Why Was D-day Succesful?

[Gnomey]

np were are glad to help, I hope u take note of all the information and points that have been mentioned and gd luck with ur project.

[angie999]

First, I do wish that posters would use proper English in their posts.

Second, the subject in hand.

The advice to read some good books on this or any complex subject in history is correct, because the answers to simple questions like these are often far from simple.

If I was to give a summary of my views on the subject, it would probably need an essay of several thousand words, which I am not prepared to write at the drop of a hat. As a minimum, in preparation I would probably want to re-read, or at least review, my old notes on the subject and at least three of the books on the shelf next to me as I write.

Now if we decided to have a serious discussion on the subject commencing, say, on 1 January, then I might put the time and effort into doing this.

But what I cannot do and will not try is reduce my views to a couple of paragraphs for a quick forum post.

I am not suggesting such a discussion. As this subject has been topical this year, I have taken part in a few discussions already and probably feel it is time to move on to new pastures.

[Kiwiwriter]

The reason for D-Day's success are unbelievably vast and range in everything from the Allies' ability to create artificial harbors to the German use of Russian and Polish POWs as combat troops. There are so many reasons, it's hard to single them out. I think one of the biggest factors has to be that faced with the invasion the Germans had long been awaiting and dreading, they froze. That can be attributed in turn to many factors, among them the successfull Allied deception operations and weaknesses in the German command structure, which for that decision emphasized buck-passing. But there are still many, many, more reasons: the British "funny" tanks, Allied air and naval supremacy, detailed Allied planning and preparation, the resiliency of the paratroopers, resolution of the men on the beaches, it just goes on and on.

[laufer]

Originally posted by Kiwiwriter@Nov 1 2004, 06:04 PM
The reason for D-Day's success are unbelievably vast and range in everything from the Allies' ability to create artificial harbors to the German use of Russian and Polish POWs as combat troops.

Quoted post

These are details but I believe the soviet POWs were mainly Caucasian volunteers and the Poles were conscripts from territories incorporated into the Third Reich in 1939 - not the POWs.

As for me, the D-DAY is a great logistical victory in the first place.

[Kiwiwriter]

Originally posted by laufer+Nov 5 2004, 05:04 AM-->

These are details but I believe the soviet POWs were mainly Caucasian volunteers and the Poles were conscripts from territories incorporated into the Third Reich in 1939 - not the POWs.

As for me, the D-DAY is a great logistical victory in the first place.

Quoted post

[/b]

My information, which was Cornelius Ryan and Stephen Ambrose, was that the Polish troops were POWs, but it's more likely they were conscripted from the portions of Poland that were made German gaus after 1939. Many Soviet POWs joined the Germans basically to eat. German rations for Soviet POWs were less than starvation. The Soviet POWs were "Hilfsfriewilligers," which made them initially noncombatant aides...cooks, grooms, drivers, farriers, and so on. As the war heated up, they either took up or were issued arms to fight. Eventually whole "Ost" battalions were formed to fill up TO&Es of German infantry divisions, after the reorganization that cut most down to two-battalion regiments. Numbers of these consisted of POWs but many also of defectors from a variety of nationalities that were eager to fight Stalin. An entire Cossack Cavalry Corps existed on paper, its various actual regiments farmed out to German divisions fighting Yugoslavian partisans. The 162nd Turkoman Division fought much of its war against the 2nd New Zealand Division in Italy. There were a lot of other Russian outfits...Don Kossack cavalry regiments and such. Late in the war, the Germans created RONA, a Russian National Army, under General Andrei Vlasov, and these guys revolted against their German masters in the battle for Prague in May 1945. Most of them wound up getting shipped back to Russia and Stalin executed them as traitors.

[sonae77]

Thank you very much guys.
The next thing I would like to know is about the allied deception operations that kiwiwriter metioned before. since i have first read this, i have been looking for infomation on that piticular subject but i have come up a bit short.
the books i have found have a little bit here and ther on the deception but not enough info. for me to be able to but it in any sizable paragraph.
so can anyone can help me? thanks

[sapper]

Why is it that when ever Normandy is mentioned it is always acoompanied by remarks like the Crappy opposition, Well, I was there and if you have a look at the opposition, name them properly, and then it will become very plain that they were far from Crappy.

Lets start off (excuse th spelling of German names) Leibstandarten Adolph HItler Hitlers personal "SS Panzer Diviision Number one SS div" .....Number two SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" 21st Panzer. The toughest of all! the 12th SS Hitler youth Panzer Division. You can fill in the rest and some high quality SS units there were.
Sapper

[sapper]

If you want to know about the deception? then get in touch. Sapper

[Kiwiwriter]

There's a new book out on D-Day deceptions, and I suddenly can't remember its name. However, "Bodyguard of Lies," by Anthony Cave Brown, and a small book named "Masquerade," whose author's name escapes me, will help. Most of the recent D-Day books have a lot about the deceptions. "Masquerade" is in the bibliography of my WW2 web page. The others will go up sometime this week, God willing.