D-Day Preparations and the Beach Landings
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY Key Stages 3 and 4 Second World War D-Day Preparations and the Beach Landings Introduction The success of the D-Day operation depended on careful preparation. While factories in Britain worked round the clock to produce the huge quantities of weapons, ammunition and equipment needed by the invasion forces, a wide variety of specialists contributed their unique skills and knowledge. Detailed information was compiled about the German defences, the terrain and the weather conditions. Reliable intelligence about the geography and geology of the Normandy coastline and the strength of the German defences was vital. Members of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) made undercover night sorties on the beaches to survey the landing sites. Aerial reconnaissance showed the layout of the German fortifications, and pre-war postcards and holiday snaps of France, sent in by the public after an appeal by the Admiralty, also provided valuable information. Using these resources, the planners were able to produce detailed maps and models to brief the invasion force. The decision about the best time to launch the invasion relied on studies of the tides, phases of the moon and weather records. A night drop by airborne divisions to seize the flanks of the beachhead required good weather and bright moonlight. The sea-borne invasion needed calm seas and an early morning tide. Air support required good visibility. The planners were advised of the periods when these conditions were most likely to coincide so that they could select a suitable date. Even so, the weather was difficult to predict. On 4 June Group Captain James Stagg, chief meteorological adviser to Eisenhower, predicted a temporary break in the bad weather which could allow the landings to proceed on 6 June. Eisenhower based his decision to go ahead on this prediction. If the planners had chosen a date later in June when the required conditions again coincided, the invasion forces could have been caught up in a severe storm in the Channel which was to cause major damage to the Mulberry harbours, temporary docks off the Normandy coast vital to the operation. © Imperial War Museum PAGE 1 D-Day Preparations and the Beach Landings
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY
Image 1
Holidaymakers on the
beach at Viller-sur-Mer in
France before the Second
World War. This
photograph is an example
of the thousands acquired
by the Admiralty-run Inter
Services Topographical
Department as a result of
a public appeal for
photographs to assist in
planning the D-Day
landings in 1944.
IWM Ref: HU819631
Account 1
We went to Inveraray in March for our training in landing craft and had Major A R C Mott,
to rush up steep hillsides as we sprang out of our L.C.A.s. Then to the Company Commander, 1st
New Forest where we were well under cover and where roads were Battalion Hampshire
made to take vehicles before they embarked and from where we had Regiment.
three practice landings. IWM Ref: 99/16/1
Account 2
We spent the entire afternoon being briefed in the differing tasks of each D E Edwards, 6th Airborne
25 man Platoon. Then the tasks of each 7 man Section was considered Division.
and finally in cases where individuals had special tasks, these were also IWM Ref: 78/68/1
looked at in detail since, working in such a confined area, in darkness, it
was essential that everyone knew what everyone else was doing at any
given time, and to be in a position to carry out their job if the appointed
individual was not available for any reason. We worked out each of our
moves, then looked at possible counter-moves that the enemy might
make, and considered ways of blocking them. Nothing could be left to
chance and split second accuracy was vital for the success of the mission.
We studied the latest aerial photographs (some had been taken within
past 24 hours). These were extremely helpful as they showed the
bridges in minute detail. The RAF boys had been busy and had taken
considerable risks for some pictures seemed to have been taken at
treetop level. These photographs, together with the most perfect scale
model that the Allies could make, gave us a very clear ‘picture’ of the
bridges and surrounding countryside.
The large scale model had been compiled with the aid of photographs,
maps and local intelligence reports. Nothing that could be of help to us
had been left out – every house, outbuilding, hedgerow, gateway, ditch,
tree and fortification had been meticulously recorded. We were advised
that if a pane of glass had been broken in any window it would be shown
on the model.
Account 3
© Imperial War Museum PAGE 2 D-Day Preparations and the Beach LandingsLEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY
Meanwhile the officers and N.C.O.s were very busy learning the story of Captain C T Cross, Platoon
what we were going to do, memorizing maps, studying models, air Commander, 2nd Battalion
photographs, intelligence reports and all that sort of thing. Oxfordshire and
. Buckinghamshire Light
Infantry, 6th Airborne
Division Gliders.
IWM Ref: 91/8/14
Account 4
Monday June 5th 1944 Reverend L F Skinner,
Rain during night. Bed drier now. Everything dirty. Many sick. More Senior Chaplain to 8th
and more craft coming up all shapes and sizes. Seemingly been swanning Armoured Brigade,
around since yesterday. (Later learned that Invasion postponed at last attached to the Sherwood
minute for 24 hours due to bad weather). Had small bout seasickness in Rangers Yeomanry.
evening – soon passed off. Some becoming very ill. Lots of vomit added IWM Ref: 01/13/1
to grease and water. Cold and wet. Sailed after dark.
Tuesday June 6th D. Day
Up 5.00 hours cold, wet, sea rough.
Image 2
The Final Embarkation:
Grim-faced US troops file
aboard an LCA (Landing
Craft Assault) at a British
port prior to embarkation.
IWM Ref: EA25357
Image 3
© Imperial War Museum PAGE 3 D-Day Preparations and the Beach LandingsLEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY
Commandos approach
Sword Beach in a Landing
Craft Infantry (LCI). Ahead,
the beach is crowded with
tanks and vehicles of 27th
Armoured Brigade and
79th Armoured Division.
IWM Ref: B5102
Image 4
The British 2nd Army:
Infantry waiting to move
off 'Queen White' Beach,
SWORD Area, while under
enemy fire, on the morning
of 6 June. The first landings
on Sword were made by
the British 3rd Infantry
Division, 27th Armoured
Brigade and Royal Marine
and Army Commando units
from General CrockerÊs I
Corps. By nightfall the
British had 28,850 men
ashore and the Orne
bridge had been seized.
IWM Ref: B5091
Account 5
© Imperial War Museum PAGE 4 D-Day Preparations and the Beach LandingsLEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY
Tuesday June 6th D. Day Reverend L F Skinner,
Up 5.00 hours cold, wet, sea rough. ‘Stand To’ for 07.00. This is it. Senior Chaplain to 8th
Land visible through mist by 6.30. Rain cleared. Running for Beach by Armoured Brigade,
07.00 under fire by 07.10. Beach 7.25. Lawrence Biddle/Bgde Major attached to the Sherwood
asked for volunteers unroll coconut matting at prow ship. I and three Rangers Yeomanry.
four others volunteered, took places behind roll. See nothing but good IWM Ref: 01/13/1
front cover. As beached hit mine. Man either side me wounded – one
lost leg. I was blown backwards onto Bren Carrier but OK.
Landing doors jammed. Gave morphine injections and rough dressings
to injured men and helped them in chain hatches. Ship’s Officer released
doors and ramp. We rolled matting out. Water about 6 feet deep – sea
rough- matting would not sink. Shellfire pretty hot. Infantry
carriers/jeeps baling but left us to matting as tanks revved up. Washed
aside but made it to beach though I had hell of pain in left side.
Chaos ashore. Germans firing everything they had. Road mined – great
hole. Buldozers unable to get through because mines. One tried – went
up on mine. Spent an hour with some Engineers demolishing remains
some pillbox or whatever building it had been to make another exit from
beach. Heavy work with pickaxe and chest hurting like hell. Finally got
half-track into queue. Another standstill. Along line on foot, saw CO
and A Sqdn waiting to get on faster and further.
Image 5
The Beaches Near Lion-
sur-Mer, Normandy 1944.
by Edward Jeffrey Irving
Ardizzone, (CBE, RA). A
Normandy beach littered
with gear, lorries, soldiers
and barbed wire. Many
ships wait offshore, while
two landing-boats nose up
against the beach to the
right of the composition.
IWM Ref: LD4439
Account 6
And as we neared the French coast, on our left, to the east in other Private William James
words, not too far away from us we saw, suddenly, one ship explode Spearman, Grenadier
into the air and sank, all in a few minutes. So we assumed this must have Guards (4 Commando).
hot some big mine which accentuated the knowledge that they had IWM Ref: 9796/08/04
mined the coast. And of course, we were led by minesweepers but I
suppose if you think about it, the minesweepers, it was very hard for the
minesweeper to remove every mine. So I think a number of ships were
sunk on this passage over the mines.
© Imperial War Museum PAGE 5 D-Day Preparations and the Beach LandingsLEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY Of course, we were lucky even to land because some of the boats as they went in got blown out of the water long before they reached there. The mother ships got blown up, the transporters got blown up so you’re under tremendous fire going in. But luck was with us and we landed on the beach. We had tremendous weights on our backs, some were half hundredweight. There was an average of what we had on our backs, we had flame-throwers, we had shells. The idea was we had to have enough things to support ourselves for three months in case we didn’t get re- inforcements or we didn’t get replenished and I think we had 2 or 3 months’ supply of things on our backs as well as all our weaponry. And we know and I personally know because I actually did lay down, once you get down with that pack on your back, you can’t get up again. But I was shocked by the number of bodies, dead bodies, living bodies and all the blood in the water giving the appearance they were drowning in their own blood for the want of moving. The whole place was littered like it. Account 7 Apart from our ordinary equipment we were loaded down with heavy Lieutenant H T Bone, In packs, a pick or shovel each, 24 hours rations, ammunition and maps. charge of a Signals Unit, Under our arm-pits were the large bulges of the inflated May-Wests. In 2nd East Yorks Regt, the Mess Decks we blacked our faces with black Palm Olive cream and B.W.E.F. listened to the Naval orders over the loud hailer. Most of us had taken IWM Ref: 87/31/1 Communion on the Sunday, but the Ship’s padre had a few words to say to us. Then the actual loading into the craft – the swinging on davits – the boat lowering and finally ‘Away Boats’. Whilst this was going on all around could be seen the rest of the Convoy, with Battle Ships and Cruisers firing their big guns every few minutes and Destroyers rushing around the flashes. It was some distance to the Beaches and it was a wet trip. All of us had a spare Gas Cape to keep us dry and we chewed our gum stolidly. Mine was still in my mouth 12 or 14 hours later, and usually I hate the stuff and never touch it. Shielding ourselves from the spray and watching the f ire going down from all the supporting arms and the Spits overhead the time soon passed. Promptly at H hour I began listening on my wireless sets for the first news. It was a very dull morning and the land was obscured by mist and smoke so that except for the Flotilla leader and the C.O. no one actually saw the land till the metal doors opened in front and the ramp was down, but very soon after H Hour crystal clear over my sets came messages from the Assaulting Companies: ‘Heavy opposition, pushing on’ and ‘Heavy casualties, pushing on,’ from each of the two Assaulting companies. By now we could hear the tach-a-tach-a- tach of Enemy Machine guns and the strident explosions of enemy mortars on the Beach and its approaches. Now was the moment – we clutched our weapons and wireless sets, all carefully waterproofed. A shallow beach, we had been told, wet up to our knees or a little over, and then a long stretch of sand and obstacles. Suddenly there was a © Imperial War Museum PAGE 6 D-Day Preparations and the Beach Landings
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY jarring bump on the left and looking up from our boards we saw some of the beach obstacles about two feet above our gunwale with a large mine on top of it, just as photographs had shewn us; the mine just the same as those we had practiced disarming. Again a bump on the right, but still we had not grounded. The Colonel and the Flotilla Leader were piloting us in, and for a few brief minutes nothing happened except the music of the guns and the whang of occasional bullets overhead, with the sporadic explosions of Mortar Bombs and the back ground of our own heavy gun fire. Then the doors opened as we grounded and the Colonel was out. The sea was choppy and the boat swung a good bit as one by one we followed him. Several fell in and got soaked through. I was lucky. I stopped for a few seconds to help my men with their heavy wireless sets and to ensure they kept them dry. As we staggered ashore we dispersed and lay down above the waters edge. Stuff was falling pretty close to us and although I did not see it happen, quite a number of the people from my own boat were hit. Instinctively where we lay we hacked holes with our shovels. The Colonel moved forward. I tried to collect my party of sets and operators, but could only see a few of them. I began to recognise wounded men of the Assault Companies. Some were dead, others struggling to crawl out of the water because the tide was rising very rapidly. We could not help them because our job was to push on, but I saw one of my Signal Corporals with a wound in his leg and I took his Codes with me promising to send a man back for his set before he was evacuated. Getting just off the beach among some ruined buildings we began to collect the H.Q. The other boat party was mainly missing, also three quarters of my sets. The Colonel was getting a grip on the battle and I was sent back on the beach to collect the rest of us. I did not feel afraid, but rather elated and full of beans. There was some horrible sights there and not a few men calling out for help. I had no time or duty there, the beach medical people would gradually get round to them all. Disclaimer All source material used in this learning pack comes from the Collections of the Imperial War Museum, has been generated by the Their Past Your Future project, or is used by kind permission. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and gain permission for use of this image. We would be grateful for any information concerning copyright and will withdraw images immediately on copyright holder's request. © Imperial War Museum PAGE 7 D-Day Preparations and the Beach Landings
You can also read
