User:Greenshed/sandbox/Air operations during the Battle of Normandy

The air operations carried out during the Battle of Normandy were one of the most significant aerial warfare actions of the Second World War. Operations took place between June and August 1944 as part of the Battle of Normandy.

The Allied landing in Normandy was made possible by the air superiority enjoyed by Allied air forces over the Luftwaffe. Prior to D-Day, allied air forces prepared the invasion by bombing German supply lines, artillery batteries and by supplying the French Resistance from the air with ammunition and equipment.

On D-Day itself, Allied fighters secured the air space over the beaches and bomber aircraft attacked German positions further inland. The invasion fleet was protected by fighter aircraft which looked for German submarines. The task of the Allied aircraft was made easier as the Germans had believed that the landing would take place in the the Pas-de-Calais and so their fighter aircraft were not focussed on defending the air over Normandy.

After D-Day, Allied aircraft provided support to their soldiers on the ground by concentrating bombardments against enemy land forces. Allied fighter-bombers sought out German units in Normandy and fired at them in order to prevent them engaging Allied troops. The German armed forces hoped to repel the advance by the new technologies such as improved bombers and jet aircraft (which were never used). Additionally, the Germans depended upon their tried and tested armored divisions to win the battle. At the same time the Germans employed the V1 and V2 rockets to strike directly at British cities.

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Allied air forces could fulfill all tasks placed against it, although, as in case of the battle around Caen, with delay due to bad weather. The extent of the assigned forces was so far unequalled, the loss of nearly 17,000 allied crews within less than three months was the highest personnel and material victim in the history of the air war. Luftwaffe was not able to meet the allied supremacy crucially. The attempt to stop the allied advance by a substantial counterstroke during unfavorable flight weather in the winter 1944 failed likewise (Ardennenoffensive, Operation Bodenplatte).

Luftkrieg während der Operation Overlord.