observer Posted June 5, 2013 Report Share Posted June 5, 2013 Quite a few progs covering this event at the moment - the largest amphibious invasion in history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 5, 2013 Report Share Posted June 5, 2013 I bet Kije is gutted we won.... he would loved to have been a "real" European Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 More important for me as it was the late in-laws wedding anniversary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 It maybe hindsight but I could never understand why the Germans never sussed that the invasion would be in Normandy. OK, the allies carried out a brilliant deception plan with operation Fortitude, with a make believe Army Group under Gen Patton threatening the Pas de Calais; and the Germans own lack of experience of amphibious warfare would tend to focus them on the shortest crossing route; but there were only two landing areas within allied fighter range; the Pas de Calais being too obvious, should have led to the Germans reinforcing the Normandy sector, which they could easily have done by a threefold increase in troops defending the area. In which case success would have been problematic and the outcome could have meant the Russians reaching Paris before us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 They had a huge coastline to defend, were fighting on two fronts with depleted resources and the troops on the ground were probably beoming complacent having been carousing with the locals for so long (see 'Allo 'Allo ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 Considering the usual undeserved and misinformed anti-American comments that usually abound on this forum, how about a high five for the US on this one ? Nice to read you again Obs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 No question Stall, that the men and material supplied by the US, made victory possible; the highest five must go to the Russians, as the casualty figures show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stallard12 Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 I thought that the topic was D-Day Obs. Almost 7000 US casuaties on the beaches and as I remember, and I was in a postion to remember, many Canadians but not many Russians. Bear in mind that, as usual, the Americans were 'helping', not desparately defending their homeland. Like it or not, they died for you (and at the time, me) without any territorial ambitions. I don't minimize any of the contributions made by any of the allies including Russians, although they did have and were driven by territorial ambitions, but I hate it when a European 'thankyou' has to be forced out of a protesting, strangled throat. And I haven't even mentioned the Marshall Plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 No Stall, the Russians were fighting and dying on the Eastern Front, tying up the bulk and the best of the German Army; so we could face second rate Infantry in Normandy. True, the worst casualties were taken on Omaha Beach by the Yanks; but note: they refused to use the "funnies" (AVREs) offered by the Brits, to overcome the mines and beach obstacles; and the 32 DD tanks assigned to them, were launched too far out (by some cowardly idiot) with most drowning. The Navy and Airforce also failed to bomb the beach to provide craters for cover for the Infantry. The US Generals were critical of Montgomery and British caution (derived from WW1 casualty rates); and tended to be more aggressive and comparatively reckless when it came to losses (but they had the men and were late arrivals to the conflict). I'm not sure the US didn't have "territorial ambitions", as the reformation of the post war world in their image demonstrates. As for the Marshall Plan, that was aimed at the Germans (not sure whether they paid you back?); we on the other hand paid back every penny of Lend Lease over 60 years, with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy51 Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 I know my mother contributed to something called post war credits which i believe was an extra tax to help to fund US help, with the proviso that she would be repaid with interest after the war. She still hadn't received a penny when she died in 1967 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 I bet Kije is gutted we won.... he would loved to have been a "real" European No Baz I am very glad we won, and I continue to fight metaphorically against ignorance and prejudice on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted June 7, 2013 Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 No Baz I am very glad we won, and I continue to fight metaphorically against ignorance and prejudice on here I haven't seen you fighting El Tea, where and when is your next fight, I'll come and watch, we could get a forum trip up and make a day of it, how you fixed lads, El Tea v ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2013 Feather dusters at 10 yards ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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