June 6, 1944 began the long-awaited anti-Hitler coalition troops landing on the northern coast of France, received the general name of "overlord" ("Overlord").The operation was prepared long and hard, it was preceded by tough negotiations in Tehran.In the British Isles were brought millions of tons of military cargo.In Covert Front held misinformation Abwehr intelligence services of Britain and the United States with respect to the landing area and many other activities to ensure a successful offensive.At different times, both here and abroad, the scale of the military operation, depending on the political situation, it is exaggerated, it underestimated.It is time to make an objective assessment, and it and its impact on the Western European theater of World War II.
Stew, condensed milk and egg powder
As you know from the movies, Soviet soldiers, participants of the war of 1941-1945 was called "second front" American canned meat, condensed milk, egg powder and other food products that came to the Soviet Union from the United States under the program"Lend-Lease".This phrase was uttered with some ironic tone, expressing a little concealed contempt for the "soyuznichki."To invest in it a meaning: as long as we are here to shed blood, they have been slow to start of the war against Hitler.Sit, in general, are waiting to go to war at a time when both Russian and German weaken and deplete its resources.That's when the Americans and the British will come to share the laurels of winners.The opening of a second front in Europe was postponed, the brunt of the fighting has continued to carry the Red Army.
In a sense, everything was just so.Moreover, blame Franklin D. Roosevelt that he was in no hurry to send the US Army to fight and waited for this most opportune moment, it would be unfair.In the end, as the president of the United States, he was obliged to think about the welfare of their country and to act in its interests.In the UK, the US aid without its armed forces technically were not able to carry out a massive invasion of the mainland.From 1939 to 1941 alone the country was at war with Hitler, she managed to survive, but the occurrence of speech not even passed.So Churchill and especially not reproach anything.In a sense, a second front existed all war and until the day "D" (D Day), it contained significant strength of the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine.The majority (about three-quarters) of the German navy and air force was engaged in operations against Britain.
However, without detracting from the merits of the Allies, our participants of the Great Patriotic War has always rightly believe that they made a decisive contribution to the common victory over the enemy.
And whether it is necessary
condescending contempt for allied aid was cultivated by the Soviet leadership the postwar decades.The main argument is the ratio of Soviet and German losses on the Eastern Front, with the same numbers of dead Americans, British, Canadians and Germans the same, but in the West.Nine out of ten of those killed Wehrmacht soldiers laid down their heads in battle is with the Red Army.Near Moscow, on the Volga, in the Kharkov region, in the Caucasus mountains, on the thousands of anonymous skyscrapers, obscure villages have been overcome, the military backbone of the car, who defeated easily, almost all European armies and conquer the country for a few weeks and sometimes days.Maybe a second front in Europe in general did not need and could not do without him?By the summer of 1944, the overall outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion.The Germans suffered terrible losses, human and material resources are sorely lacking, that while the Soviet military production has reached unprecedented in world history turns.Endless "leveling front" (as Goebbels propaganda explains the constant retreat) was inherently flight.Nevertheless, Stalin persistently remind the allies of their promise to hit Germany on the other hand.In 1943, American troops landed in Italy, but it was not enough.
Where and when
names of military operations are chosen to invest in one or two words the whole essence of the upcoming strategic stocks.At the same time the enemy even knowing it, I have to guess about the main elements of the plan.The direction of the main attack, attracted by technical means, terms, and similar items for the opponent is required to remain a mystery.The upcoming landing on the northern coast of Europe called "Overlord".The operation was divided into several stages, having also their own codes.It began the day "D" from "Neptune" and ended with "Cobra", involving the promotion of inland.
In the German General Staff had no doubt that will be the opening of the Second Front.1944 - Latest date when this event could take place, and, knowing the basic techniques of the US, it is difficult to assume that the Allies would attack the Soviet Union in bad autumn or winter months.In the spring of invasion it was also considered unlikely due to the instability of the weather.So summer.Intelligence provided by the Abwehr, was confirmed by massive transportation technology.Bombers B-17 and B-24 exploded view brought to the islands by the courts, "Liberty", as the tanks "Sherman" and in addition to these offensive weapons from overseas to come and other goods: food, medicine, fuel and lubricants, ammunition, marine transport facilities and more.Hide as a large-scale movement of military equipment and personnel is virtually impossible.Questions from the German Command had only two: "When?" And "Where?".
Not where waiting
Channel - the bottleneck of water between the British "meynlendom" and Europe.It was here that the German generals began to landing, if decided on it.This is logical and conforms to the rules of military science.But that's why General Eisenhower completely rule out the English Channel, planning "Overlord".The operation was to be a complete surprise to the German High Command, otherwise there was a considerable risk of a military fiasco.Defend the coast in any case much easier than to storm it.Fortifications "Atlantic Wall" created in advance for all the previous years of war, work began immediately after the occupation of the northern part of France, and were carried out with the involvement of population in the occupied countries.They have acquired a special intensity after Hitler realized that the inevitable opening of the Second Front.1944 was marked by the arrival of the alleged landing of Allied troops of Field Marshal Rommel, who respectfully styled Führer the "desert fox", then its "African lion".This military expert spent a lot of energy to improve the fortifications, which, as time has shown, practically not useful.The great merit of this American and British intelligence services and other soldiers "invisible front" allied forces.
deceive Hitler
success of any military operation is largely dependent on the element of surprise and promptly created the military concentration than the correlation of forces of the opposing sides.The second front should open on the stretch of coast where the invasion was expected least.Features of the Wehrmacht in France were limited.Most of the German armed forces led the fighting against the Red Army, trying to keep it offensive.The war moved from the territory of the USSR in the space of Eastern Europe, it is under threat of oil supply system from Romania, but without gasoline all military equipment turned into a pile of useless metal.The situation is reminiscent of chess tsuntsvang when almost any move led to irreparable consequences, and even more wrong.It was impossible to make a mistake, but German staff still made the wrong conclusions.This is due to many actions of Allied intelligence, including - and planned "leak" misinformation, and various measures to mislead the Abwehr agents and air reconnaissance.There were even made models of transport vessels stationed in the ports, far from the actual download.
ratio of military factions
No battle in the history of mankind took place according to plan, there are always unexpected circumstances that prevent this."Overlord" - operation, plan long and carefully, repeatedly postponed for various reasons, which was not an exception.However, the two main components, determine its overall success, yet managed to keep: the landing enemy remained unknown until the day "D", and the balance of power has developed in favor of the attackers.The landing and subsequent hostilities on the continent participated 1,600,000 Allied soldiers.Against 6 thousand. 700 German guns Anglo-American forces could use 15 thousand. The.Tanks they had 6000 and 2000 the Germans only one hundred and sixty aircraft "Luftwaffe" was extremely difficult to intercept almost eleven thousand Allied aircraft, including, in fairness it should be noted, most of the vehicles were "Douglas" (but there were many "Flying Fortresses "and" Liberators "and" Mustang "and" Spitfire ").Armada of 112 ships could withstand only five German cruisers and destroyers.Quantitative advantage was only German submarines, but by the time the means to combat them, the Americans have reached a high level.
Normandy Beaches
use French geographical concepts of the US military did not, they seemed jaw-.As the names of the military operations were coded sections of the coast, called beaches.They have identified four: Gold, Omaha, Juno and Sword.Their sand were killed many Allied soldiers, but the command did everything possible to minimize losses.July 6 eighteen thousand paratrooper (Airborne Division Two) were planted with a DC-3 aircraft, and by gliders.This scale is not known previous wars, like the rest of World War II.The opening of a second front was accompanied by a powerful artillery preparation and air bombardment of defensive structures, infrastructure and locations of the German troops.Actions paratroopers in some cases, have not been very successful in landing happened dispersion of forces, but it is of great importance had.Went to the shore of the court, they covered the ship artillery, by the end of the day on the bank were already 156,000 soldiers and 20 thousand. Of military vehicles of various types.The bridgehead had dimensions of 70 by 15 kilometers (on average).As of June 10, this band has been unloaded more than 100 thous. Tons of military cargo and troop concentrations reached almost a third of a million people.Despite the huge losses (for the first day they were about ten thousand), three days later a second front was opened.It has become obvious and indisputable fact.
development success
In order to continue the liberation of Nazi-occupied territories were required not only the soldiers and equipment.War consumes every day, hundreds of tons of fuel, ammunition, food and medicines.She gives the warring countries and hundreds of thousands of wounded to be treated.Expeditionary Force, lacking supplies, doomed.
After the second front was opened, it became apparent advantage of the American economy.Allied troops had no problems with timely delivery of all necessary, but this required ports.They were captured very quickly, was the first French Cherbourg, he took on 27 June.
recovered from the first surprise attack, the Germans, however, were in no hurry to admit defeat.Already in the middle of the month they first used the V-1 - prototype of cruise missiles.Despite the scarcity of opportunities Reich Hitler found the resources for mass production of V-2 ballistic.Bombardment London (1100 missile strikes), and located on the mainland and use allies to supply troops port of Antwerp and Liege (nearly 1,700 FAA two types).Meanwhile Normandy beachhead expanded (up to 100 km) and deepened (up to 40 km).It deployed 23 air bases capable of receiving all types of aircraft.The number of staff has increased to 875 thousand.Create conditions for development in the offensive side of the border in Germany, why and open a second front.Date overall victory approaching.
Failures allies
Anglo-American air force carried out massive raids on the territory of Nazi Germany, dropping to cities, factories, railway junctions and other objects tens of thousands of tons of bomb load.To resist this avalanche in the second half of 1944 the Luftwaffe pilots could not.Over the entire period of the liberation of France, the Wehrmacht suffered a loss of half a million, and the allied forces - only 40 thousand dead (plus more than 160 thousand. Injured).Nazi tank forces were only a hundred combat-ready tanks (the Americans and the British - 2000).For every German aircraft accounted for 25 alliance.And there were no more reserves.Two hundred thousand Nazi group was blocked in the west of France.In the context of the overwhelming superiority of the German army's invasion often hung out the white flag before the artillery barrage.But quite often there were cases and stubborn resistance, as a result of which destroys dozens, even hundreds of tanks allies.
18-25 July English (8th) and Canadian (2nd) of the body met with well-fortified German positions, their attack bogged down, prompting Marshal Montgomery further argued that the impact was false and distracting.
annoying incidental consequence of the high firepower of US forces began the loss of so-called "friendly fire", when troops were suffering from their own shells and bombs.
In December the Wehrmacht to take serious counter-offensive in the Ardennes salient, which culminated in a partial success, but strategically has little to solve.
results of operations and war
After World War II began, the participating countries change over time.Some stopped hostilities, while others have developed them.Some sided with his former enemies (like Romania, for example), others simply capitulated.There were even states formally supported Hitler, but never spoke against the Soviet Union (Bulgaria and Turkey).Invariably remained the main opponents of the participants in the war of 1941-1945, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Britain (they fought even longer, from 1939).France, too, was among the winners, but Field Marshal Keitel, signing the surrender, could not resist the ironic comments on the matter.
There is no doubt that the Norman landing of allied troops and the subsequent actions of the armies of the United States, Britain, France and other countries have contributed to the defeat of Nazism and the destruction of the criminal political regime, did not hide his anti-human essence.But compare these certainly deserve respect efforts of the Eastern Front battles very difficult.It was against the Soviet Union led Hitlerism all-out war, the purpose of which was the complete destruction of the population, which also declared the official documents of the Third Reich.The more respect and deserve our blessed memory of the Great Patriotic War, to fulfill their duty in far more difficult conditions than their Anglo-American brothers in arms.
