By Wes Sones
This year, marks the 79th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the Allied invasion of Nazi-controlled “Fortress Europe.” The allied landings have been dramatized in films like “The Longest Day,” starring an ensemble cast featuring Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Sean Connery, and Henry Fonda, to name a few. The landings were also depicted in 1998’s “Saving Private Ryan,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks. The HBO miniseries “Band of Brothers” would show a small glimpse of the airborne drops of paratroopers (Specifically the 101st and “Easy” Company as well as the 82nd Airborne) that preceded the beach landings in what would become known as Operation Overlord or D-day.
These airborne landings preceded the beachhead landings of Operation Neptune. The invasion’s planning began in 1943, and great effort was taken to keep Germany guessing. Pas De Calais was the shortest distance between Britain and Normandy but was more heavily defended, resulting in the choice of Normandy. Prior to the invasion, great effort was undertaken to deceive the Germans. The Allies were aided by the capture and decryption of a German Enigma machine and, thanks to British intelligence at Bletchley Park, were able to intercept German communication. These intercepts would collectively be known as “ULTRA.” In the Pacific theater, Japanese intercepts would be referred to as MAGIC. In addition to the work of allied intelligence, aerial reconnaissance, and resistance information would prove invaluable.
The effort to deceive the Germans was so great that a ghost army was even created comprised of inflatable tanks and wooden planes. According to the National WWII Museum; this Ghost army; the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, was the “first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in US Army History.” Their work was of such importance that, while publicly known, it was not declassified until the 1990s.
After the “Miracle of Dunkirk” evacuated 338,000 BEF (British Expeditionary Force) troops, Allied commanders had to re-evaluate any possible offensives. Churchill, in particular, rejected Stalin’s desire to open a 2nd front believing a frontal assault would be too costly even with American help. The Mediterranean became the focus then with the invasion of North Africa in Nov. 1942 and Sicily in July 1943. It was through these campaigns that the Allies would gain valuable experience in amphibious operations and landings.
The stage was set to breach Hitler’s Atlantic wall. 2,200 allied bombers engaged in a bombing campaign known as ‘Pointblank’ to try and disrupt German supply chains, airfields, roads, and railways to impede reinforcements.
Preceding the drop of paratroopers, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed the troops:
“Tonight is the night of nights. Tomorrow throughout the whole of our homeland and the Allied world, the bells will ring out the tidings that you have arrived, and the invasion for liberation has begun. The hopes and prayers of your dear ones accompany you; the confidence of your high commanders goes with you.”
Early in the morning on June 6, 1944, 13,000 paratroopers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne as well as the British 6th airborne and 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, carried by 1,200 aircraft, dropped behind German lines. Waco gliders would drop 4,000 more as night gave way to morning. In total, 23,000 paratroopers and glider troops were used in Normandy.
C-47s with black and white invasion stripes doggedly flew against countless flak bursts and anti-aircraft fire.
Each plane carried 28 fully equipped paratroopers. Each paratrooper carried an average of 70 pounds of equipment. Combined with their chute, these men would carry 90-120 pounds over their body weight.
The resulting drops were chaotic, and men were scattered behind German lines missing their drop zones. These early hours were crucial as the paratrooper’s objective was to secure strategic locations inland to disrupt German resistance and facilitate advances from the beaches when the Allies came ashore later.
Only 1/6th of the 101st reached their designated points. The widespread drops, while chaotic, had the effect of confusing German forces. At 5:00 a.m., Allied Naval batteries opened fire and began to shell German defenses for 40 minutes. Battleships, including the USS Arkansas, Nevada, and Texas, fired 14˝ guns that could reach over 14 miles. Joining the battleships were cruisers and 20 destroyers. The assault on Hitler’s Atlantic Wall had begun.
Of the five beaches, Americans would land at Utah and Omaha, while British and Canadian forces would land on Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches. The forces that landed at Utah ended up 2,000 yards south of the designated area, and they had to march the distance back to secure their objective.
Omaha would be the bloodiest of the landings, given strong defensive fortifications. Landing craft, in many cases, couldn’t reach the shore leaving men having to wade water up to their shoulders, facing a hail of gunfire from fortified German positions. The beaches themselves were littered with mines, tank traps, and barbed wire.
Complicating matters further, some of the M4 Sherman tanks sank on the right flank while radio equipment failed due to exposure to seawater. British and Canadian forces faced similarly stiff resistance and challenges on their own beaches.
Allied casualties for the first day have been estimated at around 10,000 killed, wounded, and MIA. 6,603 Americans, 2,700 British, and 946 Canadians.
By June 11th, approximately 326,000 troops, 54,000 vehicles, and 104,000 tons of supplies landed. By the end of June? Approx. 858,000 troops and 150,000 vehicles landed.
According to the Obama White House archives, “From D-Day through Aug. 21, 1944, Allies landed more than 2 million men in northern France and suffered more than 226,386 casualties. 72,911 killed/MIA and 153,475 wounded. German losses were 240,000 casualties with 200,000 captured and 13,000-20,000 French civilians being killed or wounded.”
It is impossible to comprehend the sheer scale of the largest invasion in human history, let alone the horror that the men who lived through it experienced. Only those who were there can. In the film “Saving Private Ryan,” Captain Miller says to Pvt. Ryan to “Earn this.” The line is directed to Pvt. Ryan, it also serves as a message to us all that we must “earn this.”
