Perhaps the most significant turning point in the 20^th Century, maybe even in the history of modern man was the amphibious landing at Normandy, France 6^th of June 1944. A battle that was so crucial that supplies, men, and material had been stock piling since 1941 braving the dangerous waters of the Atlantic as the German U-Boats patrolled and torpedoed Allied shipping! Entire divisions of fake rubber tanks, troop trucks, and jeeps were fabricated so that German reconnaissance flights would be misled to anticipate the potential landing to be at Pas de Calais, the closest point to Great Britain from across the English Channel.

The war of intelligence

Allied intelligence hope to convince the Nazis of two things 1) That a huge build-up of armored vehicles, troop carriers, and artillery were being stock piled for a landing at the nearest beaches of France from England 2) That this task force would be under command of General George S. Patton, whom the Germans feared! Yet, little did they know that Patton was being held back due to an incident where he disrespected a foot soldier suffering from combat exhaustion.

Situation was in doubt

Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of all Allied Forces, wrote a letter of resignation hours before the invasion in the event that his plans failed. He was that unsure whether or not Allied amphibious operations would succeed! As it turned out, the invasion did manage to overwhelm Erwin Rommel’s plans to defend the Normandy Beaches along with the entire French coast without being driven into the sea by German Panzer and Tiger tank formations that were held in the reserve. This had allowed Americans, British, and Canadian forces to gain a foothold on the beaches and get essential supplies and ammunition underway to the soldiers who were already moving into the interior of France against stiff German resistance.

Desperate hours of battle

In a single day the Allies managed to get almost 150,000 troops on the beaches along with 900 pieces of artillery, tanks, and jeeps to keep the forward movement of the offensive viable. In that first day of desperate fighting some 1,200 soldiers fell giving their lives and leaving the waters on the beach the color of the blood they spilled as the price that was paid in order to overcome beach fortifications that had been carefully constructed by the Nazis in anticipation of this fateful date in history. Naval destroyers and cruisers had to come within range of the German shore batteries in support of the beleaguered troops who almost became stymied at the waterfront until naval guns could pound the heavy concrete emplacements and rescue the wounded.

Far reaching implications on the beaches

As a matter of fact, several ship commanders brought their vessels in close to the Normandy shore in violation of orders to pick up the wounded and to fire at close range upon the pill boxes and bunkers where deadly machine gun fire rained down upon the troops! The scene was one of the bloodiest imaginable in World War II, but was essential in stopping the Nazis before they developed a V-2 rocket that could carry atomic war heads. Had the Nazis had time to perfect their heavy water experiments and develop the first A-Bomb! Had this happened and with the V-2 rocket to carry it, the outcome of the war would have been in grave doubt!

Prayers for our men in harm’s way

Hours before the landings at Normandy, FDR and many other public figures held national radio prayers for the success of the Allies against the Nazi war machine, as many were seriously doubtful after many desperate years of warfare, if the Axis forces could be defeated. Just as the Allies met tough resistance on the shores of France, was the war in the Pacific being waged as well.

The most important tool of the infantry?

Later on, General George S. Patton was asked what he thought was the greatest weapon of the war that he thought was a game changer. Surprisingly, with all the great weapons developed to defeat the Axis powers such as the F-6F Hellcat Fighter, the B-29 Super Fortress Bomber, the M-4 Sherman tank, and so many others, he replied that it was the M-1 Garand infantry rifle with what would be the NATO 7.62 standard ammunition round in the near future. A semi-automatic long rifle with 8 bullet magazines and long range accuracy, allowing American infantry to project superior firepower upon the enemy! Unlike the bolt action Springfield of World War One, the Garand was relatively light, durable, and with 8 rounds, a deadly offensive weapon! 

Summation

There is so much more to the war that I could cover, but that would require incredible length, however these are just a few reasons that America succeeded in liberating a war torn world that could very well have fallen into the hands of Nazi Germany! We salute all who gave their lives and their allegiance to this cause. Unfortunately, mankind has a very short memory when it comes to repeating the mistakes of the past as Russia and Ukraine continue their bloody conflict, while NATO and the Democrats foolishly attempt to threaten Russia and broaden the war.