| |
|
Introducing OVERLORD RETURNS
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Introduction by Colonel
B.E.M.er Pierre BRUYERE
Translate
into English by Mrs Francisca SPOOK of
80th Area
Support Group United States Army CHIEVRES - Belgium
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Overlord was the
code chosen by the Allies for the
D-Day operation on the French
west coast. The soviets would call it "the opening
of a second front"
and the Germans as "the 6 June 1944 invasion".
German Field-Marshal Rommel referred to it as "the longest
day..."
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
On
October 5th , 1940 during the Battle of Britain, Churchill proposed a
possible landing on the French west coast. From that moment on, the
idea and the huge effort necessary to achieve it were worked on. The
combined military efforts of Great Britain, Canada and United States,
facilitated by the use of the same language and excellent teamwork,
would prove successful for the ultimate victory.
The
gathering and analyzing of intelligence regarding enemy forces, the lay
of the land, and weather conditions expected was critical. More had to
be done so as not to repeat the failed Canadian raid on Dieppe August
19, 1942. This involved gathering detailed information from all
Resistance organizations in the occupied countries as well as other
sources. Many lives were lost but their sacrifices saved many lives
during D-Day.
Preserving the D-Day Secrets also required imposing means. All of these
efforts allowed the employment of large troops with specialized armored
equipment, landing barges of all kinds, a pipe-line under the Canal,
two artificial ports….which led to the success of the
Crusade for Europe.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
The
initial project dates from 1943 but Montgomery, 21st Armed Group
Command, tasked by Eisenhower to conduct the initial land operations,
required additional means for a more complex operation. Eisenhower made
the hard decision based on weather conditions, Overlord started during
the night of 5 to 6 June 1944.
Three
Airborne Divisions - the 82nd and 101st and the British 6th landed in
Normandy during the night. At dawn on June 6th, six divisions invaded
the Normandy beaches, three Americans at UTAH (4th), at OMAHA (29th and
1st); three British at GOLD (50th), at JUNO (3rd Canadian) and at SWORD
(3rd). By the evening of June 6, 1944, the British and American lost
11,000 men among which 2,500 killed in action
|
|
| |
| |
|
American Troops in Belgium
|
|
|
|
| |
The Allied troops arrive at
the Belgian border on 1 September 1944. That is when the U.S. Army gets
into the battle in the Mons area, during which 30,000 Germans are
captured. After combats in the Meuse river area, the American units
reached the Belgian-French border between September 10 and 11, 1944.
These operations didn't encounter major difficulties thanks to the help
of the SAS units and the Maquis in the Ardennes. Unfortunately on
December 16th, 1944 the Battle of the Bulge started
and the American units had to face it and resist the German attack.
In the
Northern part, they defend the area Montjoie, Elsenborn,
Rocherath, Krinkelt, Butgenbach with the 2nd and 99th
Division. In the Southern part, the 4th Division controls the area of Echternach;
whereas the 101st Airborne Division and the 10th Armored Division
Combat Command B are in the Bastogne area. The Saint Vith
area is mainly defended by the 7th Armored Division and according to
the statement of a German Command, "Major General R.W. Hasbrouck
and Brigadier General Bruce C. Clark's men were at the origin of the
turn out of this winter campaign". By December 23rd, the 5th Division
clears the area from Diekirch to Echternach,
the 80th Division attacks West of Diekirch, the
26th Division attacks East of Martelange, the 4th
Armored Division progresses on the road Arlon to Bastogne
and, despite fierce resistance, its Combat Command R enters Bastogne
on December 26th, 1944 at 4:45 p.m.
On
December 27th, the 2nd Armored Division and the British 29th Armored
Brigade circle and destroy part of the German 2nd Panzer in the area of
Celles, Foy-Notre-Dame. The German forward
movement is finally blocked at 6 kilometers from Dinant.
On January 1st, 1945, General Patton's 3rd Army reaches the line
Saint-Hubert, Moirey, Longchamps.
The
Battle of the Bulge is over by late January and the Germans are
withdrawing beyond the border.
|
| |
| |
|
"…the
real victors of this battle of a particular kind especially
in its first days, are the American infantrymen: soldier, enlisted,
officer and battalion commander. Despite the fact that they were
dispersed over a very large front, had to endure enemy fire, were
isolated and constantly had to take upon them, they were able to hold.
These soldiers' desperate fights counteracted the Command's initial
slow reaction and allowed the execution of countermeasures.
|
|
| |
|
Being experienced or
inexperienced in decentralized operations, the divisions proved their
quality of individualism such as first revealed at Bataan and
Corregidor.
|
|
| |
|
As mighty as the number of
sacrifices, the U.S. Infantry deserves the inscription on the Bastogne
Memorial, unfading as the memory of the "dark December" men:
Liberatoribus Americanis Populus Belgicus Memor".
|
|
| |
| |
|
A
lot of friendly people helped us to prepare and achieve the Overlord
Returns project. However, to avoid omitting any of the "key players" we
have thought it might be better not to identify persons responsible for
the successful organization. This story of "Overlord Returns" is also a
way to say "Thank you" to all our friends in the States.
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
Overlord Returns…How Marvelous
those Crazy Belgian People were
|
|
|
|
|
By
Prof. Pierre A.G. DEPREZ
(with the friendly help of Francisca SPOOK and Tom
CAMPBELL, MVPA Dixie Division)
|
| |
|
Life would be rather dull if
from time to time we didn't decide to achieve something a little both
crazy and wonderful. It is what 62 Marvelous Crazy Belgian People, as
our many American friends call us, realized in June and July 2000. Our
project: go and thank the American People for helping liberate Belgium
in 1944. ..But we wanted to find a very original way: in WWII American
uniforms and with the very same vehicles who brought Liberty back here
in September 1944. We formed a "Liberty Convoy" of 17 vintage vehicles
to cross the United States from Washington, D.C. to Brewton, Alabama.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| The liberation of Europe by
the Allied Powers, and particularly the U.S. Army, has left a deep
feeling of appreciation among the citizens of our countries. Not only
for those who lived this unique event of our history, but also for the
young people who, more than 50 years later, discover those events much
like a legend. Each year, associations organize the historical
re-enactment of the liberation and the arrival of the G.I.. In many
places, "Convoys of Liberty" commemorate those days of September 1944
in Europe. A tradition is born. |
|
| |
| Two examples among
others… |
|
|
|
| |
| The City of Mons,
Belgium, welcomed Major John Randolph Tucker and US veterans for the
50th anniversary of its liberation. In 1994, Major Tucker entered the
City of Mons in a tank of his battalion which was the first to enter
the city on September 2nd 1944. That Stuart tank (n° 3047787)
was later offered to the City of Mons by the US Army (3rd Armored
Division). This year, on the 26th and 27th of August, more than 150
WWII vehicles, including 20 tanks, relived the Liberation of Mons. |
|
| |
| Since 1995, the
little City of Péruwelz has welcomed its "First American"
James W. Carroll. The "First G.I." was found in March 1995, while the
citizens of Péruwelz thought he had been killed during the
Battle of the Bulge. Articles in papers (e.g. The Wall Street Journal)
and magazines (e.g. People), and also TV programs are dedicated to the
old veteran and his Belgian friends each year, in Belgium, France and
the United States. A movie producer from Hollywood is even preparing a
film. |
|
| |
| When collectors meet
mayors and representatives of patriotic associations, projects are
developed… |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| The idea of a "come
back to the States" rose after these events and meetings. The project
was to go with our WWII vehicles to the USA and say "Thank You" to
those who, twice in this century, helped Europe to be free again.
Saying "Thank you" and show, more than 50 years later, that we are
still thankful to those who suffered and even offered their lives for
us. |
|
| |
| The
young G.I., who were 20 in 1944, are now old veterans. Coming back to
Europe becomes more and more difficult for them. That is why we all
thought that going back to the United States with our WWII vehicles
would be a wonderful way to say "Thank You". |
|
| |
| To
achieve this project, we worked with the help of the U.S. Embassy in
Brussels and were officially invited to the Independence Day Parade of
July 4th in Washington, D.C.. WWII vehicles collectors mostly from
Belgium and France were involved in the project. The President of the
French Community Parliament of Belgium accompanied us in Richmond and
Washington, D.C.. The Walloon Government and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs helped us to finance the shipping of our vintage vehicles.
|
|
| |
| American
Veteran Associations, the American Legion, the Military Vehicle
Preservation Association helped us to help us organizing our
commemorative trip through the United States. That trip started in
Richmond and led us to Orlando. It was a very long trip of more than
3,000 km. U.S. Newspapers, magazines and TV channels were also involved
in our project-people from Europe coming to the United States to say
"Thank You" to the American people. |
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
| The Liberty Convoy
was the accurate reconstitution of what a U.S. Army convoy used to be
in 1944. There were different types of vehicles, with of course Jeeps,
that vehicle being for most people the symbol of Liberty in 1944. The
Harleys will also be honored, as it is very often on a Harley that the
US Army scouts who were the first to enter our towns. |
|
| |
| These
vehicles belong to collectors who spend time and money to keep them
"alive". For the collectors, it was an honor to take part in this
project. Only WWII US vehicles were involved in the convoy. The Stuart
tank belongs to the City of Mons and the Sherman tank to the Tank
Museum (Belgian Army, Brussels). All the other vintage vehicles were
privately owned. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
|
Types
of vehicle
|
Number
|
|
Jeep
|
5
|
|
Truck
GMC
|
2
|
|
Tank
Sherman
|
1
|
|
Tank
Stuart
|
1
|
|
Halftrack
|
1
|
|
Ward
la France
|
1
|
|
Dodge
|
3
|
|
Harley
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| BACK
TO CARD |