query: where did the massive allied invasion of northern france take place in june 1944?

title: Invasion of Normandy

text: Invasion of Normandy The Western Allies of World War II launched the largest amphibious invasion in history when they assaulted Normandy, located on the northern coast of France, on 6 June 1944. The invaders were able to establish a beachhead as part of Operation Overlord after a successful "D-Day," the first day of the invasion. Allied land forces came from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Free French forces. In the weeks following the invasion, Polish forces and contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece and the Netherlands participated in the ground campaign; most also provided air and naval support alongside elements

title: Invasion of Normandy

text: computer games and books. Many dramatisations focus on the initial landings, and these are covered at Normandy Landings. Some examples that cover the wider battle include: Invasion of Normandy The Western Allies of World War II launched the largest amphibious invasion in history when they assaulted Normandy, located on the northern coast of France, on 6 June 1944. The invaders were able to establish a beachhead as part of Operation Overlord after a successful "D-Day," the first day of the invasion. Allied land forces came from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Free French forces. In the weeks following the

title: 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)

text: on 13 July 1943 in Sicily: it was to remain with the brigade until amalgamation. With the British Eighth Army, the regiment took part in the landing and Allied invasion of Sicily, before moving on to take part in the Italian Campaign, notably the advance across the Sangro. In January 1944, the regiment left Italy for the United Kingdom, where it prepared for the upcoming invasion of Northern France. The regiment landed in Normandy on 7 June 1944, the day after D-Day. In the following two months, it took park in Operation Epsom (26 June – 2 July) and the

title: 2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France

text: Dragoon. It would take place in the South of France, between Cannes and Toulon in August 1944. The landings would be undertaken by the U.S. Seventh Army, with the French First Army landing after the beachhead was secure. Following the success of the Normandy airborne landings, Allied planners wanted to use an airborne force to support the invasion. However the divisions in Europe, the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Division, had participated in the Normandy landings and were refitting for further operations to support the advance in France and the Low Countries. The two British divisions were also unavailable; the

title: Military career of Dwight D. Eisenhower

text: the following month was officially designated as the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), serving in a dual role until the end of hostilities in Europe in May 1945. In these positions he was charged with planning and carrying out the Allied assault on the coast of Normandy in June 1944 under the code name Operation Overlord, the liberation of western Europe and the invasion of Germany. A month after the Normandy D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, Operation Dragoon the invasion of southern France took place, and control of the forces which took part in the

title: 1st Airborne Task Force (Allied)

text: land simultaneously in Normandy and in southern France in June 1944, attacking the Germans from the north and south in a classic pincer movement, after which the southern forces would head east to aid Allied forces in Italy. However it was soon realized that there were not enough landing ships or men available to carry out both operations at the same time, so the southern invasion ("Operation Anvil") was postponed. The southern invasion (now "Operation Dragoon") was planned for August 1944, and all airborne forces were allocated to a new unit formed on 11 July 1944 as the Seventh Army

title: Zero Hour (1944 film)

text: the Axis-controlled areas of Northwest Europe. The preparation, strategy and over-all campaign planning that went into this gigantic task involved a host of nations, including Canada. In the Pacific War, similar preparations for combined amphibious invasions were taking place, with the U.S. island-hopping campaign successfully begun to wrest back occupied territory, despite desperate Japanese resistance. On June 6, 1944, supported by an immense naval armada, Allied troops launch an amphibious invasion of Normandy, France. The first on the beaches were the "storm troops": French commandos, U.S. Rangers, British Marines backed up by Canadian and U.S. paratroopers. At "Zero Hour", the

title: Operation Dragoon

text: consequences reaching into the Cold War. Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the Allied invasion of Southern France on 15August 1944. The operation was initially to take place in conjunction with Operation Overlord, the Allied landing in Normandy, but a lack of resources led to cancellation of the second landing. By July 1944, the landing was reconsidered, as the ports of Normandy did not have the capacity to supply Allied forces adequately. Concurrently, the French High Command pushed for a revival of the operation that would include large numbers of French troops. As a

title: Operation Dragoon

text: Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the Allied invasion of Southern France on 15August 1944. The operation was initially to take place in conjunction with Operation Overlord, the Allied landing in Normandy, but a lack of resources led to cancellation of the second landing. By July 1944, the landing was reconsidered, as the ports of Normandy did not have the capacity to supply Allied forces adequately. Concurrently, the French High Command pushed for a revival of the operation that would include large numbers of French troops. As a result, the operation was finally approved

title: 203rd General Hospital

text: established an 834-bed hospital, designated under an Army numbering scheme as U.S. Army Hospital Plant No. 4147 under the 15th Hospital Center at Cirencester, Wiltshire, at Broadwell Grove near Burford and began admitting patients. On 7 June the first casualties arrived from the previous day's D-Day invasion of Northern France. In July, 1944, the 203rd followed allied armies to Normandy, landed on Utah Beach, and provided field hospital care during the Campaigns of Normandy and Northern France. After the liberation of Paris in August, 1944, the 203rd was assigned to a hospital plant in the Parisian region, where they administered

title: British logistics in the Normandy Campaign

text: still possible to end the war in 1944, but this did not eventuate. British logistics in the Normandy Campaign British logistics in the Normandy Campaign played a key role in the success of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France in June 1944. Planning for this operation had begun in 1942. The Anglo-Canadian force, the 21st Army Group, consisted of the British Second Army and Canadian First Army. Between them they had six armoured divisions (including the Polish 1st Armoured Division), ten infantry divisions, two airborne divisions, nine independent armoured brigades and two commando brigades. The entire army group was

title: Advanced Landing Ground

text: of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord and the immediate aftermath, 6 June – 24 July 1944 The US marks the "Northern France Campaign" from the breakout following the invasion of Normandy to September 1944. Airfields captured or established to support combat operations during the Western Allied Invasion Of Germany (1 February – 8 May 1945). This section lists those used during the war; ones used during the occupation period of Germany are listed in the Army of Occupation ALGs section. ALGs used by American forces in Occupied Germany and Austria after the German Capitulation on 7 May

title: Liberty Road (France)

text: Ronald Reagan, accompanied by many heads of State, visited the first borne in 1984 to mark the 40th anniversary of D-Day. These are the towns, villages and notable places along the route: A bicycle ride of the "Voie de la Liberté" has taken place every other year since 1986. Liberty Road (France) Liberty Road (French "La voie de la Liberté") is the commemorative way marking the route of the Allied forces from D-Day in June 1944. It starts in Utah Beach, in the Manche département in Normandy, France, travels through Sainte-Marie-du-Mont across Northern France to Metz and then northwards to

title: Invasion of Normandy

text: France, and the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg which had been in transit from the Eastern Front on 6 June), were committed to battle in Normandy around twenty-one days after the first landings. One more armoured division (the 9th Panzer Division) saw action only after the American breakout from the beachhead. Two other armoured divisions which had been in the west on 6 June (the 11th Panzer Division and 19th Panzer Division) did not see action in Normandy. The following is a list of leaders in the Battle of Normandy. The Allied invasion plans

title: 4th Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)

text: the early stages of the Allied invasion of Italy. Largely unopposed, the brigade captured the ports of Brindisi and Bari before being withdrawn. By the end of the year, the 4th Parachute Brigade was in England, preparing for the Allied invasion of North-West Europe. The brigade did not see action in France, being instead placed on standby for an emergency during the Normandy landings. Between June and August 1944 the speed of the subsequent Allied advance obviated the need to deploy airborne forces. In September 1944, the brigade formed part of the second day's parachute landings at the Battle of

title: Battle of Douvres Radar Station

text: Battle of Douvres Radar Station The Battle of Douvres Radar Station was military engagement of World War II as part of the Invasion of Normandy, that took place the on 17 June 1944. The attack was by British 41 Commando, Royal Marines, the station and area were defended mainly by "Luftwaffe" ground forces. Preceded by an artillery bombardment and supported by mine-clearing and anti-bunker tanks of 79th Armoured Division, the Royal Marines were able to secure the surrender of the garrison. The Normandy landings, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France had commenced on 6 June 1944. The radar at Douvres-la-Délivrande

title: Allied Force Headquarters

text: in command of AFHQ until January 1944, overseeing the Allied invasion of Sicily (with the codename of Operation Husky), which began on 10 July 1943 and the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland (codenamed Operation Baytown and Operation Avalanche), on 3 September 1943. Eisenhower then a full general, returned to the United Kingdom in December to assume command of the Allied forces assembling for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy, scheduled for the spring of 1944. He was succeeded by General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson. Wilson's title became Supreme Commander, Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Wilson was in command for

title: Free France

text: "L'Armée française de la Liberation." By mid-1944, the forces of this army numbered more than 400,000, and they participated in the Normandy landings and the invasion of southern France, eventually leading the drive on Paris. Soon they were fighting in Alsace, the Alps and Brittany, and by the end of the war in Europe, they were 1,300,000 strong – the fourth-largest Allied army in Europe – and took part in the Allied advance through France and invasion of Germany. The Free French government re-established a provisional republic after the liberation, preparing the ground for the Fourth Republic in 1946. Historically,

title: 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

text: the division effected a link-up with Hube's forces near the town of Buchach. The division's actions helped prevent the encirclement of the 1st Panzer Army. During these battles, Hohenstaufen had suffered 1,011 casualties. The II SS Panzer Corps was to act as reserve for Army Group North Ukraine. After the Allied invasion of northern France on 6 June 1944, the II SS Panzer Corps, including Hohenstaufen, was sent west on 12 June, to defend Caen in Normandy. Hohenstaufen suffered losses from Allied fighter bombers during its move to Normandy, delaying its arrival until 26 June 1944. Approximately 50% of the

title: Battle of Ushant (1944)

text: Poland. Battle of Ushant (1944) The Battle of Ushant, also known as the Battle of Brittany, occurred on the early morning of 9 June 1944 and was an engagement between German and Allied destroyer flotillas off the coast of Brittany. The action came shortly after the initial Allied landings in Normandy. After a confused engagement during the night the Allies sank one of the German destroyers and forced another ashore, where she was wrecked. On 6 June 1944, the day of the first landings in Normandy, the remnants of the German 8th destroyer flotilla, consisting of the Type 36A and

title: Battle of Ushant (1944)

text: Battle of Ushant (1944) The Battle of Ushant, also known as the Battle of Brittany, occurred on the early morning of 9 June 1944 and was an engagement between German and Allied destroyer flotillas off the coast of Brittany. The action came shortly after the initial Allied landings in Normandy. After a confused engagement during the night the Allies sank one of the German destroyers and forced another ashore, where she was wrecked. On 6 June 1944, the day of the first landings in Normandy, the remnants of the German 8th destroyer flotilla, consisting of the Type 36A and ,

title: Reichskommissariat of Belgium and Northern France

text: Reichskommissariat of Belgium and Northern France The "Reichskommissariat" of Belgium and Northern France was a German civil administration ("Zivilverwaltung") which governed German-occupied Belgium during World War II. The "Reichskommissariat" replaced an earlier military government, the Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France, established in the same territory in 1940. On 18 July 1944, the first Gauleiter, Josef Grohé, was named the first "Reichskommissar" of the territory, known as the "Reichskommissariat Belgien und Nordfrankreich" or "Reichskommissariat für die besetzten Gebiete von Belgien und Nordfrankreich". The territory was mostly liberated by the Allies in September 1944, in the aftermath of the Normandy

title: Rape during the liberation of France

text: Rape during the liberation of France Rape during the liberation of France is documented both during and after the advance of United States forces across France against Nazi Germany in later stages of World War II. The invasion of Normandy in June and a second invasion in the south in August, put over two million front line and support troops of the Western Allies into France in 1944. The Liberation of Paris followed on 25 August. Except for German forces penned in the south-west (e.g., around Bordeaux) or in ports, the majority of German troops were pushed back to the

title: Dwight D. Eisenhower

text: in which he made improper comments about postwar policy. The D-Day Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, were costly but successful. Two months later (August 15), the invasion of Southern France took place, and control of forces in the southern invasion passed from the AFHQ to the SHAEF. Many thought that victory in Europe would come by summer's end, but the Germans did not capitulate for almost a year. From then until the end of the war in Europe on May 8, 1945, Eisenhower, through SHAEF, commanded all Allied forces, and through his command of ETOUSA had administrative command of

title: Operation Queen

text: mid-December the Allies finally reached the Rur and tried to capture its important dams, when the Germans launched their own offensive dubbed "Wacht am Rhein". The ensuing Battle of the Bulge led to the immediate cessation of the Allied offensive efforts into Germany until February 1945. In June 1944, the Allies conducted the invasion in Northern France and opened a second front. After the Allied breakout from Normandy, the German "Wehrmacht" was involved in a string of disastrous battles in July and August, most notably the Falaise pocket. Following those events, the German defense in northern and western France disintegrated,

title: 100th Fighter Squadron

text: fighter. In combat, the unit engaged enemy forces in the Rome-Arno area, then during the D-Day landings in France, took part in the Normandy and Northern France campaigns. It returned to the MTO in August 1944, flying combat missions supporting the Invasion of southern France and attacking enemy targets in Northern Italy, Po Valley, the German Rhineland and the Western Allied invasion of Germany during March and April 1945. With the end of the War in Europe in May 1945, the squadron was returned to Southern Italy, being stationed at Lucera Airfield, near Foggia where the unit slowly was demobilized

title: Theodor Weissenberger

text: Germany. Weissenberger was promoted to "Hauptmann" on 1 June 1944. On 3 June he arrived in Herzogenaurach to take over command of I. "Gruppe" (1st Group) of JG 5. The former "Gruppenkommandeur" "Major" Horst Carganico had been killed in a flying accident on 27 May 1944. Three days after Weissenberger took command, the Allied invasion of Normandy began. To counter the invasion, elements of I./JG 5 were transported to France by train that afternoon. The ground personnel were flown on Junkers Ju 52s to their airfield at Montdidier, south of Amiens. The following day, Weissenberger took I. "Gruppe" into combat,

title: 34th Bomb Squadron

text: Corsican Campaign; and Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, during the summer of 1944. Moving into southern France, the squadron supported American ground forces moving north through Lyon and eventually joined American forces in eastern France which had participated in the northern France Campaign after the Normandy D-Day landings in June. The 39th participated in the Western Allied invasion of Germany in the spring of 1945, carrying out tactical bombing missions from Lyon Airfield, primarily hitting enemy targets in central and southern Germany until the German capitulation in May. After the end of hostilities, the 34th became part of

title: Joseph Darnand

text: members. The organization played an important role in investigating the French Resistance. After the Normandy Invasion and Allied advance, Darnand fled to Germany in September 1944 and joined Pétain's puppet government in the Sigmaringen enclave. He received a promotion to "Sturmbannführer" on 1 November 1944. In April 1945, he had to flee from Sigmaringen to Meran in Northern Italy. He was captured by the British in Italy on 25 June 1945 and taken back to France, where he was sentenced to death on 3 October 1945 and executed by firing squad on 10 October 1945 at the Fort de Châtillon.

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General George Marshall, and much of the American staff wanted to avoid operations that might delay an invasion of Europe, which had been discussed and planned as early as 1942, and which finally materialized as Operation Overlord in 1944. When it became clear that no cross-channel invasion of occupied France could be undertaken in 1943, it was agreed to invade Sicily, with no commitment made to any follow-up operations. However, both Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the U.S. President, accepted the necessity of Allied armies continuing to engage the Axis in the period after

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: Allied invasion of Italy The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place on 3 September 1943 during the early stages of the Italian Campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group (comprising General Mark W. Clark's Fifth Army and General Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army) and followed the successful invasion of Sicily. The main invasion force landed around Salerno on 9 September on the western coast in Operation Avalanche, while two supporting operations took place in Calabria (Operation Baytown) and Taranto (Operation Slapstick).

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: of historian Carlo D'Este, Clark "mistakenly believed he had saved the Allied invasion by his leadership, when in fact it was precisely his inexperience that precipitated most of the problems the invasion force faced." Allied invasion of Italy The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place on 3 September 1943 during the early stages of the Italian Campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group (comprising General Mark W. Clark's Fifth Army and General Bernard Montgomery's British Eighth Army) and followed the successful

title: Battle of France

text: Battle of France The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries during the Second World War. In the six weeks from 10 May 1940, German forces defeated Allied forces by mobile operations and conquered France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, bringing land operations on the Western Front to an end until 6 June 1944. Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940 and invaded France over the Alps. The German plan for the invasion consisted of two main operations. In "Fall Gelb" (Case Yellow), German armoured units

title: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

text: the experience of what truly happened in the conflict, and its stylized, selective misrepresentation through "simulacra". The Gulf War Did Not Take Place The Gulf War Did Not Take Place () is a collection of three short essays by Jean Baudrillard published in the French newspaper "Libération" and British paper "The Guardian" between January and March 1991. Contrary to the title, the author believes that the events and violence of the Gulf War actually took place, whereas the issue is one of interpretation: were the events that took place comparable to how they were presented, and could these events be

title: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

text: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place The Gulf War Did Not Take Place () is a collection of three short essays by Jean Baudrillard published in the French newspaper "Libération" and British paper "The Guardian" between January and March 1991. Contrary to the title, the author believes that the events and violence of the Gulf War actually took place, whereas the issue is one of interpretation: were the events that took place comparable to how they were presented, and could these events be called a war? The title is a reference to the play "The Trojan War Will Not

title: Vichy France

text: landing of the Allies in North Africa (Operation Torch) on 8 November 1942. Following the conclusion of the operation on 12 November, Vichy's remaining military forces were disbanded. Vichy continued to exercise its remaining jurisdiction over almost all of metropolitan France, with the residual power devolved into the hands of Laval, until the gradual collapse of the regime following the Allied invasion in June 1944. On 7 September 1944, following the Allied invasion of France, the remainders of the Vichy government cabinet fled to Germany and established a puppet government in exile in the so-called Sigmaringen enclave. That rump government

title: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

text: Take Place" by Jean Giraudoux (in which characters attempt to prevent what the audience knows is inevitable). The essays in "Libération" and "The Guardian" were published before, during and after the Gulf War and they were titled accordingly: during the American military and rhetorical buildup as "The Gulf War Will not take Place"; during military action as "The Gulf War is not Taking Place", and after action was over, "The Gulf War Did Not Take Place". A book of elongated versions of the truncated original articles in French was published in May 1991. The English translation was published in early

title: Mediterranean Theater of Operations

text: Sir Henry M. Wilson. Wilson's title became Supreme Commander, Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. As such he exercised strategic control over the campaign in Italy. He strongly advocated the invasion of Germany via the Danube plain (instead of Operation "Dragoon", codename for the Allied invasion of Southern France), but this did not take place as the Allied Armies in Italy (AAI) were constantly weakened to support other theaters of war. Wilson was in command for just under a year, until he was sent to Washington in December 1944 as head of the British Joint Staff Mission. Wilson was succeeded by Field

title: Allied invasion of Sicily

text: to another regiment, where he died in November 1943 in the fighting in Italy. Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II, in which the Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers ( the Kingdom of Italy and Nazi Germany). It began with a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian Campaign. "Husky" began on the night of 9–10 July 1943, and ended on 17 August. Strategically, "Husky" achieved the goals set out for it by Allied

title: Battle of Toulon (1944)

text: by the Germans who took equipment off the scuttled French fleet ships, installing two 340mm turrets and 75 medium-sized guns along the coast. On 13 August 1944 as part of Operation Nutmeg, the 17th Bombardment Group attacked Toulon Harbour twice, with Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft, experiencing heavy anti aircraft fire. The groundwork was laid by the Allied invasion of southern France in Operation Dragoon on 15 August 1944 by the United States Seventh Army under General Patch, with support from the French First Army. Patch gave the order to General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny to take the cities of

title: Allied siege of La Rochelle

text: Allied siege of La Rochelle The Allied siege of La Rochelle occurred during the Second World War in 1944–45, when Allied troops invaded France. La Rochelle was an important German base on the Atlantic, especially a major submarine base from where U-boat campaigns were launched. Until the end of the war, La Rochelle was, with other harbours such as Royan and Saint-Nazaire, one of the remaining Atlantic pockets occupied by the Germans, which had been bypassed by the main thrust of the Allied invasion. On the North Sea, Dunkirk was similarly bypassed. The city was liberated only at the very

title: Zero Hour (1944 film)

text: attacks on communication systems and enemy strongpoints. Larger raids such as the Dieppe Raid in 1942 were preludes to massive invasion operations later. With Nazi Germany bogged down in Operation Barbarossa, an attack on the Soviet Union, a second front was possible, but first, Allied operations in North Africa with the objective of driving the Axis powers from North Africa, was launched. Next was an assault on Axis-held Italy. Fighting on many fronts, the "Wehrmacht" was under great pressure. In 1944, as Allied arsenals built a vast array of weaponry, a massive invasion force was created to invade Fortress Europe,

title: Allied invasion of Sicily

text: the Axis aircraft had been forced to leave the island. Between mid-May and the invasion, Allied airmen flew 42,227 sorties and destroyed 323 German and 105 Italian aircraft, for the loss of 250 aircraft, mostly to anti-aircraft fire over Sicily. Operations began in May against the small island of Pantelleria, some south-west of Sicily and north-west of Malta, to prevent the airfield there being used in support of Axis troops attempting to withdraw from North Africa. On 13 and 31 May the cruiser "Orion" bombarded the island and from 6 June, Allied attacks increased. On 11 June, after a naval

title: 1st Airborne Task Force (Allied)

text: 1st Airborne Task Force (Allied) The 1st Airborne Task Force was a short-lived Allied airborne unit that was active during World War II created for Operation "Dragoon"–the invasion of Southern France. Formed in July 1944, under the command of Major General Robert T. Frederick, it took part in the "Dragoon" landings on 15 August 1944, securing the area north-west of the landing beaches, before moving towards the French-Italian border as part of the United States Seventh Army. The unit was disbanded in November 1944. In the initial plans for the invasion of France it was proposed that two forces would

title: 321st Air Expeditionary Wing

text: missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. The group received two DUC's: for completing a raid on an air drome near Athens, 8 October 1943, in spite of intense flak and attacks by numerous enemy interceptors; and

title: 379th Bombardment Squadron

text: The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. It took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusa islands during June and the invasion of Sicily in July. It was also involved in the landing on the Italian mainland at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. It was inactivated in Italy after the German capitulation

title: 445th Air Expeditionary Squadron

text: yards, rail lines, highways, bridges, viaducts, troop concentrations, gun emplacements, shipping, harbors, and other objectives in North Africa. The squadron also engaged in psychological warfare missions, dropping propaganda leaflets behind enemy lines. Took part in the Allied operations against Axis forces in North Africa during March–May 1943, the reduction of Pantelleria and Lampedusain islands during June, the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. Inactivated in Italy

title: Invasion of Normandy

text: the invasion General Bernard Montgomery and Eisenhower's Chief of Staff General Walter Bedell Smith wished to proceed with the invasion. Commander of the Allied Air Forces Air Chief Marshal Leigh Mallory was doubtful, but Allied Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Bertram Ramsay believed that conditions would be marginally favorable. On the strength of Stagg's forecast, Eisenhower ordered the invasion to proceed. As a result, prevailing overcast skies limited Allied air support, and no serious damage would be done to the beach defences on Omaha and Juno. The Germans meanwhile took comfort from the existing poor conditions, which were worse over Northern France

title: Western Allied invasion of Germany

text: Western Allied invasion of Germany The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the Allied invasion of Germany, a series of Offensive Operations were designed to seize and capture the east and west bank of the Rhine River. Operation Veritable and Operation Grenade in February 1945, and Operation Lumberjack and Operation Undertone in March 1945. Allied invasion of Germany started with the Western Allies crossing the Rhine River on 22 March 1945 before fanning out and overrunning all of

title: Invasion of Elba

text: Invasion of Elba The invasion of Elba, codenamed Operation "Brassard", was part of the Italian campaign during the Second World War. The invasion was carried out by Free French Forces supported by British and American ships and aircraft. According to the testimony of captured Germans, Allied activity had been observed on Corsica, thus the defenders were aware of the impending invasion 24 hours in advance. They resisted for two days before being given permission to withdraw to the mainland. The Allied 15th Army Group—under the command of General Sir Harold Alexander—captured Rome on 4 June 1944 and forced the German

title: The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

text: 1995 translated by Paul Patton. Baudrillard argued the Gulf War was not really a war, but rather an atrocity which "masqueraded" as a war. Using overwhelming airpower, the American military for the most part did not directly engage in combat with the Iraqi army, and suffered few casualties. Almost nothing was made known about Iraqi deaths. Thus, the fighting "did not really take place" from the point of view of the west. Moreover, all that spectators got to know about the war was in the form of propaganda imagery. The closely watched media presentations made it impossible to distinguish between

title: Vichy France

text: lost one colony after another to Charles de Gaulle's Allied-oriented Free France. Public opinion in some quarters turned against the French government and the occupying German forces over time, when it became clear that Germany was losing the war, and resistance to them increased. Following the Allied invasion of France in June 1944 and the liberation of France later that year, the Free French Provisional government of the French Republic (GPRF) was installed by the Allies as France's government, led by de Gaulle. Under a "national unanimity" cabinet uniting the many factions of the French Resistance, the GPRF re-established a

title: Military history of the United States during World War II

text: the North African Campaign and then employed more significantly with British Forces in Italy in 1943–45, where U.S. forces, representing about a third of the Allied forces deployed, bogged down after Italy surrendered and the Germans took over. Finally the main invasion of France took place in June 1944, under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Air Forces and the British Royal Air Force engaged in the area bombardment of German cities and systematically targeted German transportation links and synthetic oil plants, as it knocked out what was left of the Luftwaffe post Battle of Britain in 1944.

title: Invasion of Normandy

text: important of these being Portsmouth. Allied forces rehearsed their D-Day roles for months before the invasion. On 28 April 1944, in south Devon on the English coast, 749 U.S. soldiers and sailors were killed when German torpedo boats surprised one of these landing exercises, Exercise Tiger. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allied forces conducted a deception operation, Operation Fortitude, aimed at misleading the Germans with respect to the date and place of the invasion. There were several leaks prior to or on D-Day. Through the Cicero affair, the Germans obtained documents containing references to Overlord, but

title: 428th Bombardment Squadron

text: during June, the invasion of Sicily in July and the landing at Salerno in September. The squadron was also involved in the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. It was inactivated in Italy after the German capitulation in September 1945. From 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided

title: Adolf Hitler

text: of Kursk. Hitler's military judgement became increasingly erratic, and Germany's military and economic position deteriorated, as did Hitler's health. Following the allied invasion of Sicily in 1943, Mussolini was removed from power by Victor Emmanuel III after a vote of no confidence of the Grand Council. Marshal Pietro Badoglio, placed in charge of the government, soon surrendered to the Allies. Throughout 1943 and 1944, the Soviet Union steadily forced Hitler's armies into retreat along the Eastern Front. On 6 June 1944, the Western Allied armies landed in northern France in one of the largest amphibious operations in history, Operation Overlord.

title: Japanese invasion of French Indochina

text: United States, most notably increasing American concerns about Japan's moves in China and the possibility of a crippling oil embargo on Japan. To prepare for an invasion of the Dutch East Indies, some 140,000 Japanese troops invaded southern Indochina on 28 July 1941. French troops and the civil administration were allowed to remain, albeit under Japanese supervision. With the Allied invasion of France in 1944, Japan suspected that the French authorities in Indo-China might assist any Allied operations in the region. Therefore, a Japanese coup d'état in French Indochina deposed the French authorities in the spring of 1945. Japanese invasion

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: the Allied advantages in mechanised equipment and air superiority. It took until mid-January 1944 to fight through the Volturno, Barbara and Bernhardt lines to reach the Gustav Line, the backbone of the Winter Line defenses, setting the scene for the four battles of Monte Cassino which took place between January and May 1944. Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, the U.S. Fifth Army commander, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. award for valor in combat, for his front-line leadership during this crisis. He was frequently seen in the most forward positions encouraging the troops. However, in the opinion

title: Allied invasion of Sicily

text: Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II, in which the Allies took the island of Sicily from the Axis powers ( the Kingdom of Italy and Nazi Germany). It began with a large amphibious and airborne operation, followed by a six-week land campaign, and initiated the Italian Campaign. "Husky" began on the night of 9–10 July 1943, and ended on 17 August. Strategically, "Husky" achieved the goals set out for it by Allied planners; the Allies drove Axis air, land and naval forces from the island and

title: Invasion of France (1795)

text: Invasion of France (1795) The invasion of France in 1795 or the Battle of Quiberon was a major landing on the Quiberon peninsula by émigré, counter-revolutionary troops in support of the Chouannerie and Vendée Revolt, beginning on 23 June and finally definitively repulsed on 21 July. It aimed to raise the whole of western France in revolt, bring an end to the French Revolution and restore the French monarchy. The invasion failed; it had a major negative impact, dealing a disastrous blow to the royalist cause. Louis XVIII and the comte d’Artois (the future Charles X of France) divided the

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: two hours traveling from the transports to the landing beaches. On the German side, Albrecht von Kesselring lacked the strength to push the Salerno landing back, and was refused two panzer divisions from northern Italy to assist him. Operation Avalanche was planned under the name Top Hat and supported by a deception plan, Operation Boardman, a false threat of an Allied invasion of the Balkans. In mid-August, the Germans had activated Army Group B ("Heeresgruppe B") under Erwin Rommel with responsibility for German troops in Italy as far south as Pisa. Army Command South ("OB Süd") under Albert Kesselring continued

title: Swedish invasion of Brandenburg (1674–75)

text: Swedish invasion of Brandenburg (1674–75) The Swedish invasion of Brandenburg (1674–75) () involved the occupation of the undefended Margraviate of Brandenburg by a Swedish army launched from Swedish Pomerania during the period 26 December 1674 to the end of June 1675. The Swedish invasion sparked the Swedish-Brandenburg War that, following further declarations of war by European powers allied with Brandenburg, expanded into a North European conflict that did not end until 1679. The trigger for the Swedish invasion was the participation of a 20,000 strong Brandenburg Army in the Holy Roman Empire's war on France as part of the Franco-Dutch

title: Allied invasion of Italy order of battle

text: Reggio di Calabria) British XIII Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey Commanded by Field Marshal ("Generalfeldmarschall") Albert Kesselring Commanded by General ("Generaloberst") Heinrich von Vietinghoff Commanded by Major-General ("Generalleutnant") Hermann Balck (acting commander). Commanded by Lieutenant-General ("General der Panzertruppe") Traugott Herr. Allied invasion of Italy order of battle Allied Invasion of Italy Order of Battle is a listing of the significant Allied and Axis formations that were involved during the Allied invasion of Italy (the landings at Salerno, Reggio and Taranto) 3 September – 16 September 1943. Allied 15th Army Group under the command of General Sir Harold Alexander. (Operation

text: Allied invasion of Italy order of battle Allied Invasion of Italy Order of Battle is a listing of the significant Allied and Axis formations that were involved during the Allied invasion of Italy (the landings at Salerno, Reggio and Taranto) 3 September – 16 September 1943. Allied 15th Army Group under the command of General Sir Harold Alexander. (Operation "Avalanche" at Salerno) U.S. Fifth Army commanded by Lieutenant General Mark Clark. U.S. VI Corps commanded by Major General Ernest J. Dawley British X Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery. British Eighth Army commanded by General Bernard Montgomery (Operation "Baytown" at

title: 33d Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron

text: D-Day, 6 June 1944. Afterwards engaged in highly dangerous unarmed reconnaissance of Northern France, the Low Countries and Germany as Allied armies moved west during the Northern France Campaign during the balance of 1944 and the Allied Invasion of Western Germany, spring 1945. Provided battlefield intelligence primarily to the United States Third Army, however also flew reconnaissance missions for the United States First and Ninth Armies as requested. Assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe after the German Capitation in May 1945, was part of the Army of Occupation in Germany before demobilizing during the summer of 1945;

title: 381st Bombardment Squadron

text: personnel were also involved in the invasion of Sicily in July, the landing at Salerno on the Italian mainland in September, the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. It was inactivated in Italy after the German capitulation in September 1945. The squadron was reactivated as part of the Air Force Reserve in 1947, it is unclear whether or not the squadron was manned or equipped. It was inactivated later that year. It was reactivated in 1952 as a

title: Italian invasion of France

text: Italian invasion of France The Italian invasion of France, also called the Battle of the Alps (10–25 June 1940), was the first major Italian engagement of World War II and the last major engagement of the Battle of France. Italy's entry into the war widened its scope considerably in Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. The goal of the Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was the elimination of Anglo-French domination in the Mediterranean, the reclamation of historically Italian territory (so-called "Italia irredenta") and the expansion of Italian influence over the Balkans and in Africa. France and Britain endeavoured throughout the 1930s to

title: The Longest Day (film)

text: and anticipating the reaction of the Axis forces defending northern France. The film pays particular attention to the decision by Gen. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of SHAEF, to go after reviewing the initial bad-weather reports as well as reports about the divisions within the German High Command as to where an invasion might happen or what the response to it should be. Numerous scenes document the early hours of June 6 when Allied airborne troops were sent in to take key locations inland from the beaches. The French resistance is also shown reacting to the news that an invasion has started.

title: Western Allied invasion of Germany

text: incurred crossing the Main. Further north the airborne landings during Operation Plunder in support of the 21st Army Group's crossing of the Rhine were probably not worth the risk. But these decisions were made in good faith and had little bearing on the ultimate outcome of the campaign. On the whole, Allied plans were excellent as demonstrated by how rapidly they met their objectives. Attribution: Western Allied invasion of Germany The Western Allied invasion of Germany was coordinated by the Western Allies during the final months of hostilities in the European theatre of World War II. In preparation for the

title: 1921 in France

text: needs reparations in order to restore her ruins, and that her revival depends on the payment of the German war debt. In the last days of 1921 the country was looking towards Cannes, where a new inter-Allied conference was due to take place. Fernand Léger, "Man and Woman" 1921 in France Events from the year 1921 in France. Before touching on the principal events which took place in France in the course of the year 1921, it is necessary to recall one or two of the outstanding facts of 1920 in France. The most important political event was the election

title: Italian invasion of France

text: done ... facilitated German policy", and forced Mussolini to review his armistice demands. Nevertheless, Italy's war aims remained geographically expansive. A programme published on 26 June set out the acquisition of Nice, Corsica, Tunisia, Malta, southern Switzerland and Cyprus as war aims, as well as replacing Britain and France in Egypt, Iraq, Somaliland, the Persian Gulf and southern Arabia. The overwhelming historical consensus is that the Italian military fared poorly during the invasion. On 21 June 1940, Ciano recorded in his diary that Mussolini felt humiliated by the invasion of France as "our troops have not made a step forward.

title: Military history of France during World War II

text: November 1944, defending against the German Nordwind counter-offensive in Alsace in January 1945, and conducting operations against the Royan Pocket on the Atlantic coast of France. Free French airborne commandos, called "Jedburgh", were dropped behind Nazi lines in Provence in order to support the upcoming Allied landing (Operation Dragoon) and prepare the French Resistance. This Allied operation was in conjunction with the Free French intelligence service Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA); famous French Jedburghs are Jean Sassi and Paul Aussaresses. Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France, on August 15, 1944, as part of World War

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: a condition of the Italian armistice. Because the distance from the Allied beachheads precluded any substantial Allied support of the airborne troops, Brigadier General Maxwell D. Taylor, the acting assistant division commander (ADC) of the 82nd Airborne Division, was spirited into Rome to assess the willingness of Italian troops to cooperate with the Americans. Taylor's judgment was that the operation would be a trap and he advised cancellation, which occurred late on the afternoon of 8 September after pathfinders had already taken off aboard their troop carrier aircraft. The main landings (Operation Avalanche) were scheduled to take place on 9

title: Third and fourth terms of the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt

text: Africa in May 1943. Meanwhile, the United States won a decisive victory over Japan in the Battle of Midway and began a campaign of island hopping in the Pacific Ocean. In 1943, the Allies launched an invasion of Italy and continued to pursue the island hopping strategy. The major Allied leaders met at the Tehran Conference in 1943, where they began to discuss post-war plans. Among the concepts discussed was the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization championed by Roosevelt that would replace the League of Nations after the war. In 1944, the U.S. launched a successful invasion of northern France

title: Allied Forces Northern Europe

text: June 1952 no units had been earmarked or allocated for it. Major General Homer L. Sanders held command September 1954-September 1957. Major General Carl D. Peterson became Air Deputy in June 1977. Until the formation of BALTAP around 1962, AFNORTH comprised Allied Land Forces Norway, Allied Land Forces Denmark, and Allied Air Forces and Allied Naval Forces, Northern Europe (four commands). In 1989 at the end of the Cold War AFNORTH's major subordinate commands were Allied Forces North Norway; Allied Forces South Norway; and Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (Karup). BALTAP comprised AIRBALTAP, NAVBALTAP, LANDZEALAND, responsible for the land defence of

title: Battle of France

text: south-east and the Vichy regime retained the unoccupied territory in the south, known as the "zone libre". The Germans occupied the zone under "Fall Anton" in November 1942, until the Allied liberation in the summer of 1944. During the 1930s, the French had built the Maginot Line, fortifications along the border with Germany. The line was intended to deter a German invasion across the Franco-German border and funnel an attack into Belgium, which could then be met by the best divisions of the French Army. A war would take place outside of French territory avoiding a repeat of the First

title: 525th Bombardment Squadron

text: plants, submarine pens, airfields and communications centers in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Poland. During the Battle of Northern France, the squadron bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24–25 July 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, and the Western Allied invasion of Germany, February–April 1945. After the German Capitulation, was reassigned to Air Transport Command in June 1945 as part of Operation Green.

title: 526th Bombardment Squadron

text: storage plants, submarine pens, airfields and communications centers in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Poland. During the Battle of Northern France, the squadron bombed enemy positions to assist ground troops at St Lo during the breakthrough, 24–25 July 1944, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, and bombed bridges and viaducts in France and Germany to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine, and the Western Allied invasion of Germany, February–April 1945. After the German Capitulation, was reassigned to Air Transport Command in June 1945 as part of Operation

title: Samuel Tankersley Williams

text: Ombres" Infantry Division, the organization with which he had served in during World War I. Reactivated for World War II, the 90th Division took part in Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Northern France. The 90th Infantry Division landed at Utah Beach on D-Day+1 (June 7, 1944, a day after the initial invasion). While en route to their landing site, Williams and numerous 90th Division soldiers were on board the transport ship "Susan B. Anthony" when it struck a mine. Though he did not know how to swim, Williams supervised the evacuation of the wounded and transfer of soldiers to

title: 20th Bomb Squadron

text: July 1943; and Operation Avalanche, the invasion of Italy in September. The squadron was transferred to Fifteenth Air Force control in December 1943 and engaged in bombing operations primarily in Italy in support of the Allied drive north toward Rome from January to June 1944. It also supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944 and the campaigns against German forces in northern Italy from June 1944 until the end of the war. The unit engaged primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets after October 1943, attacking oil refineries, aircraft factories, steel plants, and other objectives in

text: into the B Army ("Armée B") for the invasion of Southern France. Operation Diadem was a successful Allied assault, including the Free French Corps, on German Gustav Line defences in the Liri valley in Italy. Breaking through the German defensive lines, it relieved pressure on the Anzio beachhead. This success was followed in June 1944 by the invasion of Elba in which the 9th Colonial Infantry Division (9 DIC) and "Choc" (special forces) battalions of I Corps assaulted and seized the heavily fortified island, defended by German fortress infantry and coastal artillery troops. Combat on the island was characterized by

title: Allied Forces Northern Europe

text: of 30 June 1994. The HQ that replaced it, HQ Allied Forces Northwestern Europe (AFNORTHWEST), located at RAF High Wycombe in the United Kingdom, was activated in the afternoon of 30 June 1994. AFNORTHWEST directed three Principal Subordinate Commanders: Commander Allied Air Forces Northwestern Europe (COMAIRNORTHWEST), Commander Allied Naval Forces Northwestern Europe (COMNAVNORTHWEST) (the former EASTLANT/CINCHAN), and Commander Allied Forces Northern Europe (COMNORTH), an amalgamation of Allied Forces North and South Norway. In addition, in various circumstances Baltic Approaches naval forces would report to either CINCNORTHWEST or COMNAVNORTHWEST. AFCENT, located in Brunssum in the Netherlands, was renamed AFNORTH. AFNORTHWEST was

title: Battle of Toulon (1944)

text: for an invasion in southern France, too. Finally, after many delays, on 14 July 1944, Operation Dragoon was authorized by the Allied Combined Chiefs of Staff. Toulon was not a good target for an amphibious assault, it was well defended from a seaborne assault, so it would have to be taken from the land. The land approaches were also defended. A 700m high hill provided excellent artillery and observation positions. Ridges nearby were protected by French pillboxes. In 1941-2, as a token of goodwill to the Germans, the Government of Vichy France strengthened the defences. These defences were strengthened further

title: Bay of Pigs Invasion

text: that the Soviet Union knew the invasion was going to take place, and did not inform Kennedy. On 13 April 1961, Radio Moscow broadcast an English-language newscast, predicting the invasion "in a plot hatched by the CIA" using paid "criminals" within a week. The invasion took place four days later. David Ormsby-Gore, British Ambassador to the US, stated that British intelligence analysis, as made available to the CIA, indicated that the Cuban people were predominantly behind Castro, and that there was no likelihood of mass defections or insurrections. From June to September 1960, the most time consuming task was the

title: Allied invasion of Italy

text: the Mediterranean theatre, and it was they who planned and commanded the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. The Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, codenamed Operation Husky, was highly successful, although many of the Axis forces managed to avoid capture and escape to the mainland. The Axis viewed this as a success. More importantly, in late July, "a coup" deposed Mussolini as head of the Italian government, which then began approaching the Allies to make peace. It was believed a quick invasion of Italy might hasten an Italian surrender and produce quick military victories over the German

title: I SS Panzer Corps

text: being sporadically engaged in anti-partisan operations in northern Italy. By December 1943, the corps was fully formed and deemed ready for action, with its HQ being set up in Brussels in early 1944. In April 1944, the corps was moved to Septeuil, to the west of Paris, where it was assigned the SS Division Leibstandarte, SS Division Hitlerjugend, Panzer-Lehr-Division and the SS Division Götz von Berlichingen. The corps was attached to 5th Panzer Army, the Western theatre's armoured reserve. With the launch of Operation Overlord, the allied invasion of France on 6 June 1944, the corps was ordered to Falaise.

title: Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories

text: French Republic in the name of the Free French Forces and the united French Resistance (FFI) following the liberation of Paris by the French themselves instead of the Allies, in August 1944. Germany's control was notably divided amongst the powers of the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. After Operation Husky, with the Allied Invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943, the Allied Military Government was established with Staff Officer Francis Rodd, 2nd Baron Rennell and Civil Affairs officer colonel Charles Poletti, until February 1944. The Allied Military Government of Zone A of the Free Territory

title: Foreign relations of Vichy France

text: blockade. Free French and the Allied forces recaptured the colony's capital of Djibouti at the end of 1942. A local battalion from Djibouti participated in the liberation of France in 1944. The Allied invasion French North Africa, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, started on 8 November 1942 with landings in Morocco and Algeria. The invasion, known as Operation Torch, was launched because the Soviet Union had pressed the United States and Britain to start operations in Europe, and open a second front to reduce the pressure of German forces on the Russian troops. While the American commanders favored landing in occupied

title: France in the twentieth century

text: UK and coordinated resistance movements in occupied and Vichy France. By August 1944, 260,000 French regulars and 300,000 FFI were fighting in France. After four years of occupation and strife, Allied forces, including Free France, liberated France in 1944. Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944. On September 10, 1944 Charles de Gaulle installed his provisional government in Paris. This time he remained in Paris until the end of the war, refusing to abandon even when Paris was temporarily threatened by German troops during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. But France could now again participate as a

title: Italian invasion of France

text: Our infantry had to advance in the open against well-protected troops through a field under French artillery fire. . . And all this was to happen in three to four days. In these conditions, greater Italian manpower has no advantage. . . It would be a mistake to say that a battle was fought in the western Alps; what took place were only preliminary actions, technically called 'making contact'. It is not possible to speak in terms of victory or defeat. . . Italian invasion of France The Italian invasion of France, also called the Battle of the Alps (10–25

title: 447th Missile Squadron

text: The squadron was also involved in the Allied advance toward Rome during January–June 1944, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 and the Allied operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to April 1945. On 11 November 1944 the aircraft pictured (right) was part of an 18 aircraft formation which attacked three enemy troop convoys and dropped fragmentation bombs on them while attempting to move though the Brenner Pass. The aircraft was hit by ground fire and about 60% of its right vertical tail was blown off. However, the Mitchell was able to return to its base on Corsica

text: an invasion of France in mid-1944, and the Allied Powers began to build up a force for that operation, diverting soldiers from the Italian Campaign. To command the invasion of France, Roosevelt passed over Marshall and in favor of General Eisenhower. Roosevelt had originally wanted to appoint Marshall to the command, but top military leaders argued that Marshall was indispensable in his role in Washington. While building up forces in Britain, the Allied Powers engaged in Operation Bodyguard, an elaborate campaign designed to mask where the Allies would land in Northwestern Europe. Eisenhower launched Operation Overlord, a landing in the

title: Bombing of Yawata (June 1944)

text: Bombing of Yawata (June 1944) The Bombing of Yawata on the night of 15/16 June 1944 was the first air raid on the Japanese home islands conducted by United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) strategic bombers during World War II. The raid was undertaken by 75 B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers staging from bases in China. Only 47 of these aircraft bombed the raid's primary target, the Imperial Iron and Steel Works at Yawata in northern Kyūshū, and little damage was caused. Five B-29s were lost in accidents during the operation and two were destroyed by Japanese aircraft. While the raid

title: Operation Animals

text: to deceive the Axis powers into believing that the Allied invasion of southern Europe would be in Greece and not Sicily. In late 1942, with on-going Allied success in the North African Campaign, the thoughts of the military planners turned to the next target. British planners considered that an invasion of France from Britain could not take place until 1944, and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, wanted to use the Allied forces from North Africa to attack Europe's "soft underbelly". There were two possible targets for the Allies to attack. The first option was Sicily; control of the island would

title: Operation Mincemeat

text: As part of his duties, Montagu had been briefed on the need for deception operations to aid the Allied war aims in a forthcoming invasion operation in the Mediterranean. In late 1942, with the Allied success in the North African Campaign, military planners turned to the next target. British planners considered that an invasion of France from Britain could not take place until 1944 and the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, wanted to use the Allied forces from North Africa to attack Europe's "soft underbelly". There were two possible targets for the Allies to attack. The first option was Sicily; control

title: Allied invasion of Sicily

text: the Mediterranean sea lanes were opened for Allied merchant ships for the first time since 1941. The Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was toppled from power in Italy and the way was opened for the Allied invasion of Italy. The German leader, Adolf Hitler, "canceled a major offensive at Kursk after only a week, in part to divert forces to Italy", resulting in a reduction of German strength on the Eastern Front. The collapse of Italy necessitated German troops replacing the Italians in Italy and to a lesser extent the Balkans, resulting in one fifth of the entire German army being

title: Allied invasion of Sicily

text: land commanders, Alexander, Montgomery and Patton, were fully occupied in operations in Tunisia. Effort was wasted in presenting plans that Montgomery in particular disliked because of the dispersion of forces involved. He was finally able to articulate his objections and put forward alternative proposals on 24 April. Tedder and Cunningham opposed Montgomery's plan because it would leave 13 landing grounds in Axis hands, posing a considerable threat to the Allied invasion fleet. Eisenhower called a meeting for 2 May with Montgomery, Cunningham and Tedder, in which Montgomery made new proposals to concentrate the Allied effort on the south east corner

title: 1944 Northern Rhodesian general election

text: 1944 Northern Rhodesian general election General elections were held in Northern Rhodesia on 29 September 1944. The eight elected members of the Legislative Council were elected from eight single-member constituencies. There were a total of 6,527 registered voters. All constituencies were contested by more than one candidate with the exception of Broken Hill, where Labour Party leader Roy Welensky was returned unopposed. The incumbent members for Livingstone and Western (Francis Sinclair), Luanshya (Michael McGann) and Nkana (Martin Visagie) did not run for re-election. Following the elections, a petition was sent to the Governor requesting the annulment of the result in

title: 1st Army (France)

text: General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny in the summer of 1944. It landed in southern France after Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of the area. On 25 September 1944 French Army B was redesignated French First Army. Liberating Marseilles, Toulon, and Lyon, it later formed the right flank of the Allied Southern Group of Armies (also known as the U.S. Sixth Army Group) at the southern end of the Allied front line, adjacent to Switzerland. It commanded two corps, the French I and II Corps. The French First Army liberated the southern area of the Vosges Mountains, including Belfort. Its

title: Vichy France

text: to relocate to the town of Vichy, to the south in the "zone libre", which thus became the "de facto" capital of the French State. Following the Allied landings in French North Africa in November 1942, southern France was also militarily occupied by Germany and Italy to protect the Mediterranean coastline. Petain's government remained in Vichy as the nominal government of France, albeit one that was obliged by circumstances to collaborate with Germany from November 1942 onwards. The government at Vichy remained there until late 1944, when it lost its de facto authority due to the Allied invasion of France