Battle of Normandy: Difference between revisions

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=== Beginning of WWII - 1 September 1939 to May 1940 ===
=== 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 [[wikipedia:Phoney_War|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.
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 ===
=== Fall of France - 10 May to July 1940 ===
Line 294: Line 294:


== Aftermath ==
== Aftermath ==
<references />
== Sources ==
{{Cite web |title=Cornelius Ryan longest day collection |url=https://media.library.ohio.edu/digital/collection/p15808coll15/search/searchterm/the%20longest%20day/field/relati/mode/exact/conn/and}}

Revision as of 13:02, 14 November 2022

Battle of Normandy
Date5 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.

15 May

16 May

17 May

18 May

19 May

20 May

21 May

22 May

23 May

24 May

25 May

26 May

27 May

28 May

29 May

30 May

31 May

1 June

2 June

3 June

4 June

Battle of Normandy

Operation Overlord

5 June

6 June

16:55

At 16:55, Adolf Hitler issued an order to Seventh Army headquarters. The order went as follows[1]:

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.

7 June

8 June

9 June

10 June

11 June

12 June

13 June

14 June

15 June

16 June

17 June

18 June

19 June

21 June

22 June

21 June

22 June

23 June

24 June

25 June

26 June

27 June

28 June

29 June

30 June

1 July

2 July

3 July

4 July

5 July

6 July

7 July

8 July

9 July

10 July

11 July

12 July

13 July

14 July

15 July

16 July

17 July

18 July

19 July

21 July

22 July

21 July

22 July

23 July

24 July

Operation Cobra

25 July

26 July

27 July

28 July

29 July

30 July

31 July

1 August

2 August

3 August

4 August

5 August

6 August

7 August

8 August

9 August

10 August

11 August

12 August

13 August

14 August

15 August

16 August

17 August

18 August

19 August

21 August

22 August

21 August

22 August

23 August

24 August

25 August

26 August

27 August

28 August

29 August

30 August

Final phases of the Battle of Normandy

31 August

1 September

2 September

3 September

4 September

5 September

6 September

7 September

8 September

9 September

10 September

11 September

12 September

13 September

14 September

15 September

16 September

Aftermath

  1. William Shirer, Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, p.1038, https://archive.org/details/risefallofthirdr50edshir_k3e0/page/1038/mode/2up

Sources

"Cornelius Ryan longest day collection".

Contributors: Paul Sidle