A Brief History
On June 6, 1944, American, British, and Canadian forces stormed the heavily defended beaches of Normandy, France, signaling the doom of the Third Reich. This amphibious landing would not have happened, at least not successfully, without the following piece of allied equipment and weapons. Here we list 10 of those items we think are most important to the success of the operation.
Digging Deeper
10. Bangalore Torpedo.
This simple item is a metal pipe filled with explosives that can be attached in multiple sections to clear barbed wire obstacles and minefields. Invented by the British Army in 1912, these saw extensive use on D-Day, especially by the US Army. Without them, soldiers would be shot to pieces as they tried to fumble their way through barbed wire or blown to bits as they went through mine fields. (Or shot to pieces as they slowly made their way through mine fields.) Cracked fact: These are still in use today by the US Army and US Marine Corps and were used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
9. Main Battle Rifles.
The American forces used the M-1 Garand, the only semi-automatic rifle used at Normandy, providing 8 shots and rapid reload capability. The British forces used the Lee-Enfield (SMLE) which was a bolt action rifle like the German Mauser K-98, but the SMLE carried 10 rounds to the Mauser’s 5. These great rifles gave the allied infantrymen a distinct edge over their Nazi counterparts.
8. The Wristwatch.
Widespread issuing of wristwatches was critical to the timing of various bombardments and events to keep things synchronized and avoid killing friendly troops. Timing explosives, reporting on time and accurately logging events were all dependent on accurate time keeping.
7. Sherman Tank.
Although the M-4 Sherman was inferior to the best German tanks in main gun power and in armor protection, it was well defended against ground troops with 3 machine guns and was quite mobile. It was also one of the most reliable tanks of the war. Used in its normal configuration, as an amphibious “duplex drive” model, a “flail” anti-mine version, a “rhino” earthen wall penetrating model, and a bulldozer version, this was the main allied tank of the landings and the subsequent campaign. The British Army equipped theirs with a 76mm gun, much better at penetrating German tanks than the American 75mm gun. (In the Pacific a flamethrower version was highly effective.) The Sherman was also produced with a 60 tube rocket launching system and with a 105mm howitzer in place of the normal main gun. During the landings at Normandy, the tanks bound for Omaha beach were lost to rough water, but everywhere they landed the tanks made an enormous difference in the battle.
6. Naval Gunfire.
Since troops hitting a beach are without artillery for some time, supporting fire from naval guns is imperative. The Normandy landings had 5 battleships, 20 cruisers, and 65 destroyers providing pre-landing bombardment and fire support as troops landed. In some cases, destroyers got as close to the beach as possible to take out individual machine gun nests.
5. Mulberry Artificial Harbor.
This ingenious British design was met with skepticism at first, but the huge concrete floating sections were towed to Normandy, sunk in place and by 3 days after D-Day troops and supplies were flowing inland over the 10 miles of causeways built on top of the sunken concrete. Along with ships sunk as breakwaters, this provided the allies a harbor about equivalent to Dover. Only designed to last abut 3 months, the British section lasted the duration of the war. Over all, 2 ½ million troops, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of cargo were offloaded from ships to the beach over the Mulberries.
4. 2 ½ Ton Truck.
These 6X6 all wheel drive beasts were fundamental in running supplies from the beach to the troops, as well as running cargo from ships to the beach via causeways. Over half million of them were made during World War II. Many military theoreticians consider this the most important allied piece of equipment of the war. Rated for 2 ½ tons off road and 5 tons of cargo on roads, these trucks routinely carried double those amounts. There was even an amphibious version, the DUKW (“Duck”) that was used at Normandy. The DUKW could go 50mph on a road or over 6 mph in the water, and was seaworthy enough to cross the English Channel!
3. Fighter Bombers.
Thunderbolts, Lightnings and Typhoons armed with rockets and bombs, and equipped with heavy machine guns (.50 caliber) and 20mm cannons isolated the battlefield by denying German forces the ability to maneuver, redeploy, and reinforce. Any German vehicle that moved was liable to be blasted by the fighter bombers, and troops on the ground could call for specific targets to be attacked in close support of ground operations.
2. Fighter Aircraft.
Here we are talking air superiority. With fighters like the Spitfire, Mustang, and Thunderbolt the allies were able to almost totally deny any German air attacks on the landing force and the ships involved. The numbers and quality of the allied fighters swept the sky of German fighters and allowed allied bombers and ground attack aircraft (fighter bombers and attack planes such as P-47’s, P-38’s, A-20’s, and Typhoons) free range over the battlefield to interdict German reinforcements that attempted to attack the landings. The allied night fighters also ensured the safety of the cargo airplanes that were dropping airborne troops and towing gliders. Without the fighters those aircraft would have been sitting ducks.
1. Landing Craft.
The US developed a variety of landing craft before and at the beginning of World War II. The old days where soldiers or Marines would row to shore in row boats and jump out at the beach would not do when landing tanks, trucks, and pallets of ammunition and supplies. Ranging from the small “Higgins Boats” (LCVP) to the large LCT (Tank Landing Craft) these bow ramp equipped small craft would take men and equipment directly from the large ships to the beach, making multiple trips back and forth. They also ferried wounded men back to the large ships for medical treatment. The German lack of such craft made an invasion of Great Britain out of the question in 1940 or 1941 when such an invasion may have been successful. Some of these landing craft were made to allow tanks to use their main guns as they approached the beach, providing covering firepower for the landing force. Others were specially equipped with rocket launchers to provide more shore bombardment. Over 4100 landing craft were involved in the invasion.
Question for students (and subscribers): What other gear do you think should be added to the list? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Ambrose, Stephen E. D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Battle For The Normandy Beaches. Simon & Schuster, 2002.
The Editors of LIFE. LIFE D-DAY 70 Years Later: Remembering the Battle That Won the War. Life, 2014.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2485 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=2485">100 Comments
I am sure “five minutes” can elaborate but Patton’s Ghost Army should have been included. Patton himself, radio traffic, the fake tanks all worked to deceive the Germans to believe the Dday landing were a diversion.
Excellent point. It’s questionable whether the invasion would have succeeded without the diversion. Patton hated the idea though, he wanted in on the Normandy landing.
#7 is pure shite…the Sherman was SO inferior to the Nazi Tiger and Panzer that Allied planners actually allocated an “acceptable” kill ratio of 3 Shermans to one Tiger….the only “difference” it made on D-Day was to allow German tank corps to accurately field test their impressive 88’s on Allied armor.
Actually #7 was dead on. I think we all know by now that the Sherman was inferior and Daniel makes in quite clear in his first sentence! It may not have had the heavy armor or the powerful 88 but the Allies learned to compensate for the Sherman’s shortcomings. The modifications made to the Sherman by the creative Allied mechanics (the Americans in particular) made it quite possibly the most versatile weapon of the war. The comparatively light weight of the Sherman made it fairly easy to transport and maneuver. Hell, they even got it to float! And then there is the sheer number of Sherman tanks produced by the American Arsenal-of-Democracy. This allowed the development of the tactic of 3 or more Sherman’s ganging-up on a German tank, making it difficult for the lone tank to avoid exposing it’s vulnerable areas to enemy fire. Finally, the tank’s primary role was to protect and assist the advance of the infantry and not necessarily fight other tanks; that role was filled by the anti-tank guns and ground attack fighters. Also, the German tanks may have been big, powerful brutes but they too had shortcomings and the Allies learned how to exploit them. In the end, the Allies won and the Sherman tank played a major role in that victory and so rightly deserves its place on this well done list.
Daniel, the Garand M-1 was not the only semi-autmatic rifle used in Normandy. It was the only one used on the Allied side! The opposition used (among others) the Mauser G43 and, captured, Soviet SVT-38 and SVT-40. The latter especially by the ‘Ost’ (East) batalions.
And as metioned in other reactions, Section XX (“dubble cross((-ed)) should be included aswell as ‘Hobart’s funnies’…..
And of course the .30M1 carbine. Not as powerful as the Garand, but you still will do your best to dogged it!!
I do not believe any other semi-auto main battle rifles were used at D-Day other than the M-1 Garand. The M-1 Carbine of course is not a main battle rifle. (I have one. It’s fun, but anemic.) Any semi-auto rifles that may have shown up in Normandy other than the M-1 Garand were inconsequential curios that did not influence the battle. They are, however, quite interesting and worthy of comment. Thanks for the input. Perhaps a topic about other semi-auto or automatic rifles will be addressed by us soon.
This was an awesome article to read and watch the videos. I really like how the wristwatch made on this list because most people do not think of a wristwatch as a weapon but it was crucial for timing purposes, obviously, to perfectly plan tactics. This is similar how some will argue how great of a weapon the ladder was in war (during much earlier times) because it allowed army’s to gain access in enemies castles/forts/cities by climbing over the walls with ease. The landing craft deserves the top spot because of how relentless our troops were that day. I am sure most have seen Saving Private Ryan where landing craft dropped off soldiers at Omaha Beach and were under heavy fire. The landing craft were able to drop off men so quickly that the Axis powers could not handle it and we were able to enter France.
I think the wristwatch was a very interesting invention and very useful during the war.
I agree, the wrist watches were very important in this battle for accurate timing of attacks, etc.
The most interesting “weapon” that was pointed out was the Wristwatch. What do ya know, punctuality really is important. I’m glad that this could help avoid friendly fire, as that is such a needless kind of tragedy.
I had never considered a wristwatch as such a vital tool in war, but, obviously once considering the need for precise times while setting off various weapons, it is integral.
It is interesting to see the wristwatch in the list, however, after reading I realized how important it was.
I didn’t realize that wrist watches were important to D-Day. I never saw them as a weapon before.
I found it interesting that wristwatches were used in timing explosives.
My boyfriend’s coworker has some rifles from WWII. They are always fascinating to see in person.
I never thought that the wristwatch would play such a big role, but I guess it makes sense!
I never realized the wristwatch would be so vital during the war.
D Day is such an important day in history, it was very cool to read how it was done
It was interesting to read all of the components that went into making D-Day successful! It makes complete sense that a wristwatch was needed for time keeping, yet I never would have guessed that a wristwatch would be in the Top 10 countdown.
Interesting to see all the items listed out in order of importance. The planes were clearly in the top because the last couple articles we have read about have dealt with planes. Also seeing some of the weapons like the M1 Grand is interesting because seeing them in video games does not really do them justice.
The one item that somewhat shocked me, but after reading can see why it had so much importance during this raid, was the “wristwatch”. From being able to time bombs right, to synchronizing raids, and helping the soldiers to know where their comrades were. Although it may have been small and help with small, less significant events, without the wristwatch a lot of things would not have happened.
I think this whole article illustrates just how much thought and planning went into the D-Day invasion itself. Everything was planned down to the minute, as shown by the importance of the wrist watches. This was a turning point in the war and it changed the tide for the Allies. It was truly a well deserved victory.
I was surprised to read that the watch was an important item used during the D Day battle. It is hard to imagine how the soldiers were to understand when things were going on and when to clear the way when an explosive was about to go off at a specific time, before watches were widely used in war.
The “weapon” that really surprised me in this article was the wrist watch. Who knew a wrist watch could make such a big difference in the fighting done during world war two. the wrist watch enabled soldiers to synchronize their timing for bombings and other military acts.
Like many others already explained, the one item that sticks out in this list is the wrist watch. Sure tanks and guns and gear are helpful in war, but a wrist watch is used in every day life by normal civilians. This shows how important timing is during a mission.
It is not surprising that the fighter bombers and air crafts are number three and two on the list. World War II was a battle in the air, and without an air warfare strategy it was hard to even compete in battle. The planes were definitely a necessity in war.
I had no idea that there were so many different weapons involved in D-Day. I haven’t even heard of most of them! The one that I thought was the most interesting was the floating harbor the British invented.
The US and their allies certainly were well armed for the D-Day invasion. Still, the death toll was incredibly high, and these weapons could only do so much to protect the soldiers. Also, the Germans had some weapons of their own that made the invasion so costly.
There are so many things you need to think about when wagging a battle on foreign ground. The wrist watch and the Bangalore Torpedo were two things that stuck out to me as thinking ahead. The torpedo would save many the trouble of having to navigate barbed wire and mine traps.
An interesting collection of weapons and vehicles to sum up D-Day. I love that wristwatches made the list!
Like everyone else, I find the wristwatch to be very interesting. D-Day involved so many different countries, people, and branches, so it makes sense that they needed some common instrument that made sure everyone was on the same page. I would not have thought of it but it was definitely a necessity.
D-day was such a huge production that it was imperative to have a lot of machines/weapons/tools in order to execute the plan. The wristwatch, so simple but necessary, was one of the most intriguing tools brought along with the soldiers.
There were many weapons involved in D-day that most would assume such as rifles, fighter airplanes and airplane bombers. One “weapon” that sticks out, as many others mentioned, was the wristwatch. Nowadays we would not think of this as a weapon, but this makes sense why it was on the list at the time.
I feel like wrist watches could have been left out, but glad to see timing made the list. Timing is very important in every aspect, even war.
The wristwatch seemed to stick out to me the most among the 10 weapons. It seems like an unnecessary weapon, but without these there would be no accurate time keeping. Time keeping was important to ensure the timing of explosives and to correctly log the events that took place.
These ten weapons or vehicles were essential in the success of D-Day. Without one or more of these weapons, D-Day may have been a failure.
Because of these 10 things D Day was a success for the allied forces. It is cool to learn about the different guns, planes, and vehicles they used during the fight on D Day.
The wristwatch stands out as there is no way of using that really as a weapon, however, it was extremely necessary for war. If one side had them and another did not, it could have served as a major asset.
This article was great! I find it so interesting learning details about war such as what weapons were used when.
Very interesting article reading about the wrist watch and the different weapons used.
I think the men fighting should be listed as a weapon used! Without the men who are behind the weapon none of these would have been able to be used!
Weapons are definitely one of the main parts of a war. This was a really interesting article because even though I have heard a little bit about a few of these weapons I did not know this many details. The fact that many of these weapons are still used today shows their importance. However, reading about all of these machines and how harmful they can be and how many lives were lost because of them, makes me wonder what a world without weapons would look like.
No diversion, no success. Well executed.
The wristwatch was defiantly an important part of D-Day. This gave people the chance to time things precisely and not have bombs go off at random times.
I wouldn’t have thought of wrist watch. But yes, the watch shouldn’t be taken for granted.
It is incredible to see all the different kinds of equipment and weapons that were utilized on D Day.
Crazy to see all of these weapons involved into bigger and worse weapons.
It is interesting to see what was used on D day and then to look at how technology has improved these for modern day warfare.
All of these weapons made their marks on such a gruesome day. I thought it was interesting to learn about all the guns, plans, misses/torpedoes, and planes.
A lot of different weapons were used to make this day possible. I am glad we had them.
It is amazing to see the improvement of weapons that were used from the start of the war to D-day. I believe this new and improved weapons really helped the United States during the war.
There are so many large and destructive weapons used during D-Day, but I would have not thought that wrist watches would be so important during a battle. It was smart to issue them to everyone to prevent killing friendly troops and timing events and explosives. Something so simple was so important in making D-Day possible.
I have learned that a lot of the weaponry used in the world wars were actually massed produced by women.
I was surprised that wristwatch landed on a list of weapons that made D-Day possible. However, I suppose it was extremely helpful with timing and avoiding killing people who are not the enemy.
I do not know much about weapons and artillery. After reading this I have a larger knowledge of what they used during wartime.
I never came to the realization that the wrist watch was one of the most important things for a war. This makes sense because if you lose time during war, you are probably going to die.
These advancements in technologies made it possible for the war to be faught the way that it was.
I am always amazed to see how they were able to do so much with so little compared to today’s technology and weaponry.
I did not know they relied so much on the timing by wrist watch, very cool fact. I also wondered how they were able to have so much equipment dropped or brought ashore. Very interesting article.
I did not expect “wristwatches” to be on this list, but their importance makes sense, as timing is a crucial component to any war.
I feel like all of our history in the US is so violent. Who knew that D-day was so dependent on wrist watches.
Finding the wristwatch on the list was surprising. Timing is a very important aspect when coordinating attacks.
From the article, I see the importance of weapons. Weapons as a kind of technical support provide possibility to the success of a war.
These weapons were so violent, but it is true that they were so important in war.
Wristwatches being a weapon that was important at the time surprised me. I did not see that one coming to be a part of this list.
I agree with Shannon, it took me by surprise that wristwatches being an important weapon shocked me.
Again another creation I would never think would be used for war; a wristwatch.
After listening to my grandpa, who passed away this past summer tell us about his trials on the beaches of Normandy, it was interesting to read this article and read how Patton lead the diversion into D Day
To me, the bangalore torpedo and the 2 1/2 ton trucks were the most interesting weapons that allowed D-Day to be successful.
I think fighting with some of these weapons would be scary. I would not like to be alone in a fighter aircraft.
These weapons showed the true coming of age of all the weapons that have ever been used in battle,and weapons just keep on evolving.
The M1-Grand made a ping noise when they gun was out of ammo, soon the enemy found out the sound meant that we had to reload. Eventually we created fake rounds that made the same noise to get the enemy to come out of cover.
You always see a couple of these weapons in movies and in the TV shows. It is cool to read a little more into them and show how D day was really possible.
My favorite out of these is the DUKW. We finally put something together that could be strategic for our needs in crucial water/land sieges.
Great read! I would not have thought that these weapons would have made D-Day possible!
I thought the fact that wristwatches made this list was really fascinating. It seems like such a simple invention to those of us that wear them on a daily basis, but according to this article, they were a key element back then.
I would have to say that the M-1 should have been higher on this list. It was, after all, the weapon that did all the “dirty work” on the ground
Wristwatches, the Mulberry Artificial harbor, and the 2 1/2 ton truck were the most interesting to me.
Even with all those weapons, still many soldiers were mowed down even before they got off the boats. All of these weapons made a difference in taking that land.
I never thought to see wristwatches on here.
Amazing how massive the quantities were of everything was being used.
I never would of thought of a wrist watch as being important but after reading this it makes sense now..
It sounds like there was a lot of planning that went into the D-Day landing to ensure that the least amount necessary of causalities would be made. They had firing support from all angles to distract the Germans from the actual landing. The D-Day reenactment that is done in Conneaut, OH where I live is actually a really neat thing to witness.
I am really interested in the wristwatch. Even today so many soldiers are killed by friendly fire.
It is interesting that the wristwatch is considered a weapon that made D-Day possible. But I can understand how the wristwatch could be incredibly helpful in organizing and planning attacks.
I find it interesting that the Bangalore Torpedo was used then and still used today. The Army and Marine’s used the Bangalore Torpedo in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Who knew what the importance of a simple wristwatch was to carrying out the mission objectives of WWII?
I found it interesting that a wrist watch was included on this list. I would have never thought of that, and it makes perfect sense. Timing is a large part of military strategy.
The wrist watch definitely surprised me as well. The thought of being in thin air, while flying with nothing but explosives, makes me tense. It’s like you’re just a “sitting” duck, hoping you react more quickly than the other.
It is amazing how the military can engineer weapons and other needed equipment to win battles and keep our soldiers safe. I had the opportunity a few years ago to attend a tour at Wright Patterson Airforce Base. Part of my tour was visiting a section that was responsible for engineering equipment needed to keep up with modern day warfare. The technology they were testing was impressive. A specific piece of equipment that they were working on was a cooling system needed for soldiers in the Middle East.
i knew they needed large quantities of things but I never knew until reading this article just how much.
It amazes me how the wrist watch was a very important key back then and the fact that they were considered a weapon back then as well.
All of these weapons are rather interesting. But I am shocked with how important the wrist watch was.
Reading this reminds me of the short story, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien.
I was surprised by the importance of the wristwatch as well!
It taught me how to use a new weapon in the United States in the history, it was really powerful
I like how Sherman Tank can go under water, it is strong as part of weapon when people are using it.
All on the list and the watch sticks out the most for me. Something so simple having such an importance.
I never considered the watch a part of a “weapon.” But, now that I have read about it it makes sense. So obvious.