History - War at a Glance

Invasion: The Beaches and Beyond There are 59 German divisions in northwest Europe at the beginning of 1944, 55 of them in France, but most are understrength, drained to feed the war with Russia. Others have been shifted from the Eastern Front to France to rest and refit, their ranks decimated by combat with the Red Army. Many are far from Normandy as the Germans react to various Allied deceptions that imply imminent invasion near the Pas de Calais or even in Norway. Rommel’s preparation of defenses on the Normandy coast is hampered by shortages and by Allied air superiority. Despite these difficulties, six German infantry divisions are available in Normandy to oppose the Allied invasion. A single panzer division is in reserve near Caen, with three more held inland - and effectively out of Rommel’s reach - by the German high command. With Rommel’s considerable beach defenses in place and these forces waiting behind them, the stage is set for the greatest armed assault ever attempted, an all-or-nothing gamble for both sides. Of the more than 150,000 Allied troops that wade or parachute into Normandy on June 6, 1944, more than 30,000 are Americans who land on Omaha beach and survive the initial onslaught. At first, confusion reigns as troops and vehicles pile onto the beach in the face of concentrated and well-aimed fire. By 0915 hours General Bradley fears he will have to call off the Omaha landing. His forces there are pinned down on the beach until scattered groups, prompted by their own bravery or the desire simply to survive, begin to press forward. With the help of naval gunfire, small units of the American 1st and 29th Divisions begin to ram their way through Rommel’s beach obstacles and the ferocious German defense. See Next “The Damndest Country I’ve Seen” Operation Cobra: Breaking out of the Bocage Patton Unleashed Trapped in the Pocket Racing Toward the Rhine