D-Day and the battle for Europe
Getting these guys on the beach, that was all that mattered.
Jack Ingham DSC, lieutenant, LCI (L) and LCI (L) 110, RN
The grand plan - D-Day
The Germans occupied all of France from November 1942. To win the war, the Allies had to reclaim that country and other occupied territory. It would require months of planning, often in secret, and the use of thousands of men, ships and planes.
The grand plan
Hitler feared an invasion on the Western Front. He had created what became known as Fortress Europe and built the Atlantic Wall – more than 2000 kilometres of concrete and steel coastal defences stretching from Denmark to the Spanish border.
Supporting acts - D-Day
Fooling the enemy and supplying the landings
It was not just the landings on Normandy that required months of planning. Alongside the real landing plans, a complicated fake plan was developed to fool the Germans. Landed troops needed food, equipment and fuel, so helping to meet these needs, two massive engineering projects were conceived and carried out.
Operation Fortitude
Operation Fortitude was designed to make the Germans think the Allies would land in Pas de Calais as expected.
The build-up to D-Day
In the weeks before D-Day the Royal Air Force (RAF) prepared occupied territory in Europe for the invasion of ground forces. New Zealand pilots were among the many airmen to go behind enemy lines and attack strategic targets such as railway lines, troop trains and other transport.
The Normandy landings - D-Day
Carnage on Omaha Beach
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O'Brien Reeve, a Flotilla Officer, Royal Navy, describes the terrible scene on Omaha Beach. See the transcript of this interview. See also the Eric Krull interview.
