Normandy Campaign

Normandy Campaign, Allied invasion of German-occupied north-western Europe during World War II. The invasion of the Normandy region of north-western France was the outcome of long and meticulous planning. It was preceded by a comprehensive bombing campaign, intended to disrupt German communications and transport in the region. To avoid the dangerous task of attempting the capture of a major port during the initial landings, the component parts of two huge artificial harbours (codenamed “Mulberry”) were constructed. Furthermore, a British deception campaign led the Germans to anticipate the main allied invasion further east, in the Pas de Calais region. The Germans were also hampered by the fact that all except one of their most effective units, the Panzer Divisions, were held in reserve well away from the coast. This was against the advice Field Marshal Erwin Rommel who was responsible for repelling the invasion.

The invasion, Operation Overlord, took place on June 6, 1944, under the supreme command of US General Dwight Eisenhower. With the support of 5,000 naval vessels and 11,000 aircraft, over 120,000 American, British, and Canadian troops were landed on five beaches between the River Orne and the Cotentin peninsula. The Americans landed on two beaches in the west, codenamed “Utah” and “Omaha”. Further east British troops landed on “Gold” and “Sword” beaches, with the Canadians going ashore on a third beach: “Juno”. On either side of the landing area airborne landings were made by a further 23,000 men. British general Bernard Montgomery commanded the invasion force. Overall the initial landings were a great success, although heavy fighting occurred on Omaha beach, where the American assault troops came up against a good quality German infantry division. The fighting at Omaha accounted for 1,000 of the 2,000 allied deaths sustained on and around the beaches.

Despite an attempted counter-attack by the German 21st Panzer Division, the beachheads achieved on the first day were swiftly made secure. However, the Allied troops did not prove able to advance as far inland as the invasion plan dictated; crucially the British failed to capture the key city of Caen. Over the next three weeks, efforts were made to expand the beachhead. Their efforts were impeded by storms between June 19 and June 22, which destroyed one of the Mulberry harbours. The Americans moved west into the Cotentin peninsula, eventually capturing the port of Cherbourg on 29 June. In the east, British and Canadian forces struggled for control of Caen. As the Allies advanced, they were increasingly hampered by the small fields and high, embanked hedgerows of the Normandy Bocage. This provided ideal defensive terrain for the Germans, who inflicted heavy casualties on the Allied troops. The Germans in their turn suffered the effects of what they called materielschlact (a battle of materiel), as their troops were subjected to bombardment by naval guns and abundant artillery. Above all, their movements were severely curtailed by attacks from the air, as the Allied air forces had swiftly achieved total air superiority.

The British attempted to break through the German lines around Caen. Their attacks were unsuccessful, but the layout of the road system meant that the Germans were forced to commit most of their armoured units in this sector, with fewer facing the Americans to the west. On 23 July the US 12th Army Group, under General Omar Bradley, launched Operation Cobra, a major attack preceded by carpet bombing by heavy bombers, which breached the German lines at the base of the Cotentin peninsula. The Americans advanced to capture the vital road junction at Avranches, enabling their mobile forces to move west into Brittany. Rommel had been seriously wounded by an allied air attack on July 17. His successor, Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge was ordered by Hitler to drive towards Avranches with all available forces and cut off the American advance. Only at this point did Hitler become convinced that there would be no further Allied landings and released his last reserves from the Pas de Calais. Stout American defending brought Kluge’s counter-attack to a halt. The German forces soon found themselves in danger of encirclement, by US forces from the west and south, and British, Canadian and Polish forces from the north.

The last remaining “gap” in the threatened encirclement, near the town of Falaise, was closed on August 19. Twelve German divisions were encircled and subjected to a merciless air and artillery bombardment. Although some 30,000 men managed to abandon their equipment and escape through the Allied lines, 50,000 were captured. The battle of Normandy was effectively over. Despite the early difficulties, the speedy developments of the last month of the campaign had resulted in a shattering blow to the Germans in the west. The Allies were now able to advance swiftly across northern France and Belgium, not halting until they reached the borders of the Netherlands in early September.