Dieppe to Berlin: D-Day

The Enemy

That enemy, though weakened, was still very dangerous. Five years of harsh fighting on several fronts especially in the Soviet Union had battered the Nazi forces. Nonetheless, the battle-hardened and expertly-led Wehrmacht remained the best fighting force in the world.

PHOTO: German prisoners captured by Canadian troops at Juno Beach on D-Day

As the likelihood of an invasion increased, German defenses in France were strengthened. Previously enemy troops used the Normandy region for training,  resting and refitting. Under the direction of the famous "Desert Fox", Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, huge steel- and concrete-reinforced pillboxes, barbed wire, mines, artillery, machine gun nests, mortar pits, and beach obstacles had been constructed to form the "Atlantic Wall". New units moved into position, including first-rate Panzer divisions and SS troops whose morale and determination had become legendary. These German forces also boasted superior weaponry, such as Panther and Tiger tanks and the deadly 88mm dual purpose antitank/antiaircraft gun.

PHOTO: Another photo of German prisoners captured at Juno Beach

All this guaranteed a hostile reception for the Allies. If the enemy's static formations on the Normandy shore could hold out long enough for their armored and motorized reserves to reach the coast, it could also be a fatal one.