat aircraft, 2300 transport aircraft; over 6 thousand combat, landing and transport ships. Thus, by the time of the landing, the overall superiority of the Allied forces over the enemy was 2.1 times in men, 2.2 times in tanks, and almost 23 times in aircraft. In addition, the Anglo-American troops constantly brought new forces to the battlefield, and by the end of August they already had about 3 million people at their disposal. Germany could not boast of such reserves.

Operation plan

The American command began preparing for the landing in France long before "D-Day"(the original landing project was considered 3 years before - in 1941 - and was codenamed “Roundup”). In order to test their strength in the war in Europe, the Americans, together with British troops, landed in North Africa(Operation Torch), and then in Italy. The operation was postponed and changed many times because the United States could not decide which theater of military operations was more important for them - the European or the Pacific. After the decision was made to choose Germany as the main rival, and Pacific Ocean limited to tactical defense, the development plan began Operation Overlord.

The operation consisted of two phases: the first was codenamed "Neptune", the second - "Cobra". "Neptune" assumed an initial landing of troops, the capture of coastal territory, "Cobra" - a further offensive deep into France, followed by the capture of Paris and access to the German-French border. The first part of the operation lasted from June 6, 1944 to July 1, 1944; the second began immediately after the end of the first, that is, from July 1, 1944 until August 31 of the same year.

The operation was prepared in the strictest secrecy, all troops that were supposed to land in France were transferred to special isolated military bases that were forbidden to leave, information propaganda was carried out regarding the place and time of the operation.

In addition to US and British troops, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers took part in the operation, and in France itself active work led by the French resistance forces. For a very long time, the command of the allied forces could not accurately determine the time and place of the start of the operation. The most preferred landing sites were Normandy, Brittany and Pas-de-Calais.

Everyone knows that the choice was made on Normandy. The choice was influenced by factors such as distance to English ports, echelons and power defensive fortifications, the range of allied aircraft. The combination of these factors determined the choice of the Allied command.

Until the very last moment, the German command believed that the landing would take place in the Pas-de-Calais area, since this place was closest to England, and therefore required the least time to transport cargo, equipment, and new soldiers. In Pas-de-Calais, the famous “Atlantic Wall” was created - an impregnable line of defense for the Nazis, while in the landing area the fortifications were hardly half ready. The landing took place on five beaches, which were codenamed “Utah”, “Omaha”, “Gold”, “Sword”, “Juno”.

The start time of the operation was determined by the ratio of the water level and the time of sunrise. These factors were considered to ensure that the landing craft did not run aground and were not damaged by underwater obstacles, and that it was possible to land equipment and troops as close to the shore as possible. As a result, the day the operation began was June 6, and this day was named "D-Day". The night before the main forces landed behind enemy lines, they were thrown parachute landing, which was supposed to help the main forces, and immediately before the start of the main attack, the German fortifications were subjected to a massive air raid and Allied ships.

Progress of the operation

Such a plan was developed at headquarters. In reality, things didn't go quite that way. The landing force, which was dropped behind German lines the night before the operation, was scattered huge territory- over 216 sq. km. for 25-30 km. from captured objects. Most of the 101st Division, which landed near Sainte-Maire-Eglise, disappeared without a trace. The 6th British Division was also unlucky: although the landing paratroopers were much more numerous than their American comrades, in the morning they came under fire from their own aircraft, with which they could not establish contact. The 1st US Division was almost completely destroyed. Some ships with tanks were sunk before they even reached the shore.

Already during the second part of the operation - Operation Cobra - Allied aircraft attacked their own command post. The offensive went much slower than planned. The most bloody event the whole company landed on Omaha Beach. According to the plan, early in the morning the German fortifications on all beaches were subjected to fire from naval guns and air bombing, as a result of which the fortifications were significantly damaged.

But on the Omaha, due to fog and rain, the naval guns and planes missed, and the fortifications did not receive any damage. By the end of the first day of the operation, on the Omaha the Americans had lost more than 3 thousand people and were unable to take the positions planned by the plan, while on the Utah during this time they lost about 200 people, took the necessary positions and united with the landing force. Despite all this, on the whole the landing of the Allied troops was quite successful.

Then the second phase was successfully started Operation Overlord, within which cities such as Cherbourg, Saint-Lo, Caen and others were taken. The Germans retreated, throwing weapons and equipment to the Americans. On August 15, due to mistakes of the German command, two German tank armies were surrounded, and although they were able to escape from the so-called Falaise Pocket, it was at a cost huge losses. Allied forces then captured Paris on August 25, continuing to push the Germans back to the Swiss borders. After the complete cleansing of the French capital from fascists, Operation Overlord was declared completed.

Reasons for the victory of the Allied forces

Many of the reasons for the Allied victory and the German defeat have already been mentioned above. One of the main reasons was the critical position of Germany at this stage of the war. The main forces of the Reich were concentrated on the Eastern Front; the constant onslaught of the Red Army did not give Hitler the opportunity to transfer new troops to France. Such an opportunity arose only at the end of 1944 (Ardennes offensive), but then it was already too late.

The better military-technical equipment of the Allied troops also had an effect: all the equipment of the Anglo-Americans was new, with full ammunition and sufficient supply fuel, while the Germans constantly experienced supply difficulties. In addition, the Allies constantly received reinforcements from English ports.

An important factor was the activity of the French partisans, who pretty well spoiled the supplies for the German troops. In addition, the Allies had a numerical superiority over the enemy in all types of weapons, as well as in personnel. Conflicts within the German headquarters, as well as the incorrect belief that the landing would take place in the Pas-de-Calais area and not in Normandy, led to a decisive Allied victory.

Operation meaning

In addition to the fact that the landing in Normandy showed the strategic and tactical skill of the command of the Allied forces and the courage of ordinary soldiers, it also had a huge influence on the course of the war. "D-Day" opened a second front, forced Hitler to fight on two fronts, which stretched the already dwindling forces of the Germans. This was the first major battle in Europe, in which American soldiers showed themselves. The offensive in the summer of 1944 caused the collapse of the entire Western Front, the Wehrmacht lost almost all positions in Western Europe.

Representation of the battle in the media

The scale of the operation, as well as its bloodshed (especially on Omaha Beach) led to the fact that today there are many computer games, films on this topic. Perhaps the most famous film was the masterpiece of the famous director Steven Spielberg "Saving Private Ryan", which tells about the massacre that occurred on the Omaha. This topic was also discussed in "The Longest Day", television series "Brothers in Arms" and many documentaries. Operation Overlord has appeared in more than 50 different computer games.

Even though Operation Overlord was carried out more than 50 years ago, and now it remains the largest amphibious operation in the history of mankind, and now the attention of many scientists and experts is riveted to it, and now there are endless disputes and debates about it. And it’s probably clear why.

The second front is the front of the armed struggle of the USA, Great Britain and Canada against Nazi Germany in 1944-45. in Western Europe. It was opened on June 6, 1944 by the landing of the Anglo-American expeditionary forces in Normandy (northwest France).

This landing was called “Operation Overlord” and became the largest amphibious operation in the history of war. The 21st Army Group (1st American, 2nd British and 1st Canadian armies) consisting of 66 combined arms divisions, including 39 invasion divisions and three airborne divisions, was involved in it. A total of 2 million 876 thousand people, about 10.9 thousand combat and 2.3 thousand transport aircraft, about 7 thousand ships and vessels. The overall command of these forces was exercised by American General Dwight Eisenhower.

Expeditionary allied forces opposed German group armies "B" consisting of the 7th and 15th armies under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (a total of 38 divisions, of which only 3 divisions were in the invasion area, about 500 aircraft). Besides, south coast France and the Bay of Biscay were covered by Army Group G (1st and 19th armies - 17 divisions in total). The troops relied on a system of coastal fortifications called the Atlantic Wall.

The general landing front was divided into two zones: the western, where American troops were to land, and the eastern, for British troops. The western zone included two, and the eastern - three sectors, on each of which it was planned to land one reinforced infantry division. In the second echelon there remained one Canadian and three American armies.

Preparations for the operation took three months. Late May - early June 1944 landing troops were concentrated in the assembly area, from where they sequentially advanced to landing points for landing ships.

The fighting began with an attack aviation forces Allied forces late in the evening of June 5, 1944. Throughout the night, up to 2,600 bombers carried out successive attacks in waves of 150-200 aircraft. Despite the fact that the allies were well aware of the location of the enemy troops, his main defensive structures, artillery positions, firing points and trenches along the coast, air and artillery strikes did not cause much damage to the Germans.

June 6 At 6:30 a.m. the amphibious landing began. German troops managed to repulse the first two waves of landings, and only in the evening the Allies were able to capture several areas 10-15 km from the coast and capture crossings across the Douve and Orne rivers, which made it possible to begin unloading the main forces.

During June 7-8, the accumulation of troops on the bridgehead continued, and on the morning of June 9, an offensive began to create a common bridgehead. By June 12, this task was completed. By June 19, Anglo-American troops occupied the city of Cannes.

At the end of June and throughout July, the Allied forces tried to build on their success, but the German army blocked their attempts.

On July 25, 1944, the expeditionary forces moved to general offensive. Using significant numerical superiority over the enemy, they managed to break through the front German defense. Over the next month, they captured the Brittany peninsula, blocked the ports of Saint-Malo, Brest, Saint-Nazaire and semi-encircled a large group of German troops near the city of Falaise. And although the enemy managed to slip out of the “bag”, by August 25 the main forces of the 1st American, 2nd British and 1st Canadian armies wide front reached the Seine River, captured Paris and occupied all of northwestern France.

By mid-September, the Allied armies reached the western border of Germany and in a number of areas wedged themselves into the Siegfried Line, but were unable to break through it immediately. Under these conditions, the Allied command decided to advance bypassing the Siegfried Line through Dutch territory.

Dutch offensive began on September 17 and continued almost until the end of the month. At first, the operation developed successfully, but then the offensive slowed down, and the 1st British Airborne Division found itself surrounded on November 16, 1944 and was defeated. The 3rd American Army, which reached the Rhine near Strasbourg, launched a new operation to break through the Siegfried Line, but was unsuccessful.

At the beginning of December, American troops stopped active operations and began systematic preparations for breaking through the fortified zone. At this moment, fascist German troops with the forces of three armies (5th and 6th tank, 7th field), including 25 divisions, launched a surprise attack in the Ardennes with the aim of capturing Antwerp, cutting off American-British troops in Belgium and Holland and defeat them piece by piece. The German counteroffensive took American troops by surprise. Their front was broken. By December 20, the German armies had formed a wedge up to 100 km along the front and up to 90 km in depth. A critical situation had been created for the Allies.

To eliminate the breakthrough, the Anglo-American command was forced to hastily transfer large forces from other sectors of the front and concentrate all the power of its aviation against the advancing enemy group. But only on December 26 they managed to stop the enemy’s advance.

In February-March 1945, American-British troops broke through the defenses of German troops between Nijmegen and Aachen, reached the Rhine River in its middle reaches, first in a number of sectors, and then along the entire front, and captured several bridgeheads on its eastern bank.

On March 24, the decisive offensive of three groups of Allied armies (95-100 divisions) began: the 21st (9th American, 21st British and 1st Canadian armies), 12th (1st and 3rd American Army) and the 6th (7th American and 1st French) from the line of the Rhine River. Upon completion of aviation and artillery preparation, the Allied armies crossed the river on a wide front and on April 1, 1945 began to advance deep into Germany.

April 17, 1945 Allied forces won an important strategic victory over a group of German troops defending the Ruhr industrial region. From that moment on, the western front of Hitler's troops virtually disintegrated, and the Allied armies were able to advance east.

In northern Germany, formations of the 21st Army Group captured the port cities of Schwerin, Lübeck and Hamburg. On April 25, the 12th Army Group reached the Elbe River and linked up with the advanced units of the Soviet troops, and entered Czechoslovakia on the right flank. In the south, the 6th Army Group reached the Austro-German border by early May and entered Western Austria. The liberation of Italy was also completed.

On May 7, a representative of the German command, General Jodl, arrived in Reims, where Eisenhower’s headquarters was located, with consent to surrender. On the same day, a preliminary agreement on the surrender of Germany was signed.

On May 9, in Karlhost in Berlin, the German High Command signed the Act of Military Surrender. The war in Europe was over.

The second front played important role in the struggle for the liberation of Europe from fascism. Victory in World War II would not have been possible without the jointly organized actions of the anti-Hitler coalition.