Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Why did the allies not use aircraft carriers during the Normandy campaign?

If they had done, what advantages would it have brought?Why did the allies not use aircraft carriers during the Normandy campaign?
From UK to Normandy is easy flying distance - during the Normandy Landings, two things. The Allies had complete air-command and were able to simply bomb any target at will. Also the USN and Royal Navy had heavy cruisers, destroyers etc in the English Channel - all of whom simply bombarded the German defences along the Normany coast without let or hindrance from the enemy. One Royal Navy battle group even ran along the Normandy coast firing their massive guns at almost point blank range into the Nazi defences blowing many of them to bits.





The Americans had a fighter aircraft called the MUSTANG - powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engine - this plane was let loose over the Normandy beaches and beyond and given the task to 'shoot to kill' any enemy anything.





Mustang fighter plane of the USAAF WW2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df2yhIy_FfE





The Mustang had a very long range and could easily fly from UK right into the heart of Germany and shoot at targets in Berlin. When Goering saw these Mustangs over Berlin, he said, ';for us, the war is lost.'; Too right mate, you're dead.





There is also one freqently missed action concerning the Normandy landings 1944 and that is the fact that on D-Day minus one, a whole group of 'barbarians' including Americans, British SOE, the SAS, the SBS and a group from the Armee Secret raced up the beaches killing hundreds of Germans. The SAS landed a couple of plane loads including Jeeps with twin Vickers heavy machineguns mounted fore and aft. The SAS raced through the villages of Normandy killing hundreds of Germans with their massive 5000 rounds per minute fire power. They even took on a Nazi artillery batallion and completely destroyed it. Good for them. The Americans on that beach killed hundreds of Krauts. This action hardly ever gets a mention, but it's all true.





NORMANDEE 1944 from The People's War BBC


http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/08/a3406808.shtml





D-DAY - Allied Supreme Commander General Dwight D Eisenhower USA - speaks to the people of France from the BBC in London - ici Londres.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48t7h-LKNfU





D-DAY JUNE 6TH 1944


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qeCNg8fO0





From NORMANDEE to PARIS


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2AzdkxO0MY








vive la France








http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-4K1q9Ntcr5g/la_marseillaise_french_national_anthem_fr_en/Why did the allies not use aircraft carriers during the Normandy campaign?
Simply, they didn't need to, their airbases (the so-called ';unsinkable aircraft carrier'; of Britain) were less than 200 miles from Normandy. Aircraft carriers would have taken so much room to manuever they would have been more a hindrance to the rest of the invasion fleet than a help.
England is barely 20miles from Normandy, which is like a 5min trip by plane.


An Aircraft carrier would use up far too much gas/oil and would be spotted by the Germans. Right away the Germans could figure out that there will be an invasion if they see the carrier.
What would have been the point? It's less than ten minutes' flying time across the Channel, the Allies had overwhelming air supremacy, naval aircraft are limited in size and handicapped by heavy landing gear, and a submarine can't sink England.
It would have been an easy target for the Germans in the narrow sea space of the English Channel and a major blow to morale if it was sunk.


Most of the carriers were needed in the Pacific
England was the Allies aircraft carriers, the other aircraft carriers were needed in the Pacific where land for airplanes to land and take off from was hard to find.
They had a natural aircraft carrier, the Island of England. Since the Royal Air Force won the Battle of Britain, they already had the advantage.
Not much point. There were plenty of perfectly suitable air bases in England, and most aircraft based there had the range to operate over Normandy.
Sitting ducks as too near. All air power was available from land anyway rendering carriers superfluous.
They didn't really have to, they used RAF bases and USAAF bases all across the Midlands and South of England

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