The planning of the invasion of NAZI occupied Europe was one of the largest and most important stages in the history of warfare. The allies led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower had the monumental task of planning the invasion, the troop placements and movements of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, airmen, and sailors not only from the United States and Great Britain, but of many other allied countries with one single goal, rid the world of the evil of NAZI German and its leaders. Author Craig L. Symonds has written an outstanding account of the planning for the allied invasion of Europe in his book Neptune: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings. in this fascinating read the author describes the important leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and how he and other allied Generals and statesmen had to plan the invasion from giving the beaches of Normandy codemanes such as Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and Omaha to supplying and training the airmen, paratroopers, infantry, artillery, and armored division soldiers. The planning of the invasion of Europe began in 1940 after the British defeat at Dunkirk. Beginning with Winston Churchill and General George Marshall, the two would look at the coastline of Europe and plan and debate where the most practicable landing for the invasion would take place. At first the Mediterranean would be considered the launching point, but with the US landing in North Africa the attention shifted elsewhere. After the United States entered the war in 1941, it was decided that the primary war effort would be in the Atlantic theatre of operations against NAZI Germany and Fascist Italy. The Pacific theater and the war against Imperial Japan would be a secondary importance. Many wanted the invasion to be launched in 1943, however, the United States was not at its industrial strength yet, and millions of soldiers would have to be better trained before an invasion could occur. Only in the spring of 1943, did the Combined Chiefs of Staff commit themselves to an invasion of northern France. The code name for this invasion was Overlord, but everything that came before, including the landings themselves and the supply system that made it possible for the invaders to stay there, was code-named Neptune. The author describes the many hurdles of planning, politics, and logistics that went into the invasion of Europe. From Eisenhower having to be diplomatic to the likes of Charles DeGaulle and Lord Bernard Montgomery, to the bombastic George Patton. Also in the book is the planning to use the famous Higgins Boats and the primary troop carrier to the beaches at Normandy. These outstanding boats were an important reason for the successful allied invasion. This is an excellent book that is a must have for anyone interested in the allied invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944, World War II History, and the European Theatre of War. Kudos to the author for a great read!
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 16:08:36 +0000
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