Alternative D-Day+1

What if D-day had failed? What if the invasion merely bounced off the beach and the airborne were left stranded in France surrounded by German troops? What would Eisenhower have done after that? All reasonable questions...

 

Didn't we have a thread like this already?

First, you have to put some reasons why it would have failed... I suposse weather is the only possible thing that could have made a mess out of it or a very, very nervous Omar Bradley withdrawing from Omaha, since a Panzer counterattack could have smashed the airborne troops, but certianly NOT the fleet's guns...

 

Yep, here´s one thread previously:

http://www.ww2forums.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=000090#000020

I think it would take a year to prepare for another invasion and I think it´d have to be France, this time southern France maybe... someone else than Eisenhower in charge though?

 

If the invasion failed, maybe the Allies would send more troops to the Italian frond or open a new front on the Balkan or in Southern-France.

 

Ach, I was thinking there must have been one before this. My apologies gentlemen, I'll look next time. But in the meantime, would the Allies have had enough man-power if they had wasted all the lives in the attempt to take the beaches? How would the Germans have reacted?

 

I have a feeling the allied had the power to make the invasion if they just once got hold of the land. After that they had the navy guns and air force to protect them.

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Some thoughts:

The exeercise Tiger in April 1944

http://www.mikekemble.com/ww2/slapton.html

I think there was a real danger that the Germans could have found out where the invasion was heading:

General Eisenhower ordered all bodies recovered, especially 10 personnel who had on their possession actual maps of the Utah Beach.

I don´t know but these men ( officers ) probably knew alot on operation Overlord and if the Germans had caught any of these men as prisoners...oh oh...So Eisenhower was surely pleased to hear they were all found ....

 

I'm not sure if this is relevant or not because it is from an Ambrose book but he says that at around D minus 30 one of the men on the beach gathering sand samples was actually captured by a U-Boat and Rommel himself interrogated him but found out nothing and they simply talked about the weather in England and let him go. Anyway, I'll put my own opinion in here: I believe that the Allies, after trying D-day with no avail and with the loss of that many men would try something completely different from a beach invasion (due to the lack of moral from new recruits if they were told that they were attacking from beaches yet again). I'm not sure what they would have done after the failure of Overlord...was Ike prepared for that (other than that claim of responsibility note he wrote on June 3)?

 

Let's say that there would have been more German divisions like 352nd infantry division, fully equiped and experienced, stronger defences like those of Omaha and more available Panzer divisions near the cost, released in the first hours of the day. The landscape isn't at all very promising for the Allied troops, but remember what happened at Omaha. It didn't matter how strong were the defenders or the defences, the infantry reorganised and broke through, at hig cost only. A panzer counterattack? Not a decisive one with 13.000 Allied planes and 4.000 ships. Look at the battles in the Baltic and you'll see what happens when you try to crush a beachhead supported by naval guns...

 

Would you explain this better, please?

 

One of the men making way for the infantry on Omaha beach came in a few minutes before D-day to collect sand samples to see if the sand was sturdy enough to drive tanks onto land. While he was there he got captured by a U-boat crew and was taken to Rommel himself, who interrogated him and then let him go. I'm nost sure if this is true or not...can anybody back me up or shoot me down on this? I'll look up his name later today.

 

Rommel was a thousand miles away at Ulm, having a holiday...

 

Not a few minutes...I'm sorry...a few days. I doubt they would be testing the beach a few minutes before D-day anyway.

 

Indeed, Rommel was with his wife - Lucy - who whas celebrating her birthday.

 

again..."days" not minutes.

 

Days before they wouldn't have questioned him espetialy if it was past a week before!

 

I heard that Rommel propose a plan to defend beaches with panzer divisions, not to retreat and engage them after the landings.
But Hitler refuse than plan.
Do you think than plan worked ?

 

I heard that Rommel propose a plan to defend beaches with panzer divisions, not to retreat and engage them after the landings.
But Hitler refuse than plan.
Do you think than plan worked ?

 

I heard that Rommel propose a plan to defend beaches with panzer divisions, not to retreat and engage them after the landings.
But Hitler refuse than plan.
Do you think than plan worked ?

 

I heard that Rommel propose a plan to defend beaches with panzer divisions, not to retreat and engage them after the landings.
But Hitler refuse than plan.
Do you think than plan worked ?

 

I heard that Rommel propose a plan to defend beaches with panzer divisions, not to retreat and engage them after the landings.
But Hitler refuse than plan.
Do you think than plan worked ?