D-DAY LANDINGS

In the few weeks leading up to D-Day in April & May 1944, a great allied air sweep across Northern France had succeeded beyond expectations. 1,500 of the 2,000 railway engines of Region Nord were immobilised. The whole region had become a “railway desert”, carried out with such skill the enemy remained steadfast in belief the attack would come from the Pas de Calais.

During the same period the enemy’s coastal radar installations were almost completely paralysed.
Preparations had been carefully executed so that by 5th June only one in six of the coastal radar installations between Calais and Brittany still working.

Despite all this, the Allies were well aware that a crossing of the English Channel with an invasion force had not been managed since William the Conqueror 900 years earlier.

Although the vast assembly of ships, planes and troops was ready, it could only be hoped that deception was complete and the enemy remained unaware of the imminent armada approaching its fortified coast.

In May 1944 alarming reports began to reach the Allies that Germans were reinforcing Normandy. Three months earlier Monty’s Intelligence was able to estimate the enemy had no more than 6 Divisions in defence of that Sector. However, by the middle of May it seemed there would be 8 Divisions, with another 4 due by D-Day + 2. It was known that Rommel, famously nicknamed the 'Desert Fox', meant to halt and defeat the Invasion on the beaches...