The Second World - Battle for Europe (45 photos)

By mid-1944, the situation of the warring states and coalitions changed significantly. Soviet troops inflicted a major defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front and approached the vital centers of the enemy.



situation in Germany deteriorated also because of the real prospects emergency landing of US-British troops in France. Line of defense of the German troops on the Western Front took place along the coast of Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France, then walked along the southern coast of France, south of Rome crossed the Italian territory, continued along the coast of Yugoslavia, Albania and ends in Greece.



United States and Britain, using favorable conditions, have begun to prepare the landing of his troops in northern France (Operation "Overlord"), and the auxiliary blow in the South of France ("Anvil").

Before actually performing the operation "Overlord" in the British Isles focused four armies: 1st and 3rd US, British 2nd and 1st Canadian. As part of these armies were 37 divisions (23 infantry, 10 armored, airborne 4) and 12 brigades. There was also a 10 units "commandos" and "reyndzhens" (British and American commando marine units).



The first phase of the landing operation was carried out by the 21st Army Group under the command of British General B.Montgomeri. It consisted of the 1st American (commanded by General A. Bradley), 2nd English (commanded by General M. Dempsey) and the 1st Canadian (commanded by General H. Grerar) army.



At dawn on June 6 under the cover of artillery and massive air strikes almost unimpeded began landing on the five parts of the coast. German connections are implemented drastic measures to disrupt the action of allied forces. The German air force and the navy did not have adequate resistance landing, although some units and formations, located on the coast, defended stubbornly, especially in the area where landed 1st Infantry Division of the 5th US Corps.



By the evening of the first day of the Allied invasion took three bridgeheads, which landed 8 divisions and an armored brigade, with a total of 150,000 soldiers and officers. Time for the German counterattack was largely lost. 709 th, 352 th and 716 th German divisions, located directly on the coast, have been fighting for 100 mile front and could not reflect the D-Day landings.



On the first day of the landing operation Americans lost 6,603 persons, including 1,465 killed, in the British and Canadians - about 4 thousand people killed, wounded and missing.



Command Expeditionary Force airdropped new strength and technique on the bridgehead. Reflecting blows German units redeployed to the bridgehead compounds Anglo-American troops moved into the interior of the coast.











































































Tags

See also

New and interesting