D-Day
Land Invasion
The Attack
On June 6, 1944, the Allied nations, including the United States, Canada, and Britain attempted to take out all of the beaches the Germans had overthrown in France. The United States plan was to make paratroopers fly over enemy lines to confuse the Germans. Then the U.S. would bomb the Germans with aircraft, and attack them with gunfire from the ships located in the ocean. After that, the United States used boats and ships to transport soldiers to the beach, where the battle would be fought.
Outcome of the Battle
By the end of August in 1944, the battle at Normandy finally ended and the U.S. helped its allies take back their land that the Germans had previously taken.
Generals Involved in the Battle
Dwight D. Eisenhower - American
Months before the attack, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed in charge of Operation Overlord, also known as D-Day. Eisenhower used many tactics and strategies in battle, like using fake equipment and putting out fake radio calls to throw off the Germans. Eisenhower lead the American troops to victory in the battle at Normandy beach.
Erwin Rommel - German
At first, Rommel was underestimated by Germany. They thought he was just an average leader and wasn't that good at commanding big armies. Rommel was then put in charge of defending Germany against an attack from America that they knew was coming soon. Rommel did a surprisingly good job being a general, but in the end, the Germans lost the battle. After the battle, Rommel went down in history as one of the best commanders in German history.
Goals in the Battle
The United States goal in D-Day was to make Germany back off the Allied Nations land and leave them alone. The Germans were attempting to occupy parts of France and expand their nation and we wanted the Germans to stay in their own territory.
The long lasting impact of D-Day was that the battle increased our confidence in war and in our nation. It also helped our army and soldiers to become stronger. This then lead on to the U.S. winning WW2 and the Germans finally surrendering.
Storming the Beach
American soldiers rush out of the boats and onto the battlefield.
The Battlefield
Soldiers lay down in the sand as they hide from enemy gunfire and attacks.
Aircraft Bombing
An American aircraft drops bombs onto the Germans as it flies high in the sky