Were the Normandy Landings a Success?
By Jonty Harrison Shell 2 ‘J’ Social
By Jonty Harrison Shell 2 ‘J’ Social
Why Were the Normandy Landings a Success On and Following the 6th June?
Introduction
The question of whether or not the whole of the 2nd Front, or just the landings, was a complete success, is still debated all around Europe today. However, there is one definite fact that the Allies had a victorious to the end of the war. The journey to the victory was tough, and I will be talking about that journey over the next few 1000 words or so. In direct competition, for every success there is a corresponding failure, so I will also look to “the other side” in order to try to understand the much less documented reasons for their failure – which no doubt aided our success. I will look at some of the key personalities on both sides to assess their impact on the outcome.
Background & Sources
I aim to take a balanced view on this subject, and therefore will be looking at sources aimed at both sides.
Preparations
COSSAC
In order to set up the operation that aimed to open a new front in Western Europe, the Allies created a new command composed of various combined operations. These operations, as well as amphibious operations, refer to a new military concept for the leading Allied nations, who discover its unthinkable importance during World War II. The combined operations bureau is led by the “COSSAC” (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander), led by Frederick Morgan.
The reasons for COSSAC were as follows: 1) To choose the exact landing point, 2) To retrieve as much information as possible from the previous leading combined operations (North Africa: “Sledghammer” and “Torch”, and Northern France : “Jubilee”), 3) To deal with the troops transport issues.
Why Normandy?
The COSSAC had to, first of all, define the invasion landing location in Western Europe. The Allied opinions were very divided within each office. The provisional strategy was
By Jonty Harrison Shell 2 ‘J’ Social
Why Were the Normandy Landings a Success On and Following the 6th June?
Introduction
The question of whether or not the whole of the 2nd Front, or just the landings, was a complete success, is still debated all around Europe today. However, there is one definite fact that the Allies had a victorious to the end of the war. The journey to the victory was tough, and I will be talking about that journey over the next few 1000 words or so. In direct competition, for every success there is a corresponding failure, so I will also look to “the other side” in order to try to understand the much less documented reasons for their failure – which no doubt aided our success. I will look at some of the key personalities on both sides to assess their impact on the outcome.
Background & Sources
I aim to take a balanced view on this subject, and therefore will be looking at sources aimed at both sides.
Preparations
COSSAC
In order to set up the operation that aimed to open a new front in Western Europe, the Allies created a new command composed of various combined operations. These operations, as well as amphibious operations, refer to a new military concept for the leading Allied nations, who discover its unthinkable importance during World War II. The combined operations bureau is led by the “COSSAC” (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander), led by Frederick Morgan.
The reasons for COSSAC were as follows: 1) To choose the exact landing point, 2) To retrieve as much information as possible from the previous leading combined operations (North Africa: “Sledghammer” and “Torch”, and Northern France : “Jubilee”), 3) To deal with the troops transport issues.
Why Normandy?
The COSSAC had to, first of all, define the invasion landing location in Western Europe. The Allied opinions were very divided within each office. The provisional strategy was