Learn About D-Day Part 2/11

Choosing the Normandy beaches was a stroke of genius. Hitler had anticipated that the attack would come from the Kent coast to—and the Allies cleverly reinforced this theory. For every reconnaissance flight over Normandy two were flown over Par de Calais. The idea that a long distance sea crossing would be preferable over the shortest hop across the France was preposterous. The weather that June was unseasonably stormy and then invasion was ruled out by the German so emphatically that field Martial Erwin Rommel, the man incharged with preparing for the expected onslaught left France to return home to Germany to celebrate his wife’s birthday.

On the first and fifth of June Coded messages were broadcast on the BDC to let the French Resistance that the invasion force was on its way. The lines, the long sobs of violins of autumn wound my heart with a monotonous languor were used. Although the chief of German intelligence had been tipped off as to the significance of this words Rommel’s staff dismissed the broadcasts because they refused to believe that they allies would announce their attentions over the radio.

However, the German commanders were quite right in one respect. The weather was a dreadful who in their minds would contemplate an assault on France in such conditions. But the allies preparing for operation overlord as the invasion plan was code named has always been dependent on the meteorological reports. Tide patterns on the state of the moon could at least be predicted and the June 5 looked ideal. When the weather turns stormy, the commander chief of the allied expedition general Dwight D. Eisenhower reluctantly decided to postpone.

The next day was little better and it was a tough call to make if not the sixth of June then it would be at least a fought night before another attempt could be made. Would the preparations continue to be kept secret, what should happen to the thousands of men already aboard ship could they be disembarked and if so where to? If ever the cliché between a rock and the hard place applied, it was here. It was a risky business indeed but to all those involved it was a chance worth taking. And within two hours of Eisenhower giving the command the D-Day invasion convoys slipped silently out into the stormy easy.