In the Normandy invasion why were the beaches chosen?

Question

Why were they chosen for this invasion I already know like what happened there I just don't know why these beaches were chosen

Answer 1

Without going into details,and not pretending im a military strategist,i will share this.. Three things the Allies wanted for a Beach head..Good tides,Good Weather,and a re-supply port.
The most obvious Beachhead,the Pas De Calais, was so
reinforced by Erwin Rommel(Head German General),that the Allies had to look elsewhere.In june the Tides are most favorable,along with the Weather(which can be really nasty in the English Channel in june)father south. So,looking at a map,the allies chose Normandy..Good Weather,Good tides,and a re-supply port in nearby Caen. Its true that the Allies brought portable ports(Mulberries),but these were destroyed by a Storm only days after the allies took the Port in Caen in July,1944.

Answer 2

The obvious choice for invasion was near Calais. So, the Germans defended more heavily there, including stronger fixed defenses and locating 2 panzer divisions just beyond the beaches. A ficticious "invasion army", commanded by Patton, was created to fool them. Normandy was more lightly defended.

Once ashore, the peninsula could be more easily defended against counterattack (short front line with extended rear areas, as opposed to Calais, which would have required an extended half-circle of defense with an exposed rear area).

Though further than Calais, Normandy was still within range of airpower based in England. Air superiority is essential to a successful invasion. Further south would be out of range, further north too close to the main German airbases on the Rhine.

Poor ground for tanks. It was assumed it would take time and effort to move armored forces into France. The Germans already had a vaunted Panzer force in place. The ground in Normandy was poorly suited for armored warfare. The ground to the north, near Calais, was open plain. The idea was to take the peninsula with primarily infantry/airborn forces, establish a defensive line, and then, once the armor arrived, make a "breakout" into the open country to the north. This is exactly what happened.

Answer 3

The beaches were chosen because it is impossible and impractical to ask soldiers, fully laden with back packs and their weapons, to scale cliffs.

But another reason was that the Allies not only landed troops on the beaches. They also parachuted troops behind enemy lines in order to capture the bridges and important infrastructure and squeeze the enemy in between them.

If you get a chance, get the movies 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'A Bridge Too Far' or 'Bridge at Remagen'. Easy simple movies with great scenes that will help to understand exactly what the troops faced. Other than that - there is a lot of literature out there about the Normandy landings.

Answer 4

I too want to ask the same question

Answer 5

Basically because it was the first line of defence and offence.