Point du Hoc – The Lost Battlefield
The famous battle of Normandy, often referred to as the "bloodiest five minutes in history," was fought on June 6, 1944. It was a series of three landings that saw allied troops take control of France's Normandy coast after months of bloody struggle. The largest operation, code-named "Operation Overlord," involved more than 160,000 men and 2,000 vessels landing at five beachheads across France. It would be a turning point for the allies and the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.
From the German perspective, the Lost Battlefield of Normandy represented a failure on many levels. One objective was to secure a foothold in Europe and protect their supply lines from Allied bombing raids. But they were unable to do either. Another objective was to take full control over French territory so they could control Europe's resources and the economy more easily. This too did not come to fruition as the Battle of Normandy showed that the Allies had managed to mobilize a large number of troops and equipment on short notice, while they were also able to bring superior artillery support that made it difficult for German forces to set up defenses and engage in combat effectively.
Perhaps most devastatingly for the Germans was that it allowed Eisenhower's forces to invade France with no interference from them for the first time in World War II. In addition, it allowed them to capture D-Day's primary objective: the port city of Caen. Discover more facts and information on our website.
