If you guys are interested in D-day blundres i recommend you read "Sie kommen"from Paul Carrell.It’s basically D-day seen from the grman point of view.
Hitler wasn’t the only one who insisted upon leaving the main force in Calais, it was also on the assurance of… the general’s name escapes me, that he do it. Besides, the Calais were the most logical point for landing being the shortest distance from Britain to the continent. Rommel insisted that the attack would come against Normandy (or somewhere near) but Hitler pretty much ignored him, being the stubborn maniac he was.
" youve just made the second biggest mistake in the world! The first being never getting involved in a land war in Asia, but the almost equally bad is never turn your back on a Sicilian when death is on the line!" Princess Bride (thats more of a paraphrase then a qoute :)
Yes but Hitler allways had the last word… thats why the 15th army was the biggest and stationed in Pas De Calisas (sp) and why those mobile panzer divisions were kept in reserve untill it was too late to push the allies back into the sea.
Yes I agree with you guys, Hitler made a lot of crucial mistakes, I am sure glad he did because we could have been in a world of crap. I personally think that The Battle of Britain was the most crucial mistake, Hitler wasn’t able to get air superiority over Britain so he could launch his amphibious attacks, he lost a lot of aircraft and good pilots, his losses there really was the beginning of the end for him… That loss meant that now he either had to try and keep what he had and try and make some kind of a truce with the allies (stay out of Russia and be content with what he had)( + French resistance was horrible, for the aount of available fighting men and the amount that actually rebelled was just discraceful) or two go for it, and take over Russia which I can’t understand why??? Napoleon tried it, it’s just too vast, to support your troops out there is a tremendous task, and always trying to maintain what you have taken… Then going into Russia so late which I don’t know, they say the Russian winter had a major impact on Germany, and I am sure it did, but Russia put up one hell of a stand and just plain beat Germany. That was about it. I agree with you, I think if Rommel had his way he would have surrendered in 44’… Germany was in a major decline by 44’ its cities were being bombed out, factories destroyed, airforce annihilated even the Navy was in shambles and so many large losses on the Russian front… Germany was not in good shape in any means. I just wished we would have let Patton go into Germany first and keep the reds out, I think what the Russians did to the people of Germany after they took Berlin was horrible, But Russian leaders were horrible what do you expect.
I am sorry to get off the subject a little bit there… Yes I believe if Rommel actually had the Panzer divisions he would have been a great help to the Germans in Normandy - could he have got them there in time, probably would have and would have cost a a lot of American lives. OR, if British and American bombers, P51’s and Hurricanes would have picked them up, I think they could have made mince meat out of those tanks. Remember no real air support- in that scenario maybe the war would have been over even quicker than it did???
Well actually the battle of britain itself was not necassarily a German mistake. The way the battle of britain was fought was a mistake. In the beginning of the battle the Germans were smart to only target the British airforce. However, the air battle was lasting longer than Hitler wanted… so he decided he would bomb London instead. All of the german generals thought this was a huge mistake and wanted to keep attacking the airforce. In fact on the day that they started targetting london there were only 14 operational planes in the whole UK. If the German generals would have had their way the Germans would have won the battle of britain.
Thats correct but the thread is about 1944 d-day blunders.
I would suggest that even before D-Day the failure to have any intelligence on what the Allies were doing aside from what the OSS fed them was a blunder even before the first shot was fired. My understanding is the Germans never had an effective spy in England over the entire course of the war.
I wish I could remember where I read that.
probably “bodyguard of lies”
Well actually the battle of britain itself was not necassarily a German mistake. The way the battle of britain was fought was a mistake. In the beginning of the battle the Germans were smart to only target the British airforce. However, the air battle was lasting longer than Hitler wanted… so he decided he would bomb London instead. All of the german generals thought this was a huge mistake and wanted to keep attacking the airforce. In fact on the day that they started targetting london there were only 14 operational planes in the whole UK. If the German generals would have had their way the Germans would have won the battle of britain.
Even assuming Germany “wins” the air war, they never win the battle of Britain. Britain never gets successfully invaded, Germany just doesnt have the operational power to do so.
The mistake was in attacking Britain, rather than the Med. Taking Egypt (and gaining access to Iran/Iraq oil) and depriving UK of supplies was the only way to “win” (which eventually would not have worked as the USA would eventually enter the war and supply Britain with whatever was needed).
Had the med been conquered and become an axis lake, you could delay Torch till 44. Perhaps egypt is never retaken until 45. Which would give Germany time to mass produce its "super-weapons). This also assumes the blunders on the eastern front are also ignored.
Squirecam
P Panther moved this topic from Axis & Allies: D-Day on
