How did D-Day occur?

Answer 1

D Day is the popular name for the June 1944 Normandy invasion. American and British troops took two beaches each while the Canadians took one. All beach assaults were successful with only one being hotly contested, the American one at Omaha. The planning for Normandy was extensive, taking about two years. Massive amounts of equipment, men and ships were collected. Special assault boats were designed. Tanks that could operate briefly under water were manufactured. Technologies to take out land mines in sand were invented. Coordination between the armies, naval forces, and air forces of two major combatants and several lesser ones was remarkable. Additionally the attacks were coordinated with the French underground. Also there was a vast intelligence apparatus used to hide the actual invasion plans. The Normandy invasion was considered a necessity by the western Allies as the only way to get at the main enemy (German) strength. Peripheral attacks on German air forces, naval forces, Italian and north African armies were all successful but the main German army had not yet been engaged. Britain feared a confrontation with the German army, having been whipped severely and repeatedly by often inferior sized German forces. As such the British publicly pushed for an invasion of France but in secret meetings fought hard to slow it down. The English preferred that peripheral attacks continue. They wanted to keep fighting in Italy. Perhaps a Balkan front up through Greece or a link to Tito's forces in Serbia? More bombing, especially of civilians to crush German home front morale. All sorts of ideas came out the British, all of which might have had success if tried, but none would have been decisive. The American approach was direct - into France, fight east to the Rhine and into Germany. End the war as quickly as possible regardless of short term casualties. While eventually the American approach won out, it was delayed at least a full year by British foot dragging, possibly two years. The British were eventually persuaded by being given two relatively undefended beaches to assault, leaving the heavy lifting to their allies. In fact, one British beach was defended by Russian POW's with German officers. Spying the invasion these 'troops' dropped their guns and fled without a shot. IMO, it is likely the invasion could have taken place successfully in 1943 had the western Allies not used up men and ships invading Italy. 1942 is more problematic as Germany still had significant air forces and had not been bled so much in the Russian conflict. By 1944 is was a virtual certainty that victory would be had - in fact, most western analysts were more fearful that Russia would overrun Germany before the Americans and British could get onto the continent than they were that the invasion would actually fail.