The Allies made many preparations for operation Overlord. Operation Overlord was commandeered and planned by the United States and the British. Through the winter and spring of 1944, tens of thousands of allies were sent out on convoys to meet British troops in England. Rigorous training then ensued, including training in combat for fortified forces. The American President/General Dwight D. Eisen

The Nazis also had some tricks up their sleeves. The incredibly cheap and effective V-1 and V-2s were created, amongst other things. The German Fieseler FZG-76 (V-1) flying bomb had a range of 150 miles, traveling at a speed of 410 mph carrying 1,870 lbs of high explosives. The German Peenemunde A-4 (V-2) ballistic missile had 70,000 lbs of thrust, carrying 2,450 lbs of high explosives traveling up to 3,440 mph with a range of 185 miles. Along with these missiles, Hitler also had good naval support. U-boats were fitted with the Schnorkel, a device first appearing in the Atlantic. With this retractable pipe the U-boat could remain submerged at a depth of 20-25 feet under water using its diesel and vent its exhaust. The U-boats could also recharge their batteries with-out surfacing and remain under water for weeks on end. The Schnorkel actual made it so the success rate of American destroyers in their battle against the submarines had fallen by half. On the other hand, the Schnorkel slowed down their strategic speed. From a surface speed of 17 knots (20mph) the schnorkel-equipped submarines found their rate reduced to six knots (6 or 7mph). (Military Information source-Cavendish 26)

On D-Day the Allies had on the first day alone 5,000 ships and the largest “armada” ever formed. This included 11,000 aircrafts, 154,000 British, Canadian, and American soldiers, and 23,000 paratroopers. Within 12 days 600,000 more men were sent along with 90,000 vehicles. (Fighting Numbers-Cavendish 13)

The actual invasion itself was greatly supported by air and sea components. Allied air forces carried out three airborne divisions into battle, protected ground troops crossing the English Channel, and attacked targets throughout the invasion area before and after the landing in support of the assault forces. More than 5,000 ships from battleships to landing crafts carried, escorted, and landed the assault force along the Normandy coast. Once the force was landed naval gunfire provided critical support for the soldiers.

Within 12 days, 600,000 men and 90,000 vehicles were sent overseas to the beaches. Ten months of hard war lie ahead for the soldiers. Overall, without operation Overlord, WWII would have been much more difficult a war t

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