Normandy Operation what was Luftwaffe doing ??

Question

Hi All,
Could some one give precise info regarding what was Nazi air force - Luftwaffe doing during Normandy operation as well what were the U-2 boats were doing?

I think if Luftwaffe would have bombed US and UK fleet there would have been German victory

Answer 1

The Luftwaffe was conspicuous by its absence (Thank God):

"Even as the armada neared the French coast, German commanders did not believe that an Allied invasion was imminent. There were no Luftwaffe or naval patrols in the area. German radar finally detected the huge fleet at about 3:00 A.M., but with Rommel at home in Germany, there was no one who could dispatch additional divisions to Normandy. The invasion force remained unchallenged until daybreak, when the German coastal batteries opened fire.
Over 1,000 fighters flew directly above the convoys to protect them from Luftwaffe attack. Although the presence of the fighter escorts reassured the seaborne troops, some fighters were shot at by nervous ship gunners who mistook them for German planes. As it turned out, the Luftwaffe was virtually absent on D-Day. Allied air forces controlled the skies."


"From the beginning Eisenhower and the rest of the combined forces planners recognized that air power would be critical to success of Overlord. Experience had taught planners to avoid facing hostile air power over the battlefront. This meant that the Luftwaffe would have to be destroyed, but not at the price of sacrificing vitally needed air support missions for air superiority ones.

Fortunately, in early 1944 the Luftwaffe was on the skids. By the fall of 1943, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts equipped with long-range "drop" tanks were inflicting heavy losses on German fighters over Occupied Europe and in the German periphery. Then, in December 1943, the North American P-51B Mustang entered service. Featuring superlative handling qualities and aerodynamic design, and powered by a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, the P-51B (and its successors, the P-51C and P-51D) could escort bomber strikes to Berlin and back, thanks in part to a symmetrical wing section that was thick enough to house a large quantity of fuel and streamlined enough to minimize drag. These two fine aircraft were worthy supplements to the overall Allied strategic bombing effort.

Whatever the bombing campaign may or may not have accomplished in destroying enemy resources, it did contribute directly to the D-Day success. Large bomber formations were aerial magnets that drew up the Luftwaffe to be destroyed by the American fighter force. The omnipresent Thunderbolts and Mustangs (and less frequently P-38 Lightnings) gave the Luftwaffe no respite over Germany, complementing the shorter-legged Spitfires and Hawker Typhoons of the Royal Air Force.

Between January and June 1941 the five months before D-Day - the Luftwaffe was effectively destroyed: 2,262 German fighter pilots died during that time. In May alone, no less than 25 percent of Germany's total fighter pilot force (which averaged 2,283 at any one time during this period) perished. During Big Week, American air forces targeted the German aircraft industry for special treatment; while production continued, the fighter force took staggering losses. In March 1944, fully 56 percent of the available German fighters were lost, dipping to 43 percent in April (as the bomber effort switched to Germany's petroleum production), and rising again to just over 50 percent in May, on the eve of Normandy. No wonder, then, that the Luftwaffe could contribute less than a hundred sorties to the defense of Normandy. Months of concentrated air warfare had given the Allies not only air superiority, but air supremacy as well."

Answer 2

The Luftwaffe was trying to intervene on the beaches and attack the fleet. But by then they were seriously out numbered. And, the Allies put every plane they possibly could into the air that day to prevent them from interfering in the landings. A few planes made it through, but had very little, or no effect. Also, don't forget it was one of the largest naval armadas ever assembled. Even without all the air cover, the Luftwaffe would not likely have been able to affect it all that much.

Same thing with the U-boats, and torpedo boats for that matter. They did try to intervene, but the Allies had large destroyer pickets established to spot and attack any vessels that may try to sneak through.

If there is any one thing you can say for Operation Overlord, it was an impressive act of coordination. They had units from Army, Navy and Air forces, from at least three nations all participating in one massive assault.

Answer 3

I have to agree with the above answers.

By 1944, the German airforce was a spent force. Most of the deployment of Germany's resources had focused on the Eastern Front and defeating the Russians.

To this end, German aircrews that were either shot down or captured were not being replaced at a steady rate as Hitler demanded that German manpower focused on the army.

While Goring boasted that he would resign should a single allied bomb hit German soil, thats exactly what happened.
Germany lost the airpower struggle with Britain, allowing the allies to dominate the air over the Channell and France.

With the U.S entering the war, Germany could not match the combined allied strengh in both manpower or production. The allies would have been constructing fighter planes at least a ratio of 20 planes to every 1 German plane produced.

WIth HItler taking over the command of the war operations, he had no sympathy for the now disgraced Luftwaffe or the German navy, forcing production away from these areas and into tank construction.

By 1944, the allies were striking Germany at will destroying vital production plants and military installations. What airforce Germany did have left was busy either protecting Germany or reinforcing the Eastern front.

Answer 4

Don't forget that the Germans were not expecting a landing in Normandy, but on the Pas de Calais, a ruse which was perpetuated by the Allies right up until the landings. Vast amounts of chaff called 'window' was dropped across the channel to confuse the German radar and make them think there was a large invasion force in the offing. The Luftwaffe was being held there to counterattack. But also, by 1944, it was, to a great extent, a dead duck. The Allies had virtual control of the air over occupied Europe. The same misdirection goes for the U-Boats - they just weren't in the same area as the invasion fleet.

Answer 5

First off, the Luftwaffe was essentially reduced to a bomber destroyer force by '44. Their best pilots were killed in the Battle of Britain, and the U-Boats were being tied up by Allied aircraft in the Atlantic. There were still some, but not enough to threaten the invasion. And, true, the weakest spot of an amphibious invasion is the offshore fleet. If you sink most of their ships, they'll be isolated. But, the Allies had thousands of ships, and the 2 Bf-109s that did sortie against the invasion force did little damage. Most of the Luftwaffe was on the Eastern Front or defending against bombers in Germany.

Answer 6

first of all, most of the fighters and bombers were more east to protect German airspace from the US bombers that were not going to be in the area for a while and the Russians coming in from the East. Next the Allies did a great job with Operation Bodyguard, the Deception of Normandy that the Germans thought the real invasion WAS THE DECEPTION. only a few fighter got in the air against the Allies. The Luftwaffe did attack the beaches at night but by then the troops were firmly lodged in the coast of France. The bombers took care of the sub pens and a good chunk of the U-boats. The only U-boats were in Norway and Germany, and they are busy trying to stop the cargo ships from geting to England. The German Torpedo boats did effect the invasion, They attacked a bunch of Landing Craft on practice runs off the coast of England, sinking a good amount of the LC that IKE change the Landing Date from May to June.

Answer 7

It was the middle of 1944, what was left of the Luftwaffe was trying to stop Allied bombers from turning Germany into a heap of rubble.The Luftwaffe would rather defend their homeland than foriegn, conquered soil. Even if the Luftwaffe was there on D-day, it would have had a hard time dogfighting Allied fighters and anti-aircraft fire from the Allied fleet. And most of Germany's U2 boats were also destroyed and they also would have to face a much larger force of Allied destroyers that could have wiped out any U2 boats.

Answer 8

most answers are mostly correct. there was virtually no sub action taking place during the landings however a few S-boats (small torpedo carrying patrol boats) made attacks on allied ships and did mange to sink at least one heavy transport.

the Luftwaffe had mostly been stripped and sent east to participate in the eastern campaign and to help protect German airspace.

a few planes did manage to attack allied landing operations, but all in all it was pretty much one strafing run and returning home.

for a German victory to happen there would have had to have been a huge German air fleet in the area, that was one of the fears of the allies. in fact they expected much higher casualties and a heavy air presence, none of which really happened (although i could be argued the landings had huge casualty numbers, they were lower than expected).

actually there is what I consider a very funny part in the movie "the longest day" where a German pilot and his wing man are griping about being alone defending the coast of France, and when the attack comes they basically take off do one pass and head home claiming a "great victory".

Answer 9

The U-boats were all destroyed by then, and so were most of the submarines in the Nazi navy. Huge Luftwaffe and other army units were waiting for the Allies in Calais and Holland, after the Allies made gave them the impression they were going to land there. And even had a great portion of the Nazi army and Luftwaffe waited for the Allies in Normandy, I don't think they could have stopped them at that stage.

Answer 10

Basically the Luftwaffe was a spent entity and the allies had air superiority on D-Day and they had been hunted for weeks prior at their airfields.
The U boats, unable to use the French ports any longer had to voyage out of German Ports.
There were so many Battleships, Cruisers and Destroyers involved that the Channel was blockaded to any form of shipping.
There were some attacks by E Boats (MTB's) but they were largely ineffective