What would you put D-Day's success down to?

Let us see here, air power supremacy (allies), sea power supremacy (allies), code breaking supremacy (allies), co-ordination supremacy between allied combatants east and west (allies), resistance insurgency hindering Nazi efforts (advantage allies), misinformation supremacy through double agent "spies" (allies), operational superior planning and application (allies), logistial preparation supremacy (allies).

Some "luck" applies, but not so much as to make the operation a "no-go", or failure. It was a "near run thing", but in less than two days an Atlantic Wall which had taken the Nazis years to build, was breached, broken and left behind.

 

I met the day the allies attacked their was no real german armor in the area hit kept in calis which was no where near the beach head.

 

O and yup I heard of Wittman great tiger commander was kill in an attack on a brtish held hill can't remember the name of it (hill 137?). His battle group was ambushed enroute to the target and his tank took hits from fireflys hit his side armor killing him In his tank.

 

Code-breaking and intelligence, by tricking the Germans with 6 potential landing areas.

And the will of the troops and leaders to fight on in such a dangerous situation.

 

A major factor would be the allies gaining the upper hand in the battle of the Altantic. Without the constant shipments of food, ammo, equipement, troops, oil etc..being transported to England from Canada, the US and from other countries, the invasion would have never been able to be pulled off.

 

There were reasons as to why the armour was kept of the beaches, had it been there it would have certainly been targeted by the naval guns, and they would have suffered the same fate as the Bunkers and what not.

 

The German strategic problem was that Rommel wanted to hit the enemy on the beaches, von Rundstedt in the inner country area, and the command of tanks were divided between the three: ones commanded by Rommel, Rundstedt and Hitler, the last of which had the final word of their usage.

 

Rommle was not stupid he would had hide then the bocage country or somthing.

 

Well how are going to attack the beachhead if you just go hide in the woods?

 

what the bocage was not far from the american beaches.

 

Probably the two key factors for operational success during D-Day was the allied utilisation of air power and the contradictions in German plannings. However, the plan succeeded because the allies applied lessons they had learnt in the Med and produced a coherent plan that played to their strenght in material and firepower.

Ross

 

I'd have to go with man-power. German forces were attempting to defend an huge amount of coastland, and as a result they were spread out. Consequently troops had to be stationed throughout mainland France in order to move to the front when the invasion actually came, as it was risky to commit to a particular area.
The allies had a huge advantage in that they could concentrate such a large amount of men on a relatively small area of coastline. (small in proportion to the amount Germany was attempting to cover) Although deception (airborne drops, fake armies etc) was very effective, their ablility to overwhealm the defenses was what did it for them. Thus, they could establish a beach-head before significant opposition could arrive.

 

Within the first 24 hours elements of the 21st Panzer division launched a strike between Juno and Sword beaches but were driven back. Naval gunfire simply beats tanks. Look at the landings at Salerno: yes they were bloody but the presence of German armor did not stop the Allies from creating a beach head and pushing inland.

 

I have heard it both ways, that Rommel's forward defense was either going to crush the Allies on the beach, or expose his panzers to the pulverizing naval fire of the Allied fleet. What do you guys think?

And anyone has anything definitive on who was responsible for expanding Overlord from a three-beachs landing to five and assaulting three airborne divisions? Americans say it was Ike and Brits say its Monty, though both agree that whoever came up with it, the proposal was immediately agreed upon by the other and the pair went ahead to force the adaption of the revised plan. More info?

 

I think the biggest factor was Allied Air Superiority. The Allies had total control of the skies over the landing zones. Neither the ships or landing craft were threatened from the air.

Also, if Hitler had adopted Rommel's defensive plans, the landing may have been more costly. Once they achieved a foothold in France the result was always going to be an Allied victory, it was just a matter of time.

 

logistics with a bit of guts stuck on the end

 

Indeed the landings would have been more costly but the campaign as a whole may not have been. If most of the German forces are eaten up in the first day or so the breakout may have come much quicker.

 

But at the same time, the amount of troops defending on the first day may have been enough to push the allies back, not allowing them a foothold.

 

But, the 21st Panzer did inflict substantial damange and presented enough of a speed bump that the Germans were able to build up around Caen to fight Field Marshal Montognmery to a standstill. Omaha, in the words of Russel Weigley, "was very nearly a disaster." The 352d Infantry Division alone almost caused enough alarm for Omar Bradley to contempolate a withdraw. What would have happend if the Germans had panzers?

I think the Allies would have brokethrough regardless of German disposition as long as they maintained the strategic surprise of assaulting the main force into Normandy. But I am fascinated by the question of who was right? Runesdet's defense in depth? Or Rummel's forward deployment?

 

If there were that many troops there then there's a very good chance the alllies would know and call off the invasion. The problem for the Germans trying to drive the allies off the beaches is the huge amount of artillery in the form of naval support they are facing. Going over to the offence exposes them to a much greater extent to this and the overwhelming amount of airsupport availalbe. I suspect the best they could have done would have been to have got the plug pulled on Omaha but the price they paid would have been pretty much their entire reserve leaving the other beaches in postion for a much earleir breakout and the Germans lacking transport for any sort of reasonable well ordered retreat.