Patrick Donnell Sharen Buyher 17 October 2011 The Importance of D-Day World War II had many key battles that set the momentum of the war. Every single battle was very valuable to the country that won it, because it made them that much closer to winning the war that involved everyone. “The invasion on June 6, 1944 [D-Day]” (Gelber & Martin, 1978). was an operation that took a lot of intricate planning had little margin for error. What took place on D-Day and how did the planning of it make D-Day sucessful?
Ever since June 6, 1944, people have been asking what the "D" in "D-Day" means. Does it stand for "decision?" The day that 150,000 Allied soldiers stormed the beaches at Normandy was certainly decisive. With ships, landing craft, and planes leaving port by the tens of thousands for a hostile shore, it is no wonder that some would call it "disembarkation" or "departed” (“D-Day,” par. 2).
D-Day On June 6, 1944 the U.S. led an amphibious assault on the German inhabited coast of France. 5,000 ships, carrying anything from medical bandages to tanks sailed across the English Channel to start what would come to be known as the most critical event in World War II. If the assault had failed, all of Europe would have been quickly conquered and the United States no longer would have had any part in the western battle. Instead the United States would have had to move across the World to a new enemy, the Japanese. This would have been bad for the U.S. for the Japanese, through power and determination, were well on their way to taking over all of Eastern Asia.
Do you agree with the view that, as far as strategy and tactics were concerned, Haig and his generals were ‘pretty good’? Use sources 6 and 7 and your own knowledge. Sir Douglas Haig was regarded as one of the most significant generals during the First World War. He faced a number of problems that were difficult to overcome, but his strategies and tactics helped him to get through them, and soon enough he created the most sophisticated and massive artillery corps that was to crack the German lines. Despite Haig’s successes, he had a fair bit of opposition against him.
On Saturday, December 16th, 1944, at exactly 5:30 in the morning, the Germans launched their attack. Artillery shells of all description came pouring in from behind the Siegfried line. The shells exploded everywhere, the shells threw snow and dirt high, uprooted tree, served communication line, shattered command posts, and blasted foxholes to nothing but a gaping hole in the ground. The Germans massive attack on the Western allied was under way and for the German soldiers that survived it was called the Ardennes Offensive. For the Americans, because of the huge and deep indentation it made in their lines, it would be called the Battle of the Bulge.
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Campaign, was Hitler’s last counterattack on December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945 which became the largest battle the U.S. had ever fought and caught U.S. troops by surprise, killing nearly 80,000 soldiers (Bulge). This attack was secretly planned by Hitler and was his last shot before his
This led Hitler to pull back his heavy armor divisions from Normandy which allowed the beaches to be conquered. Also, the Army Rangers were the ones responsible for the entire invasion on D-Day. They stormed the beaches and conquered them with great difficulty. Without the Rangers, World War II never would have been won
This was perfect for the upcoming invasion they planned for Britain. The battle could be seen as a success as well. The battle left Britain to fight another day instead of having to lose the battle and even possibly the war so soon. This was a victory because it escaped more than 338,000 troops for the allies and the BEF soldiers as well. The evacuation of Dunkirk was the most significant event that happened in Dunkirk.
The chaotic importance of amphibious landings stimulated the Western Allies to develop the Higgins boat, a primary troop landing craft; the DUKW, a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck; and amphibious tanks to enable beach landing attacks. In the Western European Theatre of World War II, air power became crucial throughout the war, both in tactical and strategic operations (respectively, battlefield and long-range). Superior German aircraft allowed the German armies to overrun Western Europe with great speed in 1940, largely assisted by lack of Allied aircraft. German aircraft rapidly achieved air superiority over France in early 1940, allowing the German air force to begin a campaign of strategic bombing against British cities. With France out of the war, German bomber planes based near the English Channel were able to launch raids on London and other cities during the Blitz, with varying degrees of success.
Charlotte Ward Books Weir, Alison. The Life of Elizabeth I. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008. Neale, L.E. Queen Elizabeth I.