Today is the 80th anniversary of the Allies D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. I highly recommend this book as an excellent reference to this stage of WWII.
Excerpt -
Eisenhower, despite his nervous state and the appalling responsibility heaped upon him, wisely adopted a philosophical attitude. He had been selected to make the final decisions, so make them he must and face the consequences.
The biggest decision, as he knew only too well, was almost upon him. Quite literally, the fate of many thousands of his soldiers’ lives rested upon it.
Without telling even his closest aides, Eisenhower prepared a brief statement to be made in the event of failure:
“The landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold, and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air, and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”
Hitler was in a confident mood. He longed for the enemy to come, certain that an Allied invasion would be smashed on the Atlantic Wall.
The Atlantic Wall, which supposedly stretched from Norway to the Spanish frontier, was more a triumph of propaganda for home consumption than a physical reality. Hitler had once again fallen victim to his own regime’s self-deception.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, like many senior officers in doubt of Hitler’s strategy at this time, did not forget Frederick the Great’s dictum: “He who defends everything, defends nothing”.
The ferocious offensive known today as “The Battle of Normandy” eventually led to the liberation of Paris on August 25, 1944, and, ultimately, the defeat of Nazi Germany, ending their stranglehold over Europe in May 1945.
Thanks for reading!