D-Day: Hope Triumphs

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Image by Eveline de Bruin from Pixabay

June 6^th is the 76th anniversary of D-Day. This was a turning point in World War 2. Allied forces (prominently American, British, and Canadian) stormed the beaches of Normandy, in northwestern France. So began the operation to stop Nazi aggression.

The Allies forged a military victory against tremendous odds. The triumph of hope and perseverance is just as uplifting. In this article, we’ll examine a few of the barriers the warriors faced.

 (Information partly taken from the TV series, Expedition Unknown.)

The Chaotic “Dress Rehearsal”

Theater enthusiasts believe a bad dress rehearsal (final practice before the performance) means the actual show will be great. D-Day was no exception.

The Allies did a test run off the eastern coast of England. “Operation Tiger” took place about two months before the actual Normandy landing.  Due to poor communication, Allies shot at their own team members. Nazi submarines were also able to get close enough to attack.

Allied Command tightened up the communication lines within the next two months. Each person understood his role.

Keeping the Location Secret

Normandy is not a major port. It’s cold, secluded, and difficult to access. Calais, on the other hand, is a major landing spot. It’s further south on the western coast of France.

Allied Command played mind games with the Nazis. Hitler couldn’t get solid information on the proposed location of the landing. Calais was the most likely choice, but was it too obvious? U.S General George Patton led an operation to make the Nazis think he was training troops to descend on Calais. See more on amazing Operation Quicksilver here.

The terrain

Pictured above are the beaches of the province of Normandy. Obviously, this is no comfortable, tropical shoreline. A few feet of sand was usually all that stood between the water and the sheer cliffs.

There was no place to hide. The Nazis on top of the cliffs easily shot and killed many of the advancing soldiers. The U.S. Army Rangers had the toughest job. These specialists had to climb the sheer overhangs to locate and disable the Nazi bunkers where the big guns (field cannon) were.

Equipment

Contemporary ships and boats couldn’t transport troops into shallow water and land them on the flat beaches. A man named Andrew Higgins came up with a solution. The Higgins Boat was named after its creator.

Maisy Battery

Not only were the Nazis shooting from hidden bunkers on the clifftops. Recently, experts discovered a huge outpost about two miles inland from the beaches. Six long-range heavy guns (Howitzers) were still aimed directly at the beaches. This huge machine-gun complex is named Maisy Battery.

My Conclusion

Danny Gokey, Hope in Front of Me (Official Lyric Video)

What battles have you won against ridiculous odds?