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D-Day Beaches

D-Day: The Sacrifice and Preparation That Paid Off
On June 6, 1944 the largest amphibious assault in history took place. On the morning of the Invasion of Normandy, beaches in the area of Cotentin, France, were bombarded with over 5,000 tons of bombs, destroying anti-invasion equipment and de-mining many areas. The official British history says: "Never has any coast suffered what a tortured strip of French coast suffered that morning." Following the bombardment over 100,000 soldiers swam ashore (Normandy), 11,700 paratroopers were dropped (D-Day) to secure Normandy Beach, and the casualties from the allied forces during the invasion were numbered in the tens of thousands. There was much preparation done and much sacrificed to lead up to the success of D-Day for the allied forces.
The casualties for the invasion were extensive. Five thousand, four hundred and thirty-six paratroopers were either killed or wounded (D-Day). Fifty-seven thousand prisoners were taken (Kemp), 57,200 soldiers were dead and 173,000 were wounded or missing (Battle of Normandy).
Deceiving the Germans was an important factor in the preparations for D-Day. German forces were misled into believing that the attack was to take place at Pas de Calais. First, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, created a fictitious
1st Army Group, which would be based in Dover, just across the channel from Pas de Calais.
Inflatable tanks and vehicles were placed in Dover, and a harbor containing an armada of inflatable rafts were constructed in the area. Known enemy spies were informed of the supposed state of the forces. Naval maneuvers were performed off the area's coast by the allies, and radio trafficking was manipulated so that German intelligence would suspect a major military force was organizing. Before the invasion, more bombs were dropped on Pas de Calais than anywhere else off the coast of France. By the time the invasion took place, the German's were so
convinced...