The Battle of Normandy... 6 June 1944 D-Day
The Assault on German Occupied France and the German Atlantic Wall
It is impossible to underestimate or ignore the value of the massive German fortifications along the bluffs and costal areas of the fifty mile long Atlantic Wall. Although incomplete at the time of the invasion, the primary fortifications consisted of reinforced concrete strongpoint blockhouses and pillboxes known as Widerstandsnester or resistance nests. All of the beach exits or "draws" were effectively closed, protected by thick tangles of barbed wire, anti-personnel and anti-tank mine fields. Reinforced battalions of German infantry with additional battalions in reserve manned these fortifications. The troops were armed with their standard issue infantry rifles, machine guns plus light artillery guns. An additional number of anti tank guns were located in concrete pillboxes. They were designed and situated in such a way as to provide enfilading fire along the beach to destroy the maximum number of Allied tanks or other armored vehicles once they were ashore. In addition to the mine fields already in place, German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel envisioned a million additional land mines to be planted along Normandy's beaches, but by June 1944 he'd received and planted only a fraction of that number.
Rommel's plan for the defense of Normandy was to hold the Allied invaders tightly within their beachheads and not allow them to proceed further inland. He therefore concentrated the vast majority of his defenses at the water's edge. As a result there was little to no defense in depth with few reserve-motorized troops available to quickly commit to any threatened sectors. Normandy's defenses were extremely strong but extremely brittle and subject to breaking under heavy pressure. What's more, if the Americans at Omaha Beach could somehow break through and advance up the draws to the top of the bluffs, the integrity of the line of German defenses would be shattered and completely compromised. Rommel also fervently hoped and planned that his many German armored divisions scattered throughout France would receive ample warning of the coming invasion and quickly come to his aid. If the tanks arrived during those crucial first 24 hours of the invasion day, the Germans could conceivably hurl the Allies back into the sea... but this was not to be as the German forces, much like their Allied counterparts would experience what came to be known as... "The Longest Day".
Allied operations started on the night of 5/6 June, with airborne troops, from the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, being parachuted down while heavy bombers pounded the coastal artillery batteries deemed to present the greatest danger. Meanwhile, an armada of 5000 ships (including three U.S. Battleships: USS Arkansas [BB-33], USS Texas [BB-35], and USS Nevada [BB-36] and two Cruisers:
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Note: In addition to using a self-guided, GPS supported itinerary to visit All Five of the Landing Beaches along the Cotentin P eninsula and many of the historical locations, and museums in an around Normandy and the area near Brecourt Manor site of Lieutenant Richard 'Dick' Winters and elements of Easy Company 506th P.I.R. attack on the German field artillery, we have also used the same format to visit the Bastogne area, including the Baugnez '44 Museum, the site of the Malmedy Massacre, the still existing foxholes of the 502nd and 506th P.I.R. and the pastoral surrounding area in Belgium on several occasions. We have found both the French and the Belgian people, especially in the towns in Normandy and area near Bastogne, to be very friendly and still grateful to the Allies, especially the American forces, for their liberation, despite the huge loss of life and property damage suffered by the French and Belgian civilians. In addition, should you want to visit the area in and around Normandy or Bastogne, we would be willing to share our experiences or trip itinerary with you, which may help to make your travel through the area easier and perhaps make the historical experience more valuable.
Please contact us for information concerning other Retired and New King & Country sets. We have been a successful retailer with King & Country since 1999, marketing their line of connoisseur quality military miniatures. We are listed on their website as an authorized dealer and We Welcome your DIRECT CONTACT for any of these miniatures NOT currently listed in our eBay Store.
In addition, we have a unique inventory of WWII Militaria items; Original and Reproduction WWII U.S. and German Helmets, Uniforms and Equipment/Gear and Museum Quality Restored Original WWII U.S. M-1 Helmets and Converted WWII U.S. M-2 & M-1C Paratrooper Helmets. We Welcome your DIRECT CONTACT for any of these Militaria items NOT currently listed in our eBay Store.
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