FDR vs. Churchill – Just How Bad Did the Rift Between the Two Leaders Get?

“The consequences of this discord could have been grave in the extreme.” By Nigel Hamilton BY 1943, the Allied war effort was at a crossroads. In January of that year, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill…

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The First Into France – Meet the Elite “Pathfinders” of the Normandy Invasion

“Nearly 300 pathfinders took part in the pre-invasion.” IN HIS LANDMARK book D-Day: June 6, 1944, author Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of Sgt. Elmo Jones of the 82nd Airborne Division. Moments after leaping out of a C-47 Dakota…

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The Atlantic Wall – 11 Key Facts About the Nazi Defences at Normandy

“Although one of the most impressive engineering feats of modern times, British, American and Canadian troops breached the seemingly impregnable Nazi defences along a 80-mile stretch of French coastline at Normandy in a single day:…

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D-Day 1943? – Three Allied Plans to Invade France Long Before Operation Overlord

“How might the course of the war (and history itself) have unfolded differently had these generals had their way? No one can be sure, but here is what the Normandy campaign might have looked like.”…

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D-Day Infographic — Brittany Ferries’ Guide to Historic Normandy

On June 6, 1944, 150,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and fought their way into France. This week, a veritable army of D-Day veterans and their supporters will descend onto the same stretch of coastline…

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From “Overlord” and “Desert Storm” to “Dracula” and “Mermaid Dawn” — The Cryptic History of Codenaming Military Operations

“Designating operations by their objectives or points on a map didn’t offer much in the way of security… and using simple alphanumeric designations, like “Operation 12a” was seen as unimaginative.” HAD IT NOT been for…

Continue Reading... From “Overlord” and “Desert Storm” to “Dracula” and “Mermaid Dawn” — The Cryptic History of Codenaming Military Operations