Background of Operation Overlord, Normandy Landings – Initial Failure of the Dieppe Raid
There was complicated politics behind the Normandy Landing operations. The General Secretary, the leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin has constantly urged the Western Allies to form a second front for the Germans as the Soviet Union was desperately holding off the German forces.
The Allied forces has attempted to land at Dieppe located in the Northern France coasts that is known as the Dieppe Raid in early 1942. However, the Dieppe raid miserably failed and the Soviet Union had to hold off the Germans by their own.
However, the Soviet Union was able to turn the tides by the victory of the Battle of Stalingrad by the counter offensive by Operation Uranus.
Background of Operation Overlord, Normandy Landings – Italy Invasion
The Allied Forces then attempted to approach from Italy and the south towards Germany. After the Allied Forces secured North Africa, they successfully landed on the Italy peninsula and retire Italy Kingdom from the Axis forces. However, the resistance of the remaining Axis forces in the mountain regions halted the Allied advances.
Meanwhile, the Soviet Union Red Army once again achieves victory from the Battle of Kursk where almost a total of 3.5 ~ 4 million personnel clashed in battle. The Soviet Union once again urges the Allied forces to form another front against the Germans.
Background of Operation Overlord, Normandy Landings – D-Day and Operation Bagration
The USA hasn’t fully established the domestic war economy and strengthen military forces by 1944. While the British haven’t given up on their colonial control and rather has been focusing on defending the mainland and the Suez Canal at Egypt by securing the Mediterranean so far.
Now the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) was prepared to finally land in Europe. Normandy was selected as the landing point by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) and under the name Operation Overlord, at code named beaches named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword and Juno, the Invasion Europe begins.
160,000 personnel crossed the English Channel on D-Day 6th of June 1944 with 7,000 naval vessels in action and 822 aircrafts deploying about 24,000 airborne troops to their drop zones.
On 22nd of June, 1944, the Soviet Union Red Army commences Operation Bagration mobilizing about 1.7 million personnel. Operation Bagration was also referred as the Guillotine of Nazi Germany.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower's Order of the Day – D-Day Invasion Letter
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force:
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations1 have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground.
Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory.
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
-Dwight D. Eisenhower -
George C. Marshall
Geroge C. Marshall was the general of the Army of the United States of America and the Chief of Staff of the Army. He would later become the Secretary of State under Harry Truman for two years as well.
George C. Marshall received the Nobel Prize for Peace by the establishment of the Marshall Plan, the grand master plan of the support for the reestablishment of the European Economy to recover from the aftermath of the World War II.
George C. Marshall led the successful expansion of the United States of America military forces from 200,000 to almost 8,500,000 personnel within less than four years since the US entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
George C. Marshall orchestrated and led the whole military strategies while General Dwight D. Eisenhower led the U.S. front as the supreme commander of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF). In the film Saving Private Ryan, George C. Marshall emphasizes the importance saving private Ryan as he addressed the Letter to Mrs. Bixby by President Abraham Lincoln
Bixby Letter by Abrham Lincoln
In the film George C. Marshall introduces the Bixby Letter by Abraham Lincoln which he wrote to a widow Lydia Parker Bixby living in Boston after she was to be noticed that she lost all five of her sons who served in the Union Army for the Civil War.
Later on, actually some of her sons have survived the Civil War and returned back to her. However, George C. Marshall emphasized the grace of saving private Ryan by this Bixby Letter informing his staff that this is not merely sending one person home in the middle of chaos as a privilege.
Original Notes of the Bixby Letter
Dear Madam,
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully, A. Lincoln.
