D-Day - 75th Anniversary

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

[YGIFS 19449]

In roughly two hours time, several hundred Allied bombers will depart for the Nazi-controlled Boulogne-sur-Mer between Normany and Brussels.  Several thousand pounds of bombs will decimate German supply lines that will go to inhibit their ability to maintain their control of Northern France.  In addition it achieves two other objectives-it tests Luftwaffe capability/anti-aircraft defenses in preparation for Overlord.  And it serves to indicate that that very well may serve as their intended landing zone for retaking the continent (given its closer proximity to England).  the runs are woefully effective, and serves as a key piece to Overlord's effectiveness.  

This massive sortie bombing run indicates to Rommel that his inclination about the invasion occurring somewhere between the Schelde and the Somme is imminent, Boulougne-sur-Mer being right in between (roughly).  Some military historians suspect he knew this was a decoy, albeit effective and that he knew the invasion would occur farther down the coast to the SW near Normandy.  That despite his love for his country, he almost in a way, wanted it to be over.  He will perhaps subconsciously, despite the bombing news, acknowledge this belief by being deep asleep tonight and begin making plans tomorrow to travel home to see his family knowing, perhaps more than anyone else in high command, what's about to happen. 

[YGIFS 19449]

At this exact moment (England/normandy time); 80 years ago…the first large barges full of Higgins and Allied equivalents begin to be loaded with assault troops.  They will push off in 30 minutes time, 24 hours ahead of the first beachead assaults and airborne drops.  The first wave will move slower than the rest of the convoy and will need the extra time to tic-tac and avoid u-boat and luftwaffen detection in the dense cloud cover.  Most of the men will be up until the beach landing with little to No rest but 95% of the ships will survive the next 24 hours.  
 

Rommel awakes to shave and enjoy breakfast before setting off to Meet his wife for her birthday the following day.  Before he does so, another ten divisions are ordered in along with a hasty plan to move Luftwaffe corps around the coastline.  
 

tens of thousands of allied and wermacht personnel wake up just now For the last time of their lives. 

[Sbbruin 21829]

8 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

At this exact moment (England/normandy time); 80 years ago…the first large barges full of Higgins and Allied equivalents begin to be loaded with assault troops.  They will push off in 30 minutes time, 24 hours ahead of the first beachead assaults and airborne drops.  The first wave will move slower than the rest of the convoy and will need the extra time to tic-tac and avoid u-boat and luftwaffen detection in the dense cloud cover.  Most of the men will be up until the beach landing with little to No rest but 95% of the ships will survive the next 24 hours.  
 

Rommel awakes to shave and enjoy breakfast before setting off to Meet his wife for her birthday the following day.  Before he does so, another ten divisions are ordered in along with a hasty plan to move Luftwaffe corps around the coastline.  
 

tens of thousands of allied and wermacht personnel wake up just now For the last time of their lives. 

The waves were high. The wind was whipping.  Should we go?  Should we wait?  They wait one day… and the world is at war.

[YGIFS 19449]

I don’t know if you read the brochure, but the world was already at war.   

the decision to push back the bulk of the fleet and airborne drops to 6 June has already been made.  This initial launch is done roughly now/24hrs before main invasion because the plan had been to move them slower and in a more random pattern.  They have the benefit of cloud cover but a few kriegsmarine ships and u-boats still cause trouble.  The first wave of barges manage to communicate undetected with British subs that had submerged days prior and stayed radio silent and managed to avoid detection.  They will begin comms with the first surface wave in a couple of hours indicating where to zig zag given the underwater topography of the 5 landing zones.  Particularly Omaha which will prove the rockiest underwater causing issues for Higgins boats as the armada causes the tide to manipulate smoother landings.  The MG-42’s and 88’s won’t help matters either.  But we are on our way to a successful landing.  

[YGIFS 19449]

0930 in Southern England.  Hundreds of servicemen will spend the next 18 hours fueling an additional 5,000 ships/landing craft and 12,000 aircraft.   Tires filled.  Parachutes checked.  And ammo is distributed.  It will be a very nerve-racking and busy day on the day before Overlord.   
 

The preparations are kept until the last minute to maintain the decoy model.  In a few hours, the armor will begin to be loaded onto the transport ships.  indicating to every Allied personnel that it’s actually happening.  

[Brisketexan 105064]

Getting social media updates from one of the daughters of our Norwegian friends/exchange family.  She's a new member of the Norwegian navy, and she's in Normandy with her ship right now for the ceremonies.  So, hey D-Day veterans, to honor you, we brought a ship full of drop-dead gorgeous Norwegians.  A pretty nice gesture, I think.

[InkaUtexas 25861]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Getting social media updates from one of the daughters of our Norwegian friends/exchange family.  She's a new member of the Norwegian navy, and she's in Normandy with her ship right now for the ceremonies.  So, hey D-Day veterans, to honor you, we brought a ship full of drop-dead gorgeous Norwegians.  A pretty nice gesture, I think.

Will you do that when Texas wins a National Championship? If so I expect them Friday.

[Brisketexan 105064]

Just now, InkaUtexas said:

Will you do that when Texas wins a National Championship? If so I expect them Friday.

My command responsibilities in the Norwegian Navy have been sharply limited since I kept telling them "dudes...sail upriver and sack England again!"

[InkaUtexas 25861]

Just now, Brisketexan said:

My command responsibilities in the Norwegian Navy have been sharply limited since I kept telling them "dudes...sail upriver and sack England again!"

Send them East this time! They fucked up Russia as well.

Gotta read the room man. I thought lawyers knew that.

[tx 3 putt 76870]

Damn good stuff here  ……

 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

I’ll repeat my family’s d day story …..

My grandmother’s brother stormed the Normandy beaches as a 17 yo. Enlisted as a 16 yo in San Antonio, July 4th, 1943. He lied and said he was 18. Marines told him no, Army turned the other eye as he signed up. He trained from that day forward one task, storm the fucking beach and try to stay alive.
 

D Day + 3 Stars and Stripes took his pic and he ended up on the cover. He was injured on D Day + 6 and his war was over. His company was moving through hedge rows and a German machine gun tried like hell to cut him in half. Back to England then Fort Sam for a long hospital stay. My great uncle was a smart and very likable guy, everyone at Fort Sam hospital liked him. When they asked him what he was going to do after being released, he told them he never graduated from hs, shared his real age. They helped him with that, then found him a job on base. He worked there for 50 years. He loved his job and coworkers. 
 

He went on to live a wonderful life in San Antonio. 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

[YGIFS 19449]

Not that I'm in a position to judge, but so many men lied to get out of service.  It still blows me away how many lied to get into service.  It is about 6 mos. from now, 80 years ago, my grand-uncle Steve lies to the U.S. Navy about his age.  He completes BESS (or whatever it was called back then) and gets Submarine duty before I think he even turned 18.  Mostly mop-up duty as the war winds down, as U-Boats return to port with some still being feisty.  Likely would have headed over to the Okinawa/Honshu but they kept his sub group in the Baltic Sea to watch after the Soviets.  Goes on to serve many years and is the last of just a handful of his Sub class still alive and chairs their alumni association to this day.  He comes through San Antonio (via Florida) every couple of years for their reunions.  

A different breed, I suppose...

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

[InkaUtexas 25861]

29 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

29th Infantry. The Blue and the Grey.

[tx 3 putt 76870]

Those guys are having a damn good time ….

 

[YGIFS 19449]

It is because of men like him that Utah went much better than expected.  RIP to his fallen brothers, but damn---great to see him belt one out.  Hope he talks some 70-year old French lass into throwing him some booty tonight.  

[Brisketexan 105064]

8 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

It is because of men like him that Utah went much better than expected.  RIP to his fallen brothers, but damn---great to see him belt one out.  Hope he talks some 70-year old French lass into throwing him some booty tonight.  

Isabelle Huppert is 70....it's really her patriotic duty and privilege....

 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

[YGIFS 19449]

1930hrs in South England.  Eisenhower leaves his temporary HQ at this moment for Newbury to address the 101st Airborne.

Preliminary flight checks have begun on the aircraft that will depart in 3-4 hours time that will carry those paratroopers.  

Another under-appreciated group, 255 Minesweepers make ready right about now to leave port at midnight (surprisingly large number of them Canadian).  They are miraculously successful in clearing the path for the rest of the fleet.  

Thousands and thousands of Allied Troops will have their last supper right about now.  Most of them know it, but they're going in the morning anyway.  

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

15 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

Let’s not forget that he is 96 and this is the 80th anniversary. He’s another that volunteered to fight a war on another continent at age 16. 

[YGIFS 19449]

2 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

-Uh, because of the challenge of getting armor through the Alps?

Well check out the big brain on Brad!  

Edited June 5 by YGIFS

[InkaUtexas 25861]

18 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

Like @YGIFS said, the Alps and damn swiss neutrality. It would also push us kind of close to what Stalin was scared of. The west moving into certain areas.

Plus I think we want to punch the nazi's in the nose.

 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

17 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Let’s not forget that he is 96 and this is the 80th anniversary. He’s another that volunteered to fight a war on another continent at age 16. 

That age group is probably the bulk of who remains I guess as the 20-25 cohort would be 100-105. 

[YGIFS 19449]

5 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Like @YGIFS said, the Alps and damn swiss neutrality. It would also push us kind of close to what Stalin was scared of. The west moving into certain areas.

Plus I think we want to punch the nazi's in the nose.

 

Damn Swiss.  But I guess somebody had to hide all the Axis money.  Plus, lost to history is both the Axis and Allies bought an awful lotta O&G from the Middle East during the war and paid whatever was asked because of the essential need.  Well that money also got housed in Switzerland and laid the groundwork for OPEC 15 years later.  But yeah, again---even with the 10th Mountain Division and Airborne, it's not that easy to move Sherman tanks through 13,000 foot mountains.  Unless you pull a Capt. Sobel and just keep yelling "Pivot!  Pivot!  Pivot!  I don't understand, I have a diagram and everything."  

4 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

That age group is probably the bulk of who remains I guess as the 20-25 cohort would be 100-105. 

Yeah, I hate to say it but it's reality.  This is the last major anniversary of Overlord where there'll be hundreds to thousands or survivors.  At 85, we'll be down to the double-digits most likely, even with the guys who lied about their age.  

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

The chair is against the wall, John has a long moustache….

The chair is against the wall, John has a long moustache….

[InkaUtexas 25861]

One of the networks should run the Longest Day all day on June 6th. Like they do with A Christmas Story.

I could watch it a few times.

[YGIFS 19449]

Yeah, I put Hitler's mom against the wall with my long mustache on a chair.  Dammit, I had something for this. 

That photo always reminds me and I can never find it in any of my books or online.  But there was a Colonel in Heer Group B tomorrow morning, I believe stationed near "Gold LZ".  Commanding dozens of fixed positions and comms setup to thousands of troops.  And he had to be literally shaken back to reality to give orders because he looked out onto the horizon and admitted to his superiors later on, "I never knew there were that many ships in all the world.  And they're all coming for us."  He eventually gets it together but the Allied landings go pretty well.  I'm guessing like Neidermeyer, he is shot later that day by his own troops.  

[Dutch 4465]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

Because Clark didn't cut off the German 10th Army that was retreating north after we finally broke through at Monte Cassino and broke out of the Anzio beachead. He instead ordered his columns to liberate Rome. The 10th Army able to escape to the fortified the Gothic Line.

On 6/2/2024 at 1:20 PM, 77horn said:

From https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0440240905/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1&asin=0440240905&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

 

ENTERTAINERS AND NEWSMEN ON DEADLINE can talk all they want to about tension, but they wouldn't know tension if you dipped it in a bucket of water and hit them in the face with it -- unless they had spent five days in a marshaling area, waiting to start the Invasion of Europe.

 

The only comparable sensation would be those last five days in the death house, when everybody is quiet and considerate, and they feed you well, and let you sleep late and write letters, and give you little favors and comforts.  The chaplain comes around to see you, the warden makes a speech, and maybe you write a letter to your mother.

 

If you have a mother, and she still cares.

 

Or you write your girlfriend, who is probably going steady with somebody else by now, as ours were.

 

Finally there isn't anything more to do.  You eat your last meal and put on your clothes and walk down the corridor to the big flash.  You go out of the world the way you came in: surrounded by people and utterly alone.

 

That's the way it was in the marshaling area.

 

This book really is a must-read. 

[Trey3216 15344]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

The Alps have long been a significant barrier to swift attack  

[tx 3 putt 76870]

 

[InkaUtexas 25861]

4 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Because Clark didn't cut off the German 10th Army that was retreating north after we finally broke through at Monte Cassino and broke out of the Anzio beachead. He instead ordered his columns to liberate Rome. The 10th Army able to escape to the fortified the Gothic Line.

This book really is a must-read. 

Ordered for my father. Spent a long time in the Airborne. Still working to build the entire accurate kit they jumped with. Just missing a few items.

 

Thanks.

[HouTex 1866]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

why didn’t we just pour troops into nazi Europe through Italy ?

 

For the reasons stated, Italy was problematic.  But my avatar had been pushing for the main invasion to be in the Balkans (which had its own challenges ) in order to be as far east as possible when Germany was conquered.  He (wisely) saw the Cold War coming and wanted as much of Eastern Europe as possible to be free post-war.  FDR said no.  

[YGIFS 19449]

6 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Ordered for my father. Spent a long time in the Airborne. Still working to build the entire accurate kit they jumped with. Just missing a few items.

 

Thanks.

^
I still love that scene in "Band of Brothers" when they're running through their jump kit inventory before their final practice run.  It's insane how much they brought with them and still managed to land safely (for the most part).  To reference a post I made a few days ago, a lot of those guys had never seen plastic in rural America.  And had to be trained on water-tight protection of their gear in case of landing in a river or marsh.  And as fate would have it, some of the Airborne help liberate a Danish family weeks later of the man who invented plastic and died just weeks before Overlord.  

Pro-tip, when you complete the kit.  Put in a pin-up doll poster from 1944 for the old man. 

[InkaUtexas 25861]

1 minute ago, YGIFS said:

^
I still love that scene in "Band of Brothers" when they're running through their jump kit inventory before their final practice run.  It's insane how much they brought with them and still managed to land safely (for the most part).  To reference a post I made a few days ago, a lot of those guys had never seen plastic in rural America.  And had to be trained on water-tight protection of their gear in case of landing in a river or marsh.  And as fate would have it, some of the Airborne help liberate a Danish family weeks later of the man who invented plastic and died just weeks before Overlord.  

Pro-tip, when you complete the kit.  Put in a pin-up doll poster from 1944 for the old man. 

Yes, but most of the kit then worked when wet. Notice I say most. Comms was a problem when they landed in the flooded areas. But the crickets worked!

[YGIFS 19449]

Yeah, I don't even know where to start on Comms.  It my father's primary duty in the USN but it was a different era.  But he said a big reason they tried to water-tight everything for the landings wasn't so much for landing in a random pond but for the days ahead when more rain was expected.  They didn't know if they'd be sleeping out in the precip or in a 4-star French hotel or quartered with a Belgian family or in the tall grasses near a marsh for cover.  

[tx 3 putt 76870]

34 minutes ago, Dutch said:

Because Clark didn't cut off the German 10th Army that was retreating north after we finally broke through at Monte Cassino and broke out of the Anzio beachead. He instead ordered his columns to liberate Rome. The 10th Army able to escape to the fortified the Gothic Line.

This book really is a must-read. 

Ordered 

[mbtex 683]

 

[Dutch 4465]

36 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

^
I still love that scene in "Band of Brothers" when they're running through their jump kit inventory

"Three day supply of K-rations, chocolate bars, Charms candy, powdered coffee, sugar, matches, compass, bayonet, entrenching tool, ammunition, gas mask, musette bag with ammo, my weapon, my .45, canteen, two cartons of smokes, Hawkins mine, two grenades, smoke grenade, Gammon grenade, TNT, THIS bullshit, and a pair of nasty skivvies!"

"What's your point?"

"This shit weighs as much as I do. I still got my 'chute, my reserve 'chute, my Mae West, my M1."

"Where you keepin the brass knuckles?"

[Catpfish 618]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

One of the networks should run the Longest Day all day on June 6th. Like they do with A Christmas Story.

I could watch it a few times.

I only found it one time on DirecTv and it starts at something like 10pm on the 6th.  Maybe Turner Movies?

 

[bolverk 29654]

1 hour ago, InkaUtexas said:

One of the networks should run the Longest Day all day on June 6th. Like they do with A Christmas Story.

I could watch it a few times.

 

5 minutes ago, Catpfish said:

I only found it one time on DirecTv and it starts at something like 10pm on the 6th.  Maybe Turner Movies?

 

Just found that the whole damn thing is on YouTube for free, but apparently, they don't let you embed it in a post. Anyway, click and enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIOQwPZ7-E

[Dutch 4465]

TCM, as should be expected, has a WWII film marathon tomorrow; Longest Day is slated for 10pm.

5:15 AM
Code Name: Emerald

7:00 AM
The Americanization of Emily

9:00 AM
George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey

11:00 PM
36 Hours
FEATURE FILM • 1964

1:00 PM
Red Ball Express

2:30 PM
D-Day, the Sixth of June

4:30 PM
George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin

5:30 PM
Overlord

7:00 PM
Saving Private Ryan

10:00 PM
The Longest Day
 

Edited June 5 by Dutch

[Parliament 14240]

25 minutes ago, Dutch said:

"Three day supply of K-rations, chocolate bars, Charms candy, powdered coffee, sugar, matches, compass, bayonet, entrenching tool, ammunition, gas mask, musette bag with ammo, my weapon, my .45, canteen, two cartons of smokes, Hawkins mine, two grenades, smoke grenade, Gammon grenade, TNT, THIS bullshit, and a pair of nasty skivvies!"

"What's your point?"

"This shit weighs as much as I do. I still got my 'chute, my reserve 'chute, my Mae West, my M1."

"Where you keepin the brass knuckles?"

“I could use some brass knuckles.”

So what’s Germany doing today?  Just laying low?

[Trey3216 15344]

I don't know why this song always reminds me of my Dad's stories coming home from 'Nam, or makes me think of the guys that stormed the beach 80 years ago tonight/tomorrow, but I think it encapsulates their retreat into everyday society. "In the clearing stands a boxer, a fighter by his trade" 

 

 

[bolverk 29654]

4 minutes ago, Parliament said:

“I could use some brass knuckles.”

So what’s Germany doing today?  Just laying low?

They'll be there celebrating, too.

The commemoration of D-Day has its own history. For the former Allies, June 6 soon became a fixture for commemoration. The ceremonies in Normandy regularly brought together veterans, the British Queen, the American and French presidents and other heads of state and government.

German dignitaries were not invited for a long time — and the country's leaders had no objections. In 1984, Chancellor Helmut Kohl said "There is no reason for the German Chancellor to rejoice when others celebrate their victory in a battle in which tens of thousands of Germans perished miserably."

"Kohl came from a generation that had very much been shaped by the war," Lieb said. "He was close to members of the generation that had lived through the war. And, for them, it would have been unthinkable to celebrate together with American, British and French soldiers."

Slowly, however, the narrative was established that "the landing in Normandy was also the beginning of the end of the German Reich and thus also the beginning of democracy in Germany."

The first German chancellor to attend the D-Day celebrations was Gerhard Schröder, in 2004. Today, the participation of the former enemy, Germany, has become widely accepted. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also intends to take part.

 

[PTINS 3462]

6 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Getting social media updates from one of the daughters of our Norwegian friends/exchange family.  She's a new member of the Norwegian navy, and she's in Normandy with her ship right now for the ceremonies.  So, hey D-Day veterans, to honor you, we brought a ship full of drop-dead gorgeous Norwegians.  A pretty nice gesture, I think.

...I'd, uh , like to get a few pictures ...