4. ‘D’ Day and the liberation of France

Question 1

Background:

what was axis power facing by mid 1943?

Answer 1

defeat

Question 2

Background:

why was axis power facing defeat?

Answer 2

Rommel driven out of North Africa, Allies had upper hand in the Battle of Atlantic

Question 3

Background:

when and what was decided at Washington Conference?

Answer 3

May 1943

decision to invade France made

Question 4

Background: who was appointed supreme Allied Commander of ‘Operation Overlord’?

Answer 4

US General Eisenhower

Question 5

Background: why were Russians unsatisfied?

Answer 5

their loss ran into millions, Stalin questioned Western courage on numerous occasions and suspected Western powers wanted to see the Nazis and Communists destroy each other

Question 6

Background: what happened at Tehran Conference and when?

Answer 6

September 1943

Churchill and Roosevelt promised Stalin that they would launch an invasion of France in 1944

Question 7

Background: what commenced once Allied naval and air supremacy assured?

Answer 7

plans for Operation Overlord, the liberation of France and the advance into Germany commenced

Question 8

Background: what did Britain become?

Answer 8

became staging post where plans were finalised and attempts were made to keep operation secret

Question 9

Preparations for D-Day: what were Allied faced with?

Answer 9

‘Atlantic Wall’

Question 10

Preparations for D-Day:

what is ‘Atlantic Wall’?

Answer 10

a series of defences stretching from Spain to Norway

Question 11

Preparations for D-Day:

why did Atlantic Wall exist?

Answer 11

the Germans were expecting an attack but unsure as to where it would occur, so spread their defensive forces

Question 12

Preparations for D-Day:

what did Allies do to counter the defensive wall?

Answer 12

leaked fall intelligence information that Germans could pick up; phoney armies and squadrons were gathered in places away from real embarkation points

Question 13

Preparations for D-Day:

what did Allies do to ensure their success in taking out Germans?

Answer 13

• made harbours to carry troops, tanks and supplies
• flexible pipelines to provide Allied forces with oil
• tracking of German radar systems

Question 14

D-Day: when?

Answer 14

6 June 1944

Question 15

D-Day:

why was invasion delayed?

Answer 15

bad weather

Question 16

D-Day:

how many Allied troops in France by July?

Answer 16

more than a million

Question 17

D-Day:

Basil Hart on positive of their delay?

Answer 17

“…the very toughness of the resistance that so much delayed the allies’ breakout ensured them a clear path through France once they broke out”

Question 18

D-Day:

Andrew Roberts on significance of delay?

Answer 18

“…the delay of ‘Overlord’ was arguably…Churchill’s most important single contribution to allied victory.”

Question 19

D-Day:

landing areas?

Answer 19

Sword (British), Juno (Canadian and British), Gold (British), Omaha (US) and Utah (US)

Question 20

D-Day:

what did the assault involve?

Answer 20

two million men (by liberation of Paris), 12 000 aircraft, 139 warships, 221 combat vessels, 4 000 landing craft, 805 merchant ships and smaller naval craft

Question 21

D-Day:

what did British airborne divisions seize?

Answer 21

River Orne (in Normandy)

Question 22

D-Day:

Aerial bombardment followed by…?

Answer 22

massive warship barrage against Germans

Question 23

D-Day:

Landings at Sword, Juno, Gold and Utah achieved ?

Answer 23

achieved well with light casualties and German counter attacks being beaten

Question 24

D-Day:

What was happening to Americans at landing at Omaha?

Answer 24

pinned down

3 000 casualties on first day

Question 25

D-Day:

outcome?

Answer 25

Allies had lost 9 000 men with 61 000 wounded

Question 26

D-Day:

the condition of D’Day by J.E. Lewis?

Answer 26

“Men were hit as they came down the ramps of the landing craft…and many more were killed or injured by the mines attached to beach obstacles”

Question 27

D-Day:

what were men subject to once land on beach according to the quote?

Answer 27

to heavy aerial bombardment from pill boxes and cliffs

Question 28

The Liberation of France:

when did Allies commence breakout from Normandy?

Answer 28

late July

Question 29

The Liberation of France:

what happened within 6 weeks?

Answer 29

Within 6 weeks, Paris liberated, Germans driven out of France and allies reached Belgium

Question 30

The Liberation of France:

battle of Falaise (August)

Answer 30

50,000 captured, 10,000 killed. American forces encircle German forces in ‘Falaise pocket’

Question 31

The Liberation of France:

how and when was Paris liberated?

Answer 31

Workers in Paris went on strike and joined by police, Hitler order Paris to be levelled - Von Choltitz surrenders Paris to the French on the 25th August, Paris was liberated

Question 32

The Liberation of France:

campaign to retake france took?

Answer 32

7 weeks

Question 33

The Liberation of France:

outcome of campaign to retake France?

Answer 33

400,000 Germans dead and 200,000 Allied soldiers dead

Question 34

The Liberation of France:

what helped Allies succeed in liberating France? (QUOTE)

Answer 34

R Thompson “first 24 hours were decisive, poor reconnaissance, bad communication, blocked radar and Hitler’s interference hindered the Germans”