The story behind D-Day begins in 1939 when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, attacked Poland and ignited World War Two. The following year, the Germans occupied France and Western Europe and launched a vicious air war against Britain. In 1941, they invaded the Soviet Union. Seemingly unstoppable, the Nazis now held virtually all of Europe. They imposed a ruthless system of control and unleashed the horror of the Holocaust. However, by 1943, the tide had begun to turn in favor of the Allies, the forces opposed to Germany. In the east, despite huge losses, the Soviets began to force the Germans back.
A research analyst for the Center for Naval Analyses offers a rare historical account of the Royal and U.S. Navies' involvement in one of the greatest amphibious assaults of modern history. It is a story of cooperation and, at times, discord, between the two navies as they planned the naval portion of the Allied invasion of Normandy. With the evolution of amphibious warfare as a backdrop, the book has sufficient technical detail to satisfy the modern day practitioner of amphibious warfare, yet is written in a style that makes it accessible to the general public. Thoroughly researched at the U.S. National Archives and the Naval Historical Center, the book takes the reader from the initial plans created by the Anglo-American Allies in 1942, through the first draft of Operation Overlord, to the final naval plan set down in 1944. It then presents a detailed description of the invasion itself. Christopher Yung covers every obstacle confronted by the naval planners, from the shifting tides of the English Channel to overcoming the European coastal defenses and dealing with the submarine threat. Despite his attention to historical detail, he brings to life the personalities of those who brought Operation Neptune from concept to reality.
Discusses the Allied invasion of Normandy, with extensive details about the planning stage, called Operation Overlord, as well as the fighting on Utah and Omaha Beaches.
Includes numerous maps and illustrations. This monograph provides first-hand accounts of Destroyer Squadron 18 during this critical battle upon which so much of the success of our campaign in Europe would depend. Their experience at Omaha Beach can be looked upon as typical of most U.S. warships engaged at Normandy. On the other hand, from the author’s research it appears evident that this destroyer squadron, with their British counterparts, may have had a more pivotal influence on the breakout from the beachhead and the success of the subsequent campaign than was heretofore realized. Its contributions certainly provide a basis for discussion among veterans and research by historians, as well as a solid, professional account of naval action in support of the Normandy landings.
In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans. As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved. The tense days leading up to the monumental D-Day landing blaze to life under Sarah Sundin's practiced pen with this powerful new series.
A companion to the Utah Beach publication, provides a historical narrative dealing with American military operations in France during the month of June 1944 including D-Day in Normandy. Prepared by the 2d Information and Historical Service, attached to the First Army, and by the Historical Section, European Theater of Operations. Other products in the American Forces in Action Series are listed below: Salerno: American Operations From the Beaches to the Volturno, 9 September - 6 October 1943 is available here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00196-9 Papuan Campaign: The Buna-Sananada Operation (16 November 1942-23 January 1943) is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00205-1 The Capture of Makin, November 20-24, 1942-Print Hardcover/Clothbound format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00206-0 Guam: Operations of the 77th Division, July 21-Aug. 10, 1944 is available here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00204-3 Fifth Army at the Winter Line (15 November 1943 - 15 January 1944) --Print Paperback format can be found here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00198-5 St. Lo -Print Paperback format is available here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00127-6 From the Volturno to the Winter Line, 6 Oct.-15 Nov. 1943 -is available here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00197-7 To Bizerte With the II Corps (23 April - 13 May 1943) -Print Hardcover/Clothbound format can be found here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00207-8 Utah Beach to Cherbourg (6 June-27 June 1944) can be found here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00129-2 Merrill\'s Marauders (February - May 1944) -Print Paperback format can be found here: https://bookstore.gpo.gov/products/sku/008-029-00203-5 World War II resources collection can be found here:https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/us-military-history/battles-wars/world-war-ii
The landing of Allied forces on the shores of Normandy on 6 June 1944 was the greatest amphibious invasion in history. Technology and innovation played crucial parts in the D-Day drama – from tank-carrying gliders, swimming tanks and the Mulberry harbors, to radio and radar aids that ensured landing craft arrived on the right beaches and combat aircraft overhead were controlled. D-Day Operations Manual describes the development, construction and use of a wide range of innovative machines, structures and systems, explaining their uses on D-Day and after, and revealing how they contributed to the success of 'Overlord.'
'Operation Neptune' was the codename for the naval component of the invasion of France in June 1944. The complete invasion codename was 'Operation Overlord', and 'Neptune' was therefore phase one of a much bigger plan. Nevertheless, the task of safely landing 160,000 men with all of the supporting equipment was an operation on an unprecedented scale. The operation, planned by a team under Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan, was the largest amphibious invasion in world history and was executed by land, sea, and air elements under direct British command with over 160,000 troops landing on 6 June 1944. Of these, 73,000 were American troops, 61,715 British and 21,400 Canadian. To achieve the successful landings, 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from England by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. The planning required for such a mammoth undertaking was vast, and all to be maintained under the strictest secrecy. The fact that the Germans were caught by surprise is incredible, and a great debt of gratitude is owed to the men and women who worked so hard to bring off the greatest sea-borne invasion in history. This book, written only one year after the invasion by a senior British naval officer who was closely involved, provides the detail behind the conception, planning and successful execution of 'Neptune'.
Chronicles the events, politics, and personalities of this pivotal day in World War II, shedding light on the strategies of commanders on both sides and the ramifications of the battle
