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What would you put D-Day's success down to?

Discussion in 'Western Europe 1943 - 1945' started by Chats1, Nov 19, 2009.

  1. GI546

    GI546 Member

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    i think it was because of the number of allied troops w/ the help of the french resistance.
     
  2. Anderan

    Anderan Member

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    there is actually speculation as to whether or not the French resistance actually accomplished much, at least prior to the invasions. Personally I don't think the resistance did much to help the landings, sure they did collect some intelligence which I'm sure was helpful, but it was mostly after the landings that they started to really accomplish anything other than smuggling downed pilots out of France.
     
  3. Totenkopf

    Totenkopf אוּרִיאֵל

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    I think all of the damaged railroads, roadblocks, raids and ambushes that took place throughout Normandy wasn't exactly the decision of win or loss but I am positive that some 8000 men owed their lives to French interference in some shape or form.
     
  4. Spaniard

    Spaniard New Member

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    This is a correct assumption Not only the French Resistance, XXX Corps reached Antwerp, and with the assistance of the Belgian resistance the city was secured and the port facilities were captured intact. The resistance helped in clandestine operations.
     
  5. Richard

    Richard Expert

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    What would you put D-Day's success down to?

    Firmness of purpose to return to Europe...Planning and the sheer determination by all to land and consolidate there hold.
     
  6. Centurion-Cato

    Centurion-Cato Member

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    I put it down to the fact of manpower and the men posted in France. By 1944, most of the good divisions had been, or were fighting on the Eastern Front, and many did not come back. The Divisions in France were largely ones who were refitting, or just poorly trained and armed units such as the Ost-Battalions. They had a few good panzer divisions and paratrooper regiments but overall the manpower in France and especially Normandy was low, and the men who were there were largely unequipped to fight an invasion. They were unmotivated and no match for the Allies, most of whom were itching to invade France and defeat Germany. They were in good spirits, and that is a valuable weapon which the Germans in Normandy and France did not have.

    The Atlantic Wall was non existent in most of France except possibly Calais, which the Germans had made a fortress in. In Normandy and other areas there were very few defenses and these could never stop an invasion. Rommel had tried to build up the defense, but due to demands on other fronts he had very little to use, and no one else believed in his 'destroy the enemy on the beaches' theory. Therefore most of the defense was inadequate, and crumbled when the Allies launched their air and naval bombardment.

    The Allies had complete air superiority. By this time the Luftwaffe were occupied trying to halt the Allies bombers streaming towards Germany both day and night. They had nothing left with which to stop an invasion happening, and even if they did, the Allies had hundreds of fighters which the Germans just would not have been able to match during D-Day. The Allies also had complete naval superiority which was able to help with the land attack and provide cover for the forces attacking land.

    I could easily go on and highlight more points, but I shall not. I believe it was more to the fact that the Germans were unprepared as opposed to the fact that the Allies had superiority, for as we have seen in other theatres such as Italy and North Africa, superiority is not everything, and under good leadership and the right tools the Germans may have won the battle that day, or atleast gave them greater losses.
     

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