LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: D-Day Quiz
t Wdoes the ‘D’ in D-Day represent? (Answer: None of these) Military operations didn’t always start on the planned date due to elements like the weather. By using ‘D’ instead of an actual date (06/06/1944), nothing would have to change if the actual date changed.
2heb.aTssembled armada of ships and landing craft was over: (Answer: 150,000) 23,000 British and U.S. airborne troops came in be- hind the beaches on 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders. The U.S. landed 57,000 troops on Utah and Omaha beaches, while the British and Ca- nadians landed 75,000 troops on Juno, Gold and Sword beaches. The numbers swelled to over 350,000 by D+5 once the beaches were secure.
h3icc.hWbest describes the Channel weather onD-Day? (Answer: Barely tolerable conditions) The weather had improved by June 6, but it was far from ideal. The most fortunate factor with the weather was that German meteorol- ogists declared an invasion impossible with the current conditions. A lot of German high command was on leave, the air defense was grounded and German ships were absent, minimizing resistance to the landings.
4owa. Hmany airborne troops were landed on D-Day? (Answer: 24,000) The airborne land- ings on D-Day were the largest ever attempted up until that point. Despite managing to land enough airborne troops to make a significant impact on D-Day, thousands were landed in the wrong place and many landed in swamps and rivers resulting in heavy casualties.
5hoc. wWas the Supreme Allied Commander of the invasion forces on D-Day? (Answer: General Dwight D. Eisenhower) Despite having very little experience of combat, Eisenhower was selected as the Supreme Allied Com- mander on D-Day.
h6icc.hWAllied general was appointed “Oper - ational Commander for the Invasion Ground Forces”? (Answer: Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, UK) General Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force. Appointments to these high-ranking positions were largely political. The British wanted their man in the top chair and the Americans wanted theirs. ‘Monty’ was ap- pointed to the second highest position.
h7ca.t Wtime of the day did U.S. troops land at Omaha Beach? (Answer: 0630)
h8adt. wWere the American beaches? (Answer: Omaha and Utah) Omaha and Utah were the American beaches; Gold, Juno and Sword be- ing the British and Canadian beaches. Omaha saw intense fighting, leading to the capture of the beachhead. Unlike Omaha, resistance on Utah was mild and the American forces had little trouble taking the beachhead from the Germans.
h9ed. GTerman commander in Normandy had left the morning before. Nicknamed the ‘Desert Fox’ for his battles in North Africa, which commander had the most chance of beating the Allies back into the sea? (Answer: Erwin Rommel) Erwin Rommel was possibly the only one who could have stopped the Allied invasion. He left for Germany on June 5, the day before the Allies attacked. Also, the Luftwaffe had transferred most of the planes that were in Normandy to other places, making the Allied invasion easier.
h10ata.wWas the name of the overall invasion of Normandy? (Answer: Operation Overlord)
(We are honored and excited to visit Normandy next April with the Sea Puffers!)