Neptune: Allied Invasion of Europe and the The D-Day Landings

Seventy years ago, more than six thousand Allied ships carried more than a million soldiers across the English Channel to a fifty-mile-wide strip of the Normandy coast in German-occupied France. It was the greatest sea-borne assault in human history. The code names given to the beaches where the ships landed the soldiers have become immortal: Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and especially Omaha, the scene of almost unimaginable human tragedy. The sea of crosses in the cemetery sitting today atop a bluff overlooking the beaches recalls to us its cost. Most accounts of this epic story begin with the landings on the morning of June 6, 1944. In fact, however, D-Day was the culmination of months and years of planning and intense debate. In the dark days after the evacuation of Dunkirk in the summer of 1940, British officials and, soon enough, their American counterparts, began to consider how, and, where, and especially when, they could re-enter the European Continent in force. The Americans, led by U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, wanted to invade as soon as possible; the British, personified by their redoubtable prime minister, Winston Churchill, were convinced that a premature landing would be disastrous. The often-sharp negotiations between the English-speaking allies led them first to North Africa, then into Sicily, then Italy. 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. Craig L. Symonds now offers the complete story of this Olympian effort, involving transports, escorts, gunfire support ships, and landing craft of every possible size and function. The obstacles to success were many. In addition to divergent strategic views and cultural frictions, the Anglo-Americans had to overcome German U-boats, Russian impatience, fierce competition for insufficient shipping, training disasters, and a thousand other impediments, including logistical bottlenecks and disinformation schemes. Symonds includes vivid portraits of the key decision-makers, from Franklin Roosevelt and Churchill, to Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, and Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, who commanded the naval element of the invasion. Indeed, the critical role of the naval forces--British and American, Coast Guard and Navy--is central throughout. In the end, as Symonds shows in this gripping account of D-Day, success depended mostly on the men themselves: the junior officers and enlisted men who drove the landing craft, cleared the mines, seized the beaches and assailed the bluffs behind them, securing the foothold for the eventual campaign to Berlin, and the end of the most terrible war in human history. On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied Troops Landed Along 50 Miles Of French Coastline To Battle German Forces On The Beaches Of Normandy. D-day, As It Would Come To Be Known, Would Eventually Lead To The Liberation Of Western Europe, And Was A Critical Step In The Road To Victory In World War Ii. Yet The Story Begins Long Before The Higgins Landing Craft Opened Their Doors And Men Spilled Out Onto The Beaches To Face A Storm Of German Bullets. The Invasion, And The Victories That Followed, Would Not Have Been Possible Without The Massive Naval Operation That Led Up To It: Neptune. From The Moment British Forces Evacuated The Beaches Of Dunkirk In 1940, Allied Planners Began To Consider How, When, And Where They Would Re-enter The European Continent. Once In The War, The Americans, Led By George Marshall, Wanted To Invade In A Year's Time. The British Were Convinced This Would Be A Tragic Mistake. Allied Forces Would Be Decimated By The Wehrmacht. When Operation Overlord --^ The Name Given To The Cross-channel Invasion Of Northern France -- Was Finally Planned, It Was Done So Only In Concert With The Seaborne Assault That Would Bring The Men And Equipment To The Normandy Coast. Symonds Traces The Central Thread Of This Olympian Event -- Involving Over Five Thousand Ships And Nearly Half A Million Personnel --^ From The First Talks Between British And American Officials In The Winter Of 1941 To The Storming Of The Beaches In The Late Spring Of 1944. He Considers Neptune's Various Components, Including The Strategic Unity, Industrial Productivity, Organizational Execution, And Cross-cultural Exchange On Which The Allies Depended. Portraits Of Key American And British Figures, From Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, And Eisenhower To Admiral Ernest J. King And His British Counterpart, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Combine With An Intimate Look At Men Up And Down The Chain Of Command. Neptune Was The Pinnacle Of Allied Organization And Cooperation.^ From The Suppressing Of The U-boat Menace In The Battle Of The Atlantic, To The Establishing Of Camps And Training Facilities Near The English Coast, To The Gearing Up Of The American Industrial Machine To Produce The Ships, Tanks, And Tools Of War That Would Make An Invasion Possible, Symonds' Riveting Narrative Uncovers The Means By Which Neptune Was Brought To Fruition, And Presents The First Comprehensive Account Of The Greatest Naval Operation In History-- Prologue -- Germany First -- Arcadia -- We've Got To Go To Europe And Fight -- The Mediterranean Tar Baby -- Casablanca To Cossac -- Brits And Yanks -- Some Damn Things Called Lst's -- Shaef And Ancxf -- Duck, Fox, Beaver, Tiger -- O.k. We'll Go -- D-day: The Invasion -- D-day: The Beaches -- D-day: The Crisis -- The Shoreline Was Just A Shambles -- A Field Of Ruins -- Epilogue. Craig L. Symonds. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 400-410) And Index. "On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along 50 miles of French coastline to battle German forces on the beaches of Normandy. D-Day, as it would come to be known, would eventually lead to the liberation of Western Europe, and was a critical step in the road to victory in World War II. Yet the story begins long before the Higgins landing craft opened their doors and men spilled out onto the beaches to face a storm of German bullets. The invasion, and the victories that followed, would not have been possible without the massive naval operation that led up to it: NEPTUNE. From the moment British forces evacuated the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, Allied planners began to consider how, when, and where they would re-enter the European continent. Once in the war, the Americans, led by George Marshall, wanted to invade in a year's time. The British were convinced this would be a tragic mistake. Allied forces would be decimated by the Wehrmacht. When Operation Overlord -- the name given to the cross-Channel invasion of Northern France -- was finally planned, it was done so only in concert with the seaborne assault that would bring the men and equipment to the Normandy coast. Symonds traces the central thread of this Olympian event -- involving over five thousand ships and nearly half a million personnel -- from the first talks between British and American officials in the winter of 1941 to the storming of the beaches in the late spring of 1944. He considers Neptune's various components, including the strategic unity, industrial productivity, organizational execution, and cross-cultural exchange on which the Allies depended. Portraits of key American and British figures, from Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Eisenhower to Admiral Ernest J. King and his British counterpart, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, combine with an intimate look at men up and down the chain of command. Neptune was the pinnacle of Allied organization and cooperation. From the suppressing of the U-boat menace in the Battle of the Atlantic, to the establishing of camps and training facilities near the English coast, to the gearing up of the American industrial machine to produce the ships, tanks, and tools of war that would make an invasion possible, Symonds' riveting narrative uncovers the means by which Neptune was brought to fruition, and presents the first comprehensive account of the greatest naval operation in history"-- Provided by publisher List of Maps, Charts, and Tables Prologue 1. Germany First 2. Arcadia 3. “We’ve Got to Go to Europe and Fight” 4. The Mediterranean Tar Baby 5. Casablanca to COSSAC 6. Brits and Yanks 7. “Some God-Dammed Things Called LSTs” 8. SHAEF and ANCXF 9. Duck, Fox, Beaver, Tiger 10. “A Hum Throughout the Country” 11. D-Day: The Invasion 12. D-Day: The Beaches 13. D-Day: The Crisis 14. “The Shoreline Was Just a Shambles” 15. “A Field of Ruins” Epilogue Acknowledgments Abbreviations Used in Notes Notes Bibliography Index The invasion of Europe in 1944 and the victories that followed would not have been possible without the massive naval operation known as Neptune. Symonds traces the central thread of this Olympian event -- involving over five thousand ships and nearly half a million personnel -- from the first talks between British and American officials in the winter of 1941 to the storming of the beaches in the late spring of 1944. Neptune was the pinnacle of Allied organization and cooperation