Existing comment:
After years of striking at the peripheries, in the summer of 1944, the Allies landed in France to begin the liberation of Europe and the destruction of Nazism and Fascism. Simultaneous landings in Normandy and the Mediterranean coasts were not possible because of the limited availability of landing craft, but successful landings were made and the troops joined forces for the drive on Germany. There would be much desperate fighting and one more amphibious assault ... across the Rhine River into Germany.
Freeing France:
One of the Allied forces' primary objectives was to liberate France from the iron grip of Hitler. A long-gestating plan for an invasion of the coast of Normandy was finally set in motion in 1944.
In June of that year, an armada of ships carrying Allied troops moved across the English Channel to take part in "Operation Overlord." At the very same moment, half a world away, hundreds of American ships and tens of thousands of Allied troops were sailing toward the Pacific island chain of the Marianas. It was the largest movement of Men and material in history.
Operation Neptune: The Invasion of Normandy -- 6 June 1944:
The naval and amphibious phase of the Normandy invasion was called "Operation Neptune." Navy support of the invasion included logistical support, gunfire support, and the clearing of mines and beach obstacles.
During the first days of the invasion, naval transports landed more than 300,000 men, 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons of supplies to the shores of Normandy. Within a month, the Navy had transported more than one million men to France.
Alan G. Kirk (1888-1963) USNA 1909:
Kirk's resume included stints as naval aide to President Harding, naval attache in London, and director of the Office of Naval Intelligence. During the war, he returned to London as attache and chief of staff to the commander of the American Naval Forces in Europe.
He was the senior American naval officers in planning the invasion of Normandy. He also participated in the landings as commander of the task force. He went onto become naval commander to General Eisenhower and then ambassador to the Soviet Union.
Operation Dragoon: The Landings in Southern France -- 15 August 1944:
This invasion, known in its planning stages as "Operation Anvil," was originally planned to draw German troops away from the Normandy landings. However, a shorting in landing craft delayed the attacks for two months.
The assaults were made on three beaches: Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Saint-Tropez, and Saint-Raphael. All three were successful. Allied forces captured both Toulon and Marseilles on 28 August. The troops pushed north, making contact with advance units from Normandy. Southwest France was now in Allied hands.
Operation Delaware: Crossing the Rhine River -- March 1945:
By the spring of 1945, the Allies had conducted five major amphibious operations. There was one final effort: the crossing of the Rhine River. Although nearly forgotten today, it was critical to the Allies' victory.
The Rhine River is a formidable barrier. It has protected Germany for thousands of years. By the war's end, most of the river's bridges had been destroyed, making its crossing exceptional difficult. Amphibious craft, carried on truck across France, ferried Allied troops into Germany.
Nearly 100 LCVPs and 50 LCMs were carried to the Rhine in order to ferry troops across the swift-flowing river. |