Most Important Aspect Of D-day

[sonae77]

hello
i need some peoples point of views on the events of D-Day. What I wanna know is what do you think was the most important event or aspect of D-day that the allies could not have done without. ex. the deception, the landing areas, the timing, number of men, ect.
if u got any questions of what im asking please conatact me.
Thanks everyone

[Gnomey]

I don't think there was a specific reason for success of D-Day, I believe it was a combination of a number of factors. I think these are: the deception (without this success I believe it would have been a lot harder); the Mulberry's (the capabilities of the allies to land vast volumes of equipment onto the beaches without the need of a harbour, which the Germans expected them to need); the timing (the fact that Rommel expected them at high tide not low tide) and finally an element of luck (and air and naval superiority)

[Kiwiwriter]

I think that the major factor was that the Allies properly planned the invasion. When one compares D-Day's relative efficiency with the chaos of earlier assaults: Gallipoli, Norway, Madagascar, Torch, Salerno, Guadalcanal, and Tarawa. For the most part, the invasion of Normandy went as planned. Casualties were a lot lower than Churchill and other Allied leaders feared. Despite difficulties -- a scattered airborne assault in the Cotentin, hitting the wrong beach at Utah, the savagery at Omaha, by day's end, all the invading forces had consolidated their ground and were moving inland.

[Dpalme01]

The sheer mass of men definitely helped, but they could not be used effectively without the total coordination, the comradery, the individual bravery, the heroic acts and the obedience of all the men.

[sapper]

Sword Beach.
The most heavily defended invasion area.

What is not realised by the younger generation, was the hugely vital part played by the Royal Engineers that paved the way for the invasion to take place.

The tasks set for these assault companies, was to land before the invasion force to clear the beaches of obstacles, to clear a mine free path from the beaches and to remove no matter who, or what, anyhting that stood in the way, by way of enemy defences.

Anything that posed a danger to the incoming forces, was to be removed. Gun points, Strong points “Anything” A monumental task when the depth of the beach defences was taken into consideration.

All of this was to take place before the arrival of the leading elements of the main invasion force.

Some of these teams were described as “Gapping Teams” others as “Assault mine clearing Teams” and “ Assault ‘demolition’ teams”
The units that provided this vital task were as follows;

5 Assault Regiment RE.
629 Field Squadron RE
263 Field Company RE
246 Field Company RE
17 Field Company RE
253 Field Company RE
77 Field Assault Squadron RE
79 Assault Squadron RE
91 Field Company RE

All of these units played an absolutely vital task in preparing the way. Many of them sacrificed their lives to ensure the success of the assault. Sadly, with the knowledge that their sacrifices would never be recognised.

My own companies part, 246 Field Company RE. was recognised in the history of the Royal Engineers, by having a their exploits recorded for all time therein.
I do have a record of the actual deeds carried out by these different Royal Engineers units, at my disposal.

No Hollywood war films were ever made about these real hero’s of the war, their passing was un-noticed. Yet their accomplishments were probably the greatest anywhere on the Normandy invasion coast.
Rest in Peace lads, we owe you everything
Sapper

[Dpalme01]

this is part of your experience, right?

[Dpalme01]

As in you were fighting on the beach.

[sapper]

Yes I am an Ex-member of that company, I am 80, was wounded twice once in Nomandy, alongside the Americans. (About the 8th of August 1944) Once in Nothern Holland, that wounding in Holland was very severe, and caused me to be a 100% war pensioner. That was in November 1944. I took part in every battle from Sword Beach until my departure

I still carry around with me some of those bits and pieces, including one (A steel ball from an "S" mine) lodged in my head.

If you need verification about my background? then I am sure that there are some here on this site that will be only too pleased to oblige. The object of all my writings on the internet? is that my fallen comrades will be remembered
Sapper.

[sapper]

If any one is interested? I will go further with this theme, one of the greatest difficulties in portraying the real sequence of events, is the overweening influence of Hollywood, and sad to say, quite a few Authors who are, or were, more concerned with writing what the reader wants to read, rather than writing the plain unvarnished truth.

I don’t blame them for lining their pockets that way, but over a period of 60 years, and literally hundreds of books, the great majority each quoting the other, with some absolutely “terrible errors” that have continued to be perpetuated as each source is used time and time again. Errors that have no possible connection with actual facts.

Some of those quoted facts are absolutely horrendous in their departure from the true facts. But there, who is there to dispute the power of Hollywood?
Specially when the readers, or audience, dearly wants to read the version that pleases him, or her, the most. Never mind if it has a very tenuous thread with what actually happened
Sapper

[Gnomey]

Go ahead Sapper it would be very interesting to hear what you have to say on the subject as the work of the engineers was crucial to the breaking of 'The Atlantic Wall'