PREPARATIONS IN THE EAST
The Soviets finally had the resources together for an offensive in the East. Operation BAGRATION was ready to launch for early June, 1944. Its aim was to isolate those forces in the North of the USSR that were right now isolating Leningrad. Striking westward from the area of Novgorod, the Soviets initial objective was Pskov (Peskau as renamed by the Germans) and then on to the final objective of Riga. The force would then seal off the entire Baltic region and trap within it, it was hoped, the entirety of Army Group North.
To accomplish this task, some three tank armies and six guards armies were earmarked. The plan was simple: following a massive artillery and aircraft bombardment of the front from Leningrad to Novgorod, infantry forces would infiltrate the German front lines, clearing a path for the tanks to break through. Once in Pskov, two guards armies would cover the northern flank as the remaining elements of the "Moscow Front" would drive on to Riga. The Germans would not be able to handle such a massive force and they believed that the Germans were expecting an attack further south.
As it turned out, the Germans were well aware of BAGRATION and its intended objectives. Though the start date was as yet unknown, preparations were well in hand. Realising that they needed the Russians on the move to be able to defeat them, woefully few improvements were made at the front. Here and there bridges in the depth behind the German front were destroyed or "weakened": the hope being that this would help channel the advancing Soviet forces into preset killing zones. Powerful tank and panzergrenadier reserves were concealed from prying Soviet eyes in the hinterlands of the Baltic nations. In this area, the Germans were relatively secure from Partisan operations: most Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians hated the Germans, but they hated the Russians even more and thus were not inclined to take part in operations that were seen further south in White Russia and in the Ukraine. The Germans were ready for their backhand blow. The only question remained: would the western allies attack prior to BAGRATION?
INVASION!
Their answer came on 6 June 1944. On the first day of that month, the opening line of Verlane's poem was broadcast by the BBC. As a result, all leave in France was cancelled. In order to not tip their hand that they realised the invasion was coming, the reason for the cancellation of leave was for an upcoming exercise to take place on 15 June. As well, rolling stock was "heading east" for upcoming operations in Russia. Though rolling stock was indeed "heading east" in anticipation for the countermoves to BAGRATION, no exercise, or Kriegspiel was planned for June
At 0001 hours on 6 June, the second line of Verlane's poem was broadcast. Immediately all forces in France and Belgium went to full alert status. The conditions were ripe for invasion: though the weather was spotty at best, there was a late moon and ideal tide conditions for an invasion. Soon after midnight, intense allied bombings centred roughly on Caen, followed by reports of parachute landings all across Normandy confirmed the suspicions of many. Panzer Lehr, 21st Panzer Division and the 12th SS "Hitlerjugend" were ordered forward to just behind the coast, centred on Caen. Though dead for over six months, Hitler was still, even in death, a powerful figure in Germany. Now that he couldn't interfere with operations from the grave, his name was often used in vain to rally the German soldiers and Germany itself.
All throughout the night, Germans and Allied paratroopers battled in a confused set of pitched battles as the last quarter of the moon rose over Europe. Key bridges were seized in the British sector, and in the US sector, Ste Mere Eglise was one of the first French cities to be liberated from the Germans.
Three hours prior to first light, German coastal radar picked up a massive force approaching the coast off Normandy. Most were centred on the Caen sector, with a second large "blip" a bit farther west. Hurried intelligence assessments put the allied landing into two roughly equal halves: one near Caen and one near Ste Mere Eglise. As things turned out, they weren't far off.
Though hampered by the Parachute landings, the 12th SS and 21st Panzer made their way to Caen prior to first light. Due to the sheer size of the forces, the low light conditions and the rubble in the streets, both forces had to make their way around the city in order to have a clear path to the coast. 21st Panzer took the eastern side, with their centre for advancing being Cabourg. 12th SS took the western side, with their centre of advance being Lion sur Mer. The divisional boundary was set as the Orne river. As it turned out, 21st Panzer would miss the beaches, while 12th SS would hit squre into Sword beach, as it was called by the Allies.
At first light, the landings started. At Utah beach, the opposition facing the allies was less than spectacular. Though suffering some 66 fatalities at sea, these were largely due to mishaps than enemy action. On the beaches, remarkably accurate allied bombing and naval gunnery silenced most opposition. As a result, the US forces landing here were able to link up with Airborne forces at Ste Mere Eglise by nightfall.
At Omaha, the US forces were virtually wiped out at the beach. It took several small acts of courage, but by 1500, the US forces were able to clear the beaches and establish enough of a beachhead to allow follow on forces to begin landing. Casualties were severe in the first waves, but by the end of the day, the forces were ashore and more were coming in.
The British and Canadian beaches of Gold and Juno suffered moderate casualties in their first waves, but by 1000 they were able to declare the beaches "secure" and were fighting their way inland against mounting opposition. The Canadians drove for the Carpiquet airfield, but were unable to reach it, due to mounting pressure and concerns to their left flank: Sword beach.
The British never had a chance as Sword. Though their first few waves made it ashore with relatively light casualties and though they quickly linked up with their airborne forces, the sounds of tanks could soon be heard coming from the south.
By 1000, without having properly established their positions, the first tanks of the 12th SS began to attack into Quistreham. By 1130, the town was cleared of all allied forces and soon the Panthers and Mark IVs were firing directly onto the landing beaches. Using the coastal buildings for cover, the young fanatics of the 12th SS were able to avoid most allied efforts to destroy them from the air. By the end of the day, SWORD was abandoned, and the Allied invasion beaches now went from Ste Mere Eglise in the west to St Aubin sur Mer in the East. The Canadian division at St Aubin sur Mer stopped their advance and deployed in a defensive position to cover the flank of the beaches. 6th Para was now surrounded and was fighting off the attacks of two panzer divisions.
Over the month that followed, the US forces were able to drive to the Atlantic coast, but at great cost. The German forces defended with infantry heavy forces and manoeuvred their heavy forces mostly at night, attacking near first light in almost every case. Though far from "destroyed on the beaches", the Allies were quickly losing the race to reinforce the Normandy front. Events would soon tip the scales in their favour, if ever so slightly.