D-Day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

D-Day - study ExampleThe training and planning for D-Day had began months earlier as the plan came more in focus. The Airbase at confederacy Nebraska had become the center of training and by January 1944, there were 14,000 paratroopers training for the eventual invasion of German occupied France (Flanagan 24). By the evening of June 5, these paratroopers along with glider and C47 cargo aircraft had assembled in airfields in Eng unload. When General Eisenhower gave the signal, the aircraft and gliders do the initial advance on France. The 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions would be the first allied man to land in France (Miller 733). The air routine also included one British division and this initial dishonor by the paratroopers has been credited with the success of the operation (ONeill 16). From the moment they touched the ground, they would be confronted by German troops.The oceanic armada, one-third American, was moving toward the shore while being protected by an impenetrab le air cover. The operation would deliver a naval assault on 5 beaches at Normandy France. The beaches were dubbed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, the code names habituated for the purposes of the operation (World War II D-Day). As they hit the shores, they moved massive amounts of men and host ashore. The initial assault involved 133,000 men that would increase to 850,000 by the end of June (World War II D-Day). The landing was aided by the recently produced temporary seagoing harbors that had been built in British shipyards in total secrecy (Miller 735). These structures allowed the Allies to transform the beaches into serviceable harbors that could resupply the operation pending the capture of a major port at Le Havre (Miller 735). Fierce ironing would rage for days on the beaches of Normandy. Allied troops were faced with terrain that favored the defenders and were met with trained troops from the German Wehrmacht (Zapotoczny 1). Allied planes kept up a aeonian screen o f curtain bombing as the German shore batteries offered fierce resistance. By the end of the tail day, the Germans were wearing down and the once secret French Underground was emerging to join the fight. American Rangers and British Commandos were lunging deep into German held territory at night and destroying the enemys supply of weapons and communications systems (Miller 738). As the battle keep during the coming days, the German resistance concentrated and became more fierce. Cherbourg was heavily defended by the Germans who had been given an order to fight until they die (Miller 743). On June 22, the allies waged an all out assault on Cherbourg, which began by cutting the German lines of communications (Miller 743). Behind the lines, French Partisans fighting underground paralyzed the German supply lines and blocked the reaching of reinforcements. Fighting would continue in the coming weeks to secure France from the occupation of the German multitude. The effect of D-Day was to divert German attention and resources away from their battle with the Russians for control of Europe. The invasion of Normandy not only gave the Allied forces a industrial-strength foothold in France, it aided the Russian effort. Though the Germans has anticipated a major invasion for virtually time, the decoy efforts and the massive scope of the invasion was able to scatter and destroy the backbone of the German army in Europe.