Battle of Normandy

Battle of Normandy
Date 5 June - 30 August 1944, fighting continuing in Normandy until 12 September Location Normandy, France

The Battle of Normandy (under the Allied codename for most of it being Operation Overlord), was the cross channel invasion by the Allies from the United Kingdom into Normandy, France, as well as the subsequent battles that followed in the French region. Operation Overlord started on night of 5 June, with the Allied airborne drops, then in the morning of 6 June, with the amphibious assault on Normand beaches (Operation Neptune). 29-30 August is when Overlord is traditionally marked as finished, as well as the Battle of Normandy. However, although the operation may have been finished, engagements within the Normandy region didn't cease until 12 September with the end of Operation Astonia with the capture of Le Havre.

Background

Beginning of WWII - 1 September 1939 to May 1940

On 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland, and 2 days later, the United Kingdom and French Republic declared war on Nazi Germany, beginning the Second World War. A few weeks later, the Soviet Union joined the Germans, and invaded from the East, to which afterwards Poland collapsed, and the government went into exile in Paris. In the following months, known as the Phoney War, the Allies and Germans didn't engage much with each other, mainly preparing for the eventual Western Front. This was with the exception of when Nazi Germany invaded Norway and Denmark in April 1940.

Fall of France - 10 May to July 1940

On 10 May 1940, the Germans began their invasion of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. They swept through Luxembourg, and after 4 days captured the Netherlands. As the Allies had planned, they went north into Belgium in anticipation of the main German thrust going through there. Instead the Germans came up with a plan to sweep through the Ardennes forest with their best forces which was more lightly defended by the French. They caught the French off guard and managed to swing north to the Channel Coast and cut off the Allied Armies in the North. The Allies began their retreat to the sea, and began evacuating from the port of Dunkirk. After its capture, the Germans continued on their second phase of the battle. They captured Paris, went south, captured many of the units behind the Maginot line, and after a few weeks the French government signed an Armistice with the Nazis.

Prelude

Commando Raids, Atlantic wall, Preparations for Operation, Deception , etc.

Battle of Normandy

Operation Overlord

6 June

16:55

At 16:55, Adolf Hitler issued an order to Seventh Army headquarters. The order went as follows:

16:55 hours. June 6, 1944
Chief of Staff Western Command emphasized the desire of the Supreme
Command to have the enemy in the bridgehead annihilated by the evening of
June 6 since there exists the danger of additional sea- and airborne landings
for support . . . The bridgehead must be cleaned up by not later than tonight.

11 September

Photograph taken during the bombardement of Le Havre, unknown date 5 to 11 September. Taken possibly by Raymond Traumann.

Sources

"Cornelius Ryan longest day collection".