starter activity

On 6 June 1944 the Allied Forces launched the D-Day landings in Europe to bring the war with Nazi Germany to a swift end. Watch the two clips – an interview with a veteran and a movie adaption. Which is most useful in finding about the experiences of ordinary

soldiers? What other types of sources would you use?

Veteran

Film

Could you Could you manage to stage manage to stage your own D-Day?your own D-Day?

TBAT explain how Allies TBAT explain how Allies staged D-Day landingsstaged D-Day landings

To evaluate the factors which To evaluate the factors which led to its successled to its success

LOs

Key words: Operation Overlord reconnaissance decoy

Your taskYour task

D-Day, 6 June 1944, marked the start of the D-Day, 6 June 1944, marked the start of the allied invasion of Europe, the greatest allied invasion of Europe, the greatest amphibious operation in history. Code-named amphibious operation in history. Code-named OVERLORD, this vast cross-Channel attack OVERLORD, this vast cross-Channel attack enabled the United Kingdom, the United States enabled the United Kingdom, the United States and their allies to land substantial forces on and their allies to land substantial forces on mainland Europe and defeat the enemy in mainland Europe and defeat the enemy in battle. Your task is to imagine you are a battle. Your task is to imagine you are a military general planning the invasion of military general planning the invasion of Europe. Have you got what it takes to land your Europe. Have you got what it takes to land your troops and break through the German troops and break through the German defences?defences?

Task sheet

1. You need to gather your troops and supplies near departure zone. How do you conceal them so they

won’t be spotted by German reconnaissance

planes?

Operation FortitudeOperation Fortitude

US troops, US troops, vehicles, supplies vehicles, supplies arrive in southern arrive in southern EnglandEngland

TrainingTraining Deception – Deception –

operation operation FORTITUDEFORTITUDE

BombingBombing ReconnaissanceReconnaissance

January 1942January 1942 4,0004,000

July 1942July 1942 80,00080,000

January 1943January 1943 120,000120,000

July 1943July 1943 240,000240,000

January 1944January 1944 930,000930,000

May 1944May 19441,500,0001,500,000

Table showing build up of US troops in UK

2. Which site do you choose for the invasion? Calais is much nearer but heavily defended.

Normandy & Brittany are further away, but there is

more chance of getting past the German defences.

Calais too heavily defended

Normandy relatively near, but less well defended

Coastline more suitable for landing invasion army & equipment

Germans expecting Allies to land in Calais

3.Once you have chosen your landing site, how do you deceive the Germans into thinking you are not

going to land there?

Allied bombing of Calais intensifiedAllied bombing of Calais intensified Misinformation & decoys – e.g. ‘Man Misinformation & decoys – e.g. ‘Man

Who Never Was’Who Never Was’ 9 separate major decoy operations 9 separate major decoy operations

including, e.g. Operation Titanic (10 including, e.g. Operation Titanic (10 SAS paratroopers simulated major SAS paratroopers simulated major invasion of Boulogne)invasion of Boulogne)

RAF dropped foil strips (windows) to RAF dropped foil strips (windows) to blind German radarblind German radar

4. There are only a few days to go now until D-Day. With so many people

involved, how do you stop news of your invasion

plans leaking out?

Soldiers restricted Soldiers restricted to military basesto military bases

Leave cancelledLeave cancelled News blackoutNews blackout Movement around Movement around

coastline restrictedcoastline restricted Crossword in Crossword in

Telegraph Telegraph contained many contained many Overlord codewordsOverlord codewords US troops in Portsmouth

before D-Day, aka ‘The Longest Day’

5.You arrive at the beaches and find they are heavily

defended with mines, barbed wire and anti-tank weapons. How do you get your troops ashore with the minimum

number of casualties?

Aerial bombardmentAerial bombardment Landings at low tideLandings at low tide Hobart’s funnies - Hobart’s funnies -

‘Swimming’, bridge ‘Swimming’, bridge & flail tanks& flail tanks

Infantry follow Infantry follow behind armoured behind armoured vehiclesvehicles

Heavy machinery, Heavy machinery, e.g. bridge-layinge.g. bridge-laying

Swimming tanks

Bridge tanks

Sherman ‘flail’ tank

Diagram showing Allied invasion strategy

6. Your troops have landed, 6. Your troops have landed, but they need constant but they need constant

supplies of weapons, food supplies of weapons, food and fuel. How do you and fuel. How do you

manage to maintain your manage to maintain your supplies throughout the supplies throughout the

heavy fighting?heavy fighting?

‘‘Mulberry’ harboursMulberry’ harbours Pluto – undersea fuel pipelinePluto – undersea fuel pipeline Mulberry

harbours

Hey girls! What factors do you think

led to the success of D-

Day?

Your taskYour task

You are General Eisenhower. You have been You are General Eisenhower. You have been asked to explain to Winston Churchill why the asked to explain to Winston Churchill why the D-Day landings were successful. Write a D-Day landings were successful. Write a report explaining the reasons for your report explaining the reasons for your success. Consider these factorssuccess. Consider these factors ChanceChance Military planningMilitary planning New technologyNew technology IndividualsIndividuals

Insert any other factors you think were Insert any other factors you think were importantimportant

Satisfactory Satisfactory report report (not (not

much to mark much to mark you out for you out for promotion)promotion)

Successful Successful report report (shows (shows promise, one to promise, one to look out for!)look out for!)

Star report (officer

material!)

Covers some, Covers some, not all the not all the factors. Limited factors. Limited use of technical use of technical vocab. Little vocab. Little effort to give effort to give the appearance the appearance or use the or use the language of a language of a reportreport

Good range of Good range of factors and use factors and use of technical of technical vocab, e.g. vocab, e.g. codenames & codenames & new new technologies. technologies. Convincing Convincing attempt to attempt to produce a produce a military report military report which is written which is written in a formal tone. in a formal tone. Some errors of Some errors of SPAGSPAG

Full range of Full range of factors, factors, including including chance, military chance, military planning, planning, technology and technology and individuals. individuals. Factual Factual information is information is accurate and accurate and abundant abundant technical vocab technical vocab used. Excellent used. Excellent communication communication skills and skills and appropriate appropriate register.register.

Could you Could you manage to stage manage to stage your own D-Day?your own D-Day?

TBAT explain how Allies TBAT explain how Allies staged D-Day landingsstaged D-Day landings

To evaluate the factors which To evaluate the factors which led to its successled to its success

LOs

Key words: Operation Overlord reconnaissance decoy

ExtensionExtension

The British used lots of deception The British used lots of deception techniques during WWII. What’s odd about techniques during WWII. What’s odd about the stamp on the left?the stamp on the left?

Find out about the part played by magician Find out about the part played by magician Jasper Maskelyne in winning the warJasper Maskelyne in winning the war