Dan Snow

And they would go in and provide armoured support exactly as those troops, those commandos landed on the shore. So actually, on Sword Beach, where this one commando I mentioned, where he landed, they got ashore. There were some casualties, but they managed to break through Hitler's Atlantic Wall, and they were advancing into Normandy minutes after they landed.

And they would go in and provide armoured support exactly as those troops, those commandos landed on the shore. So actually, on Sword Beach, where this one commando I mentioned, where he landed, they got ashore. There were some casualties, but they managed to break through Hitler's Atlantic Wall, and they were advancing into Normandy minutes after they landed.

There was, of course, one exception to that, Omaha Beach, where the Americans fought a terrifically hard battle. against German positions. If anyone's been to Omar Beach, they'll know that there's cliffs there, there's bluffs. The Germans have the advantage of height. It is a terrifying place to land.

There was, of course, one exception to that, Omaha Beach, where the Americans fought a terrifically hard battle. against German positions. If anyone's been to Omar Beach, they'll know that there's cliffs there, there's bluffs. The Germans have the advantage of height. It is a terrifying place to land.

There was, of course, one exception to that, Omaha Beach, where the Americans fought a terrifically hard battle. against German positions. If anyone's been to Omar Beach, they'll know that there's cliffs there, there's bluffs. The Germans have the advantage of height. It is a terrifying place to land.

The Germans, for various reasons, were a greater state of readiness, and the Americans there took terrible casualties as they fought heroically into and through those German positions.

The Germans, for various reasons, were a greater state of readiness, and the Americans there took terrible casualties as they fought heroically into and through those German positions.

The Germans, for various reasons, were a greater state of readiness, and the Americans there took terrible casualties as they fought heroically into and through those German positions.

You're right. There's tactical readiness and then there's strategic readiness as well. And the Germans didn't think the Allies were going to land in Normandy. It's about 60 miles from where I am now on the coast of the UK to Normandy Beach. In fact, about 70 miles. At its closest, the channel is only 20 miles. So if you go from Dover in Kent across to Calais, it's only 20 miles away.

You're right. There's tactical readiness and then there's strategic readiness as well. And the Germans didn't think the Allies were going to land in Normandy. It's about 60 miles from where I am now on the coast of the UK to Normandy Beach. In fact, about 70 miles. At its closest, the channel is only 20 miles. So if you go from Dover in Kent across to Calais, it's only 20 miles away.

You're right. There's tactical readiness and then there's strategic readiness as well. And the Germans didn't think the Allies were going to land in Normandy. It's about 60 miles from where I am now on the coast of the UK to Normandy Beach. In fact, about 70 miles. At its closest, the channel is only 20 miles. So if you go from Dover in Kent across to Calais, it's only 20 miles away.

So of course, the assumption was they'd attack across the narrows. And Hitler was convinced. Hitler had a meeting with a Japanese military official in Berlin, and the Japanese official reported it back to Japan. And we were able to, we know this because the codebreakers at the time were able to decrypt and intercept this message.

So of course, the assumption was they'd attack across the narrows. And Hitler was convinced. Hitler had a meeting with a Japanese military official in Berlin, and the Japanese official reported it back to Japan. And we were able to, we know this because the codebreakers at the time were able to decrypt and intercept this message.

So of course, the assumption was they'd attack across the narrows. And Hitler was convinced. Hitler had a meeting with a Japanese military official in Berlin, and the Japanese official reported it back to Japan. And we were able to, we know this because the codebreakers at the time were able to decrypt and intercept this message.

It's reported that Hitler was sure there'd be a diversionary attack in Normandy, but the main attack would come across the Narrows in Calais. And that's for several reasons. Double agents were feeding Hitler that information. There was something called Operation Fortitude, which was a massive deception campaign. There was a fake US Army group.

It's reported that Hitler was sure there'd be a diversionary attack in Normandy, but the main attack would come across the Narrows in Calais. And that's for several reasons. Double agents were feeding Hitler that information. There was something called Operation Fortitude, which was a massive deception campaign. There was a fake US Army group.

It's reported that Hitler was sure there'd be a diversionary attack in Normandy, but the main attack would come across the Narrows in Calais. And that's for several reasons. Double agents were feeding Hitler that information. There was something called Operation Fortitude, which was a massive deception campaign. There was a fake US Army group.

The best general, the Allied best general, was thought to be General Patton. the American general who'd showed his excellence in North Africa and Italy. And he was stuck in Kent. He was furious about that. He was stuck in Kent with a fake army, issuing orders, making public appearances, inspecting dummy tanks made out of plastic and balsa wood and rubber, fake landing craft.

The best general, the Allied best general, was thought to be General Patton. the American general who'd showed his excellence in North Africa and Italy. And he was stuck in Kent. He was furious about that. He was stuck in Kent with a fake army, issuing orders, making public appearances, inspecting dummy tanks made out of plastic and balsa wood and rubber, fake landing craft.

The best general, the Allied best general, was thought to be General Patton. the American general who'd showed his excellence in North Africa and Italy. And he was stuck in Kent. He was furious about that. He was stuck in Kent with a fake army, issuing orders, making public appearances, inspecting dummy tanks made out of plastic and balsa wood and rubber, fake landing craft.