Operation BodyguardPreparation for D-Day

WWII Review

• France falls to the Nazis 1940

• Allies take North Africa in 1943

• Allies take control of Italy it 1944

• Allies plan invasion of France (D-Day)

The Invasion of FranceD-Day

• North Africa/Italy taken by the Allies.• Soviets moving toward Germany.• The invasion of France in the works.• U.S/Britain spent 2 years building

forces/supplies for this invasion.• 7,000 ships• 4,000 landing craft• 12,000 aircraft• 3,000,000 soldiers

The Atlantic Wall

• Hitler knew an invasion was coming.

• Built huge fortifications along the Atlantic coast. 1942-1944

Pill Box

Artillery

Mines

Barbed Wire

Operation Bodyguard • Allies could not invade if Germany had

full forces on the beach.• Plan to mislead Germany to think attack

coming from other areas; led by American Gen. George S. Patton

• Patton pretended to be planning the invasion from Britain and deceived German spies about where the invasion would take place.

• Fake radio broadcasts,• Fake Armies, • Fake dead Spy with plans.

“We shall attack and attack until we are exhausted, and then we shall attack again.” Patton

Operation Bodyguard

• Operation was a success!

• Many Nazi forces not prepared for D-Day.

• Panzer divisions split up.

Operation Overlord:The Invasion of

France & Europe: June 6, 1944

Operation Overlord:• Allies open the 2nd front in Europe • Eisenhower made Supreme Allied Commander.• Allied bombers flew constant mission over Germany

Eisenhower speaks with U.S. paratroops of the 502d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division on the evening of June 5, 1944.

General Eisenhower’s Message Sent Just Prior to the Invasion

Operation Overlord:• Allied pre-landing aerial and naval

bombardment of German bunkers

Operation Overlord: • Jun, 6, 1944, after midnight, Allied dropped paratroopers

behind enemy lines

Large landing craft convoy crosses the English Channel on June 6, 1944.

Ships ferried 176,000 Allied troops across the English Channel

Troops in an LCVP landing craft approach Omaha Beach

June 6, 1944.

Operation Overlord:• British Troops landed on Sword Beach and Gold Beach• Canadian Troops landed on Juno Beach• American Troops landed on Omaha Beach and Utah

Beach

•The beacheads were taken within hours after landing

Landing supplies at Normandy

Operation Overlord:

• Two artificial harbors were towed across the English Channel and established at beacheads: Omaha Beach and Gold Beach

• Landed men, vehicles, supplies: 9,000 tons of materiel was landed daily at each harbor.

• Over one million men poured into France during just the first month.

The build-up of Omaha Beach. Reinforcements of men and equipment moving inland

Operation Overlord:

• Aug. 25, 1944 Paris was liberated

• Over half a million French resistance fighters helped the Allies liberate France

• Aug. 1944 Allied forces sailed from Italy to invade from the south.

• Within a month, all of France was free

• Attention moves to Germany itself!

French Resistance:• Helped spread fake intelligence• Sabotage and attack: railroads, roads, communication lines,

barracks. • Stole weapons