Day-D. How far he was from us

In 1942, in the war with Nazi Germany, the situation for Soviet Union began to take shape quite dramatically. Our troops were defeated in the Crimea and near Kharkov. German troops began to rapidly advance westward, to the shores of the Caspian Sea and the upper Caucasus.
Under these conditions, the USSR began to press the allies to open a Second Front in 1942 in order to divert part of the German divisions from the Eastern Front.
To this end, in the spring of 1942, V.M. Molotov, at the direction of I.V. Stalin is sent to England, and then to the United States for negotiations on the conclusion of agreements on cooperation in the war with Germany and on the opening of the Second Front.
The flight of V.M., Molotov to England and the USA was carried out on a military aircraft - a TB-7 bomber.
The flight of our delegation headed by V.M. Molotov in 1942 from Moscow to England and then to the United States during the war with Germany, and the tasks that were solved as a result can rightfully be considered historical. More details about the flight will be described below.
The main tasks of the Soviet delegation of V.M. Molotov were to agree on a single coalition strategy - to discuss the vital problem of opening a second front in 1942, to strengthen the anti-fascist coalition, and to sign an agreement with Great Britain on friendship and military cooperation and an agreement with the United States.
J. Stalin telegraphed to W. Churchill: “I am sure that this treaty will be of the greatest importance for strengthening friendly relations between our two countries and the United States.
During these negotiations, on May 26, 1942 in London, an agreement was concluded between the USSR and Britain "On an alliance in the war against Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe and on cooperation and mutual assistance after the war."
The parties pledged to provide each other with mutual assistance in the war. The articles of the treaty, dedicated to the post-war period, provided for cooperation between the USSR and England in maintaining security and economic prosperity in Europe, mutual assistance in the event of an attack by Germany or a country united with it.
Article 7 of the Treaty reads: "Each of the High Contracting Parties undertakes not to enter into any alliances and not to take part in any coalitions directed against the other High Contracting Party."
The contract was concluded for a period of 20 years. But on May 7, 1955, the Soviet government canceled this treaty in connection with a gross violation of its terms by Great Britain.

The signing of an agreement between the USSR and Great Britain on an alliance in the war against Germany.
Sitting (from left to right): IM Maisky (USSR Ambassador to England), VM Molotov, A. Eden, W. Churchill. London, May 1942

On June 11, 1942, in Washington, an Agreement was signed between the United States and the USSR "On Principles Applicable to Mutual Assistance in Waging the War against Aggression." The United States signed such agreements with all countries that received Lend-Lease assistance.

US President Franklin Roosevelt and W.M. Molotov during the signing of the Agreement between the USSR and the USA.
Washington June 1942

Also in the course of negotiations with Britain and the United States, a Joint Communiqué was adopted, published on June 12, 1942, which stated that "full agreement has been reached on the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942".
However, in 1942, instead of creating a second front in Europe, Anglo-American troops landed in North Africa and carried out the North African landing operation (Operation Torch. The opening of the second front was postponed to 1943. But that year, the second front was not opened either. The Allied forces, conducting the Sicilian landing operation in 1943, diverted from the eastern front only no more 6-7% of the forces of the Wehrmacht.
The Soviet Union continued to bear the main burden of the war.
Our allies for two years, under various pretexts, postponed the opening of the Second Front, until they saw that Nazi Germany could be defeated without their participation.
At the Tehran Conference of 1943, our Western allies pledged to open the Second Front in May 1944.
Disembarkation allied forces in Normandy - Operation Overlord, conducted from June 6 to August 31, 1944, became the largest landing operation in history. It was attended by about 3 million. human.
June 6, 1944 is considered the official date of the opening of the Second Front.
So far, little remains known fact that Operation Overlord and Belorusskaya offensive"Bagration" (June 23 - August 29, 1944) - the largest operation of the Red Army at the final stage of the war, were linked by agreements reached during the Tehran Conference (November 29 - December 1, 1943).
In the decisions of this conference it was said that "... the military headquarters of the three powers must keep close contact with each other regarding the upcoming operation in Europe and agree on a plan to hoax and deceive the enemy in relation to these operations ...".
The implementation of these decisions of the Tehran Conference began at the very beginning of 1944.
All measures of misinformation and hoax were carried out in accordance with the plan of the operation called "Bodyguard".
In the development of this plan and its implementation, along with the British and the United Anglo-American headquarters, the General Staff of the Red Army also took part.
But subsequently, the participation of the General Staff in this operation by our allies, like other Allied operations in World War II with our participation, was forgotten ...
For example, in the memoirs of General D. Eisenhower, who led the landing of allied troops in Normandy, there is not even a mention of the participation of the General Staff of the Red Army in the development of a plan for strategic misinformation of the enemy in preparation for this operation.
Nor did W. Churchill mention this in his assessment of the events on the opening of the Second Front.
The process of developing a plan for Operation Bodyguard and the efforts of British and American intelligence to implement it were covered in many works of British and American historians (A. Brown Tricks of Operation Bodyguard, W. Brewer "Deceiving Hitler. Norman Trick", O. Plett "Bodyguard "The Secret Plan That Provided D-Day", -2004, etc.)
But they also did not contain any mention of the involvement of the General Staff of the Red Army in the development of the plan for this operation and mention of the relevant decisions of the Tehran conference.
But what is surprising, and our historians were silent about this until recently. But we are constantly repeating about the fight against the falsification of history and the belittling of the role of the USSR in the victory over Nazi Germany.
The question is why such the most important points our military cooperation with the allies in World War II pass by our doctors and professors of military history, of whom countless divorced ...
Only recently were books by V.I. Lot "Unknown" Bagration "and" Operation "Bodyguard": The Lost Trail "", which for the first time tells about the interaction of Soviet and British intelligence services in the preparation of operations "Overlord" and "Bagration", which allowed to mislead German intelligence and create favorable conditions for starting these operations.
This interaction allowed the high German command to be misled about the start of the Allied offensive and Soviet troops during the summer campaign of 1944, to hide the preparation of the Anglo-American troops for crossing the English Channel, to successfully launch the offensive of the Red Army troops on the Soviet-German front, where the enemy did not expect it.
The purpose of the operation "Bodyguard" was to hide from the enemy the real place of the Allied landing operation, the time of the beginning of the operation and the composition of the forces that were to take part in the opening of the second front.
The draft plan for Operation Bodyguard began in London in early January 1944 by a special unit, the London Control Section (LCS), formed at the direction of Prime Minister W. Churchill.

The plan for Operation Bodyguard provided for the simultaneous conduct of 35 disinformation operations of the operational-tactical level.
Chief among them was Operation Fortitude (Fortitude), which in turn was divided into Fortitude North and Fortitude South. Operations "Titanic", "Moonlight", "Vendetta", "Copper Head" ... and others were also envisaged.
The implementation of the Bodyguard plan was carried out in three main areas:
- Dissemination of false information about the time and place of the landing of the Allied expeditionary forces;
- organization of visual deception of enemy reconnaissance by creating false signs of troop concentration in certain areas of the British Isles and military equipment, concentration of floating and other vehicles;
- interaction with the General Staff of the Red Army.
Even people who played the role of doubles of prominent British military leaders were involved in spreading false information.
So Clifton James, who served in the British army, and who was very similar to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, during Operation Copper Head was commissioned to portray him on trips to Gibraltar and North Africa, while Montgomery himself was in England and was preparing the landing ground forces in Normandy.

Field Marshal B. Montgomery (left) and Clifton James-his counterpart (right)

As you can see, the similarity is simply striking.

The “appearance” of Montgomery in Gibraltar and Africa should have convinced the German command that the blow would be delivered from the Mediterranean Sea, from the south of France, and not from the north.
On May 25, 1944, K. James flew to Gibraltar in the private jet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

At a reception in his honor at the residence of the governor of Gibraltar, James talked colorfully about "Plan 303" - the capture of France from the south. And naturally, a German agent, who could well have been among the guests at the residence, sent this information to Berlin. What was the calculation of this event.
Then K. James, on the same plane of W. Churchill, flew to Algeria, where for several days he publicly appeared with the commander of the Allied forces in the Mediterranean, Henry Wilson. In Algeria, he was until D-Day - the day of landing in Normandy
The entire Copperhead operation took five weeks.
(In 1954, K. James wrote the book "I was Monty's stunt double", which was used for the film).

Operation Bodyguard Card

When choosing a landing site, the British also had to go for a trick.
It was impossible to explore the coast of the French occupied by the Germans, because it was occupied by the Germans.
And then British radio asked the citizens to send postcards and personal photographs from pre-war vacations on the Norman coast of France to the editorial office. As if these photographs will be included in the exposition of the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology in Oxford. Then these photographs were carefully studied at the headquarters to select the landing site.

Hundreds of specially trained people sat at the microphones for days, imitating radio communications and broadcasting disinformation. One of the places where the Allies wanted to pull the German forces was the coast of Norway. And these people endlessly discussed on the air the harsh climate and skiing.
Senseless dialogues flew to German headquarters, where they were meticulously studied, reports were drawn up and conclusions were drawn.
As a result of this misinformation, thousands of German soldiers were transferred to Norway, in the Trondheim region.
Of course, there were real agents in addition to this. This was all called Operation Fortitude North.
In Operation Fortitude South, its participants had to convince the enemy that the main attack would take place in the Calais region - three hundred kilometers from the Norman beaches and forty kilometers from British Dover.
The entire operation "Fortitude" was supposed to ensure the implementation of the following goals:
- to convince the German command that the main invasion of Normandy will be carried out in the area of ​​the Pas-de-Calais or Norway, and the concentration of troops in southern England is only a diversion, and the main actions will unfold in Belgium and Norway;
- that in the summer of 1944 the Allies intend to strike a decisive blow in the Balkan direction.

On February 8, 1944, the General Staff of the Red Army, the Directorate of Special Assignments of the General Staff (headed by Major General N.V. Slavin), who directed the activities of Soviet military missions abroad, received a letter from the British Embassy - an appeal to the Soviet command to take part in the development of the Bodyguard plan; and the Memorandum that laid out the plan for this plan.
On February 12, a similar appeal was received from the American military mission in Moscow.
And work began to agree on this plan and develop measures for our General Staff to implement it.
On March 1, 1944, representatives of the Soviet and Anglo-American command signed a protocol “On the approval of the“ Bodyguard ”plan.
After signing this plan, V.M. Molotov reported to I.V. Stalin on the readiness of the General Staff to implement the "plan to hoax and deceive the enemy," which approved the plan of the operation.
The Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Red Army (GRU General Staff) developed the directions in which it was necessary to carry out measures to misinform the German high command. At the same time, it was supposed to demonstrate preparations for an invasion together with British troops into Norway and to indicate real preparations for a broad offensive by the Red Army in the Balkans.
Directly a draft plan for our participation in Operation Bodyguard was developed by the GRU General Staff (Chief Lieutenant General F.F. Kuznetsov) and the Intelligence Directorate of the Main Naval Staff of the Navy (Chief - Rear Admiral M.A. Vorontsov).
By the end of March 1944, the RU GMSH of the Navy presented the measures that were planned to be carried out by the forces of the Black Sea and Northern fleets in April-May 1944 to mislead the enemy on the northern and southern flanks of the Soviet-German front.
Thus, the disinformation measures in the Black Sea Fleet assumed that, within the indicated time frame, "the concentration of transport and landing vehicles in the ports of Poti and Batumi would begin."
The purpose of this concentration is allegedly the preparation of a large landing operation by the forces of the fleet and the troops of the Red Army for a sudden landing on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Romania in order to keep the enemy forces in the Balkans.
A leak of information was organized "about the accelerated repair of landing equipment and equipment ..., the concentration of army units, numbering up to 2 infantry divisions in the Poti and Batumi region," sapper units, and preparation for the construction of temporary berths has been organized ”.
Training landings of dedicated units of the Red Army on ships of the fleet and landing craft were organized, reconnaissance flights to photograph the coast of Bulgaria, the radio exchange of the landing group with the fleet headquarters, the preparation of navigation data on the waters of Bulgaria, descriptions of its coast and transmission of this data to the ships that were supposed to participate in the "landing operation".

A list of measures was also developed under the "Bodyguard" plan for the Northern Fleet (Fleet Commander Admiral A.G. Golovko).
But unlike Black Sea Fleet all efforts of the Northern Fleet aimed at demonstrating preparations for an amphibious operation had to be accompanied by real actions.
It was proposed to inflict aerial bombardments on targets on the coast of Northern Norway, organize joint exercises for the forces of the Northern Fleet and the Karelian Front allocated for the landing operation, and concentrate troops of up to one division in Murmansk and the area of ​​the Kola Bay bays.
The Commander of the Karelian Front (Front Commander, General of the Army K.A. Meretskov) was instructed to create a version that should reach the enemy and convince him that the summer offensive of the Red Army would begin no earlier than the end of June 1944.
In addition, the Commander of the Karelian Front and the Northern Fleet was instructed to make the enemy believe in the version of the proposed offensive of the Red Army against Northern Finland and Norway, in cooperation with the Anglo-American divisions allegedly grouping with the same tasks in Scotland and Northern Ireland - up to six divisions and Iceland - one division.
This version should be disseminated by transmitting the necessary messages through the enemy agents at the disposal of "Smersh", spreading rumors and "losing" documents by the partisans.
The General Staff of the Red Army identified Petsamo, Kirkenes and Berlevog as targets for attack.
Already on April 26-28, 1944, the aviation of the Northern Fleet inflicted continuous bombing strikes on the Berlivog area, with the task of suppressing enemy batteries and firing points. The raids were attended by 28 bombers, 16 attack aircraft and 50 fighters.
In addition, a blow was struck at Kibergnes by four Il-2 and 12 fighters.
On April 24, 1944, the Commander of the Northern Fleet received an order:
“… In order to misinform the enemy, it is necessary, together with the Karelian Front, to demonstrate preparations for an amphibious operation on the northern coast of Norway, in the Berliog area. For the landing, the Commander of the Karelian Front will be assigned 3-4 rifle battalions, which must undergo joint exercises with units of the marines to prepare for the landing operation ... ”.
This instruction was fulfilled, the landing of 3 battalions of the 14th Army of the Karelian Front on vehicles was carried out, with the ships going to sea.
The forces of the Northern Fleet planted mines at the exits from the nearest enemy bases, landed reconnaissance groups on the coast from Vadso to Berlivog, and reconnaissance aviation reached its maximum intensity. The radio exchange between the radio stations of the fleet and the combined arms armies has intensified.
The intelligence department of the Northern Fleet transmitted false information to the enemy that Soviet army and navy officers flew to Scotland to coordinate actions in Northern Norway.
All the activities of the Northern Fleet and the Karelian Front were carried out purposefully and at an increasing pace, actively demonstrating preparations for the invasion of Northern Norway.
During the period of disinformation activities in the spring of 1944, reconnaissance and sabotage groups of the Northern Fleet were actively operating on the coast of Norway, from the Varanger peninsula to Tromso.
Such combat activity of the forces of the Northern Fleet and the Karelian Front was, as it were, confirmation of the preparation by the Soviet command, together with British troops, of the invasion of Norway in the second half of 1944.
Chief of the Republican Administration of the General Staff, Lieutenant General F.F. Kuznetsov reported to the British General Staff on July 7, 1944:
“The Soviet command considers it necessary to bring to your attention information about the implementation of the“ Bodyguard ”plan, concerning the demonstration of preparations for an offensive on the Scandinavian Peninsula in cooperation with the Anglo-American troops…. The measures carried out by the Soviet command testify to the effective impact on the enemy ... ”.
Since May 1944, disinformation measures have been carried out along the diplomatic lines by the USSR People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs and the British Foreign Ministry.
Notes were sent to the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proposing to grant the right to refuel allied aircraft that could make an emergency landing on Swedish territory. The British government requested permission to bring the required amount of aviation fuel into Sweden. This also could not go unnoticed for German agents in Sweden, of whom there were more than enough in this country, who maintained neutrality in the war.
All these actions were reported to the command of the Allied army.
Corresponding contacts between the General Staff and the command of the Allied army in Operation Bodyguard were constantly maintained.
Below is one of the latest messages from the British military mission in Moscow on July 25, 1944 regarding the implementation of the "Bodyguard" plan and the continuation of interaction on this plan.

On August 22, 1944, the head of the British mission in Moscow received a response from the General Staff of the General Staff, coordinated with the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal A.V. Vasilevsky and approved by V.M. Molotov.
This letter ended the six-month correspondence between the RU General Staff and the British command, through the British mission in Moscow, within the framework of interaction under the "Bodyguard" plan.
This letter brought to the attention English side that “... the Soviet General Staff fully agrees with the policy of pinning down possibly large enemy forces in Scandinavia, Italy and the Balkans ... In the measures and hostilities carried out by the Soviet Government for the summer period of 1944, the measures stipulated by the Bodyguard plan continue to be implemented.
The participation of the Soviet side in the "Bodyguard" plan was carried out until the end of 1944.

The measures carried out during the interaction of the general staffs of the armed forces of the USSR, Great Britain and the United States according to the "Bodyguard" plan misled the German High Command, hid the place, time and composition of the Anglo-American forces, and made it possible to cross the Channel where the enemy did not expect it. The enemy was also misled about the intentions of the summer operations on the eastern front (Operation Bagration) and the western front.

In his message of June 6, 1944 J. Stalin informed W. Churchill:
“I have received your message about the success of the start of Operation Overlord. It makes us all happy and encourages us to make progress.
The summer offensive of the Soviet troops, organized according to the agreement at the Tehran Conference, will begin by mid-June on one of the important sectors of the front ... “. (This refers to the operation "Bagration")
Thus, the USSR not only requested and insisted on the opening of the Second Front (Operation Overlord), but also actively helped its allies in opening the Second Front, participating in Operation Bodyguard.
And this should be reminded more often of our former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, who are constantly trying to belittle the decisive role of the USSR in the victory over fascism in World War II.
And now about the flight of V.M. Molotov for negotiations to England and the United States on a TB-7 bomber in 1942, as a result of which our relations with the allies in the common struggle against Nazi Germany were formalized and a joint Communiqué was signed on the creation of the Second Front in 1942 ..
Air Chief Marshal A.E. Golovanov, commander of long-range aviation, considering several options for a flight to London and Washington, chose the shortest route in terms of distance and time. The flight through Alaska is too long.
The seemingly most paradoxical option was chosen: to fly unaccompanied by fighters on a long-range bomber from Moscow to London, and then through Iceland and Canada to the United States. Golovanov considered this route the most suitable and safe because even if the German agents somehow find out about the impending visit of the Soviet leader to England and the United States, they could hardly imagine such a route for the flight of a high government delegation through the territories occupied by the Germans.

Flight route TB-7 to England and the USA

For flights, it was decided to use the most powerful at that time well-tested high-speed high-altitude four-engine heavy bomber TB-7 (Pe-.
This aircraft was created at the A.N. Tupolev, the aircraft designer was V.M. Petlyakov. In 1938, the first flight of the aircraft took place and then its serial production under the name TB-7 began.
After the death of V.M. Petlyakov in 1942, the aircraft began to be called Pe-8.
In terms of flight range and bomb load, even in the first years of World War II, the aircraft had no competitors among similar aircraft, including the famous American B-17, called the "flying fortress". With full refueling, the maximum flight range of the production TB-7 aircraft of 1941 release with two tons of bombs was: with AM-35A engines - 3600 km, with M-40 or M-30 - 5460 km, with M-82 - 5800 km.
Service ceiling -12,000 meters.
Speed ​​-400 km / hour
The crew of the combat aircraft consisted of 8-11 people, depending on the purpose.

Here are expert reviews of this aircraft:
- Major General of Aviation P. Stefanovsky, TB-7 test pilot: "The multi-ton ship with its flight performance surpassed all the best European fighters of that time at a ten-kilometer height";
- Major General of Aviation V.S.Shumikhin: “At altitudes over 10 thousand meters, the TB-7 was out of reach for most of the fighters available at that time, and the ceiling of 12 thousand meters made it invulnerable to anti-aircraft artillery”;
- Aircraft designer V. B. Shavrov: “Outstanding aircraft. For the first time on TB-7, earlier than in the USA and England, five-ton bombs were raised. " A five-ton bomb was dropped from TB-7 (Pena Konigsberg on April 29, 1943;
- Professor L. L. Kerber: "... Inaccessible at the maximum ceiling of its flight, neither anti-aircraft guns, nor fighters of that time, TB-7 was the most powerful bomber in the world";
- American military historian John Taylor: "At an altitude of 26250-29500 feet, its speed exceeded the speed of the German Me-109 and He-112 fighters."
An aircraft of this type during the Second World War, superior to the TB-7, was only the American strategic bomber B-29.
But it was developed in 1942.

Long-range bomber TB-7 (Pe-

So, before the war with Germany, we had modern aircraft superior to Western models.
The TB-7 bomber, tail number 42066, assigned by the 746 Long-Range Aviation Regiment, was thoroughly checked, one of the engines was replaced, instead of bombs, additional fuel tanks were installed, which made it possible to increase the flight range. They installed oxygen tanks, because the flight had to take place constantly at an altitude of about 10,000 meters.
Passenger seats were installed in the central compartment. All passengers flew in fur overalls, they were supplied with oxygen devices. The temperature overboard reached minus 40 ° C, and it was also cold in the “passenger compartment”.
Before the flight, V.M. Molotov, a test flight of the TB-7 to England was carried out.
For this flight, a mixed crew of 12 people was formed, consisting of polar aviation pilots and military pilots.
Major S. Asyamov was appointed as the crew commander, who had already completed several dozen sorties on this plane. The second pilot was Major E. Pusep, who had 30 night long-range combat missions to strike targets in the rear of Germany.
On April 28, 1942, TB-7, piloted by Major S. Asyamov, took off and, as expected, after 7 hours and 10 minutes on April 29, at 4:00 am GMT, landed safely in England, at Teeling airfield.

But then, as he writes in his book “Long-range bomber. Memoirs of the Chief Marshal of Aviation "AE Golovanov, the unexpected happened:
... At 06.25, seven people, including four from the crew, took off from Tealing airfield to London on a plane prepared for them, where they landed at 09.05, about which we received a message from the embassy in England.
I reported to Stalin about the safe arrival of our crew in England. We were pleased that our assumptions came true. But our joy turned out to be premature. Apparently, in London, those who should have learned about the true destination of our plane's arrival.
The next day, Major SA Asyamov, accompanied by members of our military mission, Colonel Pugachev, engineer 2nd rank Baranov and assistant military attaché for aviation, Major Shvetsov, flew from London to Teeling at 9 o'clock in the morning on an English Flamingo-class plane.
On the plane, in addition to our comrades and the four members of the British crew, were Air Department liaison officer Wilton and liaison officer Lieutenant Colonel Edmonds, both scouts. The plane arrived safely at Teeling, and then flew to East Fortune (as the Air Ministry later reported, to inspect the airfield and aircraft). From East Fortune the plane took off for London.
In the York area, 200 miles from London, he had an accident, as a result of which all ten people on the plane were killed.
…. It became obvious that some high-ranking officials in Great Britain knew about the upcoming meeting of the leaders of our state with the President of the United States of America and clearly did not want it ...
.. Since it turned out to be impossible to stop or postpone this meeting by usual diplomatic ways (and there are always a great many of these ways in diplomacy), these people went to extreme measures, hoping, if not to disrupt, then at least as long as possible to delay it. After all, this meeting was supposed to resolve the issue of opening a second front in Europe in 1942, to which US President Roosevelt was inclined, against which British Prime Minister Winston Churchill categorically objected.
... Everything was done according to all the rules of art: the crew of an English plane was killed, two representatives of the British government department were killed. To investigate the incident, a special commission was appointed, in which we were invited to take part. Ordinary people in England could sincerely believe in the misfortune that had occurred. We didn't have such faith ...
... The news of Asyamov's death made a strong impression on Stalin. He was silent for a long time, and then, shaking his head, said:
- Yes, we have good allies, you won’t say anything! Look in both directions and in all directions. - Again he was silent and asked: - Well, what should we do now? The meeting with Roosevelt must definitely take place! Anything else you can suggest?
“I can, Comrade Stalin,” I replied, since we had already thought of this question. - Pilot Pusep, now in England, is the ship's commanding officer. He is a polar pilot, accustomed to flying in the North for many hours without landing, and during the war he had to be in the air for a long time, so he alone will lead the plane home. Here we will replenish the crew, and it will be possible to hit the road.
- Here's how! Are you sure about that?
- Yes, I am sure, Comrade Stalin.
- Well, go ahead!
Great was the surprise of the British when a heavy four-engined bomber with one pilot (this pilot was Major Pusep-sad39) took off, headed east and landed safely at its airfield a few hours later ...
Soon after the plane returned, I was at Stalin's. He asked if it was possible to fly to Roosevelt, and, having received an affirmative answer, gave instructions to prepare the plane for the flight to Washington. Looking closely at me, he said that Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov would fly to America.
“Nobody should know that,” Stalin continued. - The faster the flight is organized, the better. The responsibility for this flight lies with you personally. ”

Major E. Pusep

By May 10, 1942, the TB-7 aircraft was prepared for departure.
E.K. The experience of a polar pilot was very useful to Pusep. Back in 1937, Pusep took part in the search for pilot Sigismund Levanevsky, who disappeared in the Arctic. Together with the most famous polar pilots, he laid routes over the vastness of the Soviet North.
The crew of Major E.K. Pusepa entered the second pilot V.M. Obukhov, navigators S.M. Romanov and A.P. Shtepenko, onboard technician and his assistant A.Ya. Zolotarev and S.N. Dmitriev, shooter of the bow tower I.P. Goncharov, radio operators B.N. Nizovtsev and S.K. Mukhanov, air gunners D.M. Kozhin, P.V. Salnikov, G.F. Belousov and V.I. Smirnov.

On May 19, V.M. Molotov and his entourage, nine in number.
All were dressed in fur overalls, parachutes and oxygen devices were given, instructed on how to use everything. The radio operator D. Kozhin had to check the condition of the passengers every 15 minutes so that they did not sleep with the oxygen mask on and did not accidentally bend the oxygen supplying rubber tube.
At 18h. 40 minutes On May 19, the plane took off from the Bykovo airfield, crossed the front line and the territory occupied by the Germans, as well as two seas - the Baltic and the North. We flew at the maximum altitude for the aircraft, wearing oxygen masks. In order not to let the engines down, they were turned off one by one to give them a rest.
We landed at the Tiling airfield, familiar from the last flight. After the meeting ceremony V.M. Molotov and the members of the delegation went by car to the city of Dundee, and from there by train to London.
Negotiations on the signing of the Treaty with Britain were difficult.
W. Churchill categorically refused to sign an agreement, which included territorial problems on the acceptance of our post-war borders with Poland and Romania and on the recognition of the Baltic territory for us.
Only after the territorial issue was removed with the permission of I. Stalin, the treaty on May 26, 1942 was signed by Molotov and Eden.
However, W. Churchill did not sign the Communiqué on the creation of the Second Front in 1942.
But he was forced to sign this document later, when Molotov returned to London from the United States with a Communiqué signed by Roosevelt.
Although at the same time he did not betray himself and “slipped a pig”, in the form of “Aide Memoire”, in which he indicated that the British side did not consider itself bound by the obligations set out in the Communiqué.

On the night of May 27-28, 1942, TB-7 flew to the United States.
The flight of TB-7 in the USA, according to the previously developed route, was supposed to go through Iceland and about. Newfoundland.
The TB-7 aircraft landed safely at the Reykjavik airfield.
The next landing should be in Newfoundland. The British strongly recommended that the crew land at the Gander airfield.
However, one American pilot who happened to be in Reykjavik at that time told Pusep: “I know who is flying with you. You should not fly to Newfoundland, where the British advise you - there is always fog and you can crash. And in Goose Bey there is a good climate, there you will definitely sit down successfully. " And he showed on the map the location of the American base of Goose Bay.
E. Pusep recalled: “We flew along the route approved by the command, but we flew carefully and I was convinced that the American pilot was right. Having turned the plane away from the fogs, I sat down in the sunny Goose Bay, which was a complete surprise for the British. "
After departure from Goose Bee, our plane accompanied the American B-17 to Washington (when flying through Canada).

On the afternoon of May 29, TB-7 landed in Washington DC.
The negotiations in the United States were successful.
On May 11, 1942, USSR Ambassador to the United States Maxim Litvinov and US Secretary of State Cordell Hull signed an Agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States "On Principles Applicable to Mutual Assistance in Waging the War against Aggression."
A Communiqué was also signed, which stated that "during the negotiations, full agreement was reached on the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942."

American officers examine the Soviet TB-7 bomber (Pe-, which delivered a delegation led by V.M. Molotov to Washington

The Americans spoke enthusiastically about our aircraft and the high skill of its pilots.
Fascinated by the professionalism and courage of Soviet pilots, US President Franklin Roosevelt expressed a desire to meet, thank and personally shake hands with the bomber crew.

The way back was also along this route.
As E. Pusep recalled, the British suggested that the crew return not by the same route, but through Africa and Iran. And when V.M. Molotov turned to Pusep to find out his opinion, he answered him that at this time of the year the temperature was high over the deserts of North Africa, and the motors simply could not stand it.
As you can see, the British once again made an attempt to "put a pig."
Returning from America turned out to be even more difficult, the plane got into a difficult meteorological situation between Newfoundland and Greenland. Its icing began, the connection was lost. We flew blindly.
But thanks to the skill of the navigator A.P. Shtepenko, whom his colleagues called “the navigation“ god ”, the plane never deviated from the correct course.
On the morning of June 13, TB-7 landed safely at the Central Aerodrome in Moscow.

So 75 years ago, this rightfully historical and very risky under wartime flight of TB-7 to England and the USA ended, during which the most important documents on our cooperation with the allies in the war against Nazi Germany were signed.
On June 20, 1942, by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Major S. Asyamov (posthumously) to Major E. Pusep, S. Romanov and A. Shtemenko. The rest of the crew were also awarded state awards.

During the Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front, the United States and Britain landed their troops in France. The Anglo-American command prepared two landing operations: the main one - on the northern coast of France, in Normandy - under the name "Overlord" ("Overlord") and an auxiliary one - on the southern coast near Marseille - operation "Anvil" ("Anvil"), 6 June 1944, Operation Overlord began, the largest amphibious operation of the Second World War. A huge fleet (6 thousand military, airborne and transport ships) delivered 3 Allied armies to the shores of Normandy, which included 10 tank divisions. A giant air armada - 11 thousand aircraft - covered them from the air. Along with the British and American troops, Canadian troops, Polish military units subordinate to the emigrant government in London, and French military units formed by the French Committee for National Liberation, which on the eve of the landing proclaimed itself the Provisional Government of France, took part in the landing.The landing was commanded by Montgomery, who received the rank of Field Marshal after the victory in North Africa; General leadership of the invasion forces, the total number of which reached 1 million people, was carried out by General Eisenhower.

Since the main forces German army were on the Eastern Front, at the disposal of the commander-in-chief of the German troops in the West, Field Marshal Rundstedt, there were only 58 incompletely staffed divisions stationed in France, Belgium and Holland. Some of them were "stationary", that is, they did not have their own transport. In the immediate vicinity of the Normandy landing site, there were only 12 divisions with only 160 combat-ready aircraft. In terms of the number of personnel, the allied armies were three times superior to the opposing German troops. They had twice as many guns, three times as many tanks and 60 times as many aircraft. Although the German command was awaiting an Allied invasion, it could not determine in advance either the time or place of the landing. On the eve of the landing, a storm continued for several days, the weather forecast was poor, and Eisenhower had to postpone the invasion by one day. The German command believed that in such weather, the landing of an assault force was generally impossible. The commander of German troops in France, Field Marshal Rommel, just on the eve of the Allied landing, went to rest home in Germany and learned about the invasion only more than three hours later, away from his troops.

The adopted plan of operation provided for landing a sea and air assault on the coast of the Gulf of Seine, in a section from the Grand Vé bank to the mouth of the Orne River, about 80 km long, and on the twentieth day to create a bridgehead 100 km along the front and 100 -110 km in depth. Here it was planned to concentrate forces sufficient to conduct further offensive operations in Northern France. On the first day of the operation, it was planned to land 5 infantry, 3 airborne divisions and several commando and Rangers detachments, advance to a depth of 15-20 km and on the sixth day increase the number of troops on the bridgehead to 16 divisions. The landing area was divided into two zones - western and eastern. In the first of them, American troops were to land, and in the second, Anglo-Canadian troops. The western zone was divided into two sections, the eastern - into three. Each of them simultaneously landed one reinforced infantry division. The main task of the Allied fleet in the operation was to deliver troops to the landing area, reliably provide cover for the landing force during the transition and during disembarkation from attacks by enemy surface ships from submarines, to assist the advance of troops ashore with artillery fire. The organization of the naval forces allocated for participation in Operation Neptune was subordinated to the task of the most reliable support, first of all, for the landing of the first echelon of landing troops. For the landing of each division, independent formations were created.

Operations from the sea were to be preceded by the landing of significant airborne forces in the depths of the enemy's defense - 10-15 km from the coast. They were to assist the amphibious assault in the landing and seizure of the bridgehead, seize road junctions, crossings, bridges and other important objects and thereby prevent the enemy's reserves from approaching the coast. The primary targets of the air attacks were the structures of the railway network, rolling stock, as well as airfields in France and Belgium. All aviation formations allocated to support Operation Overlord, from the end of March 1944, were subordinated directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, General D. Eisenhower. Practical guidance was carried out by his deputy chief marshal of aviation A. Tedder. The American-British command, in order to achieve surprise in the landing, in the preparatory period carried out extensive measures to covertly concentrate forces and equipment, to combat enemy reconnaissance and mislead him about the time and area of ​​the landing.

On the night of June 6, 18 ships of the British fleet, together with bomber aviation groups, undertook demonstration actions in the area northeast of Le Havre.

While they were maneuvering along the coast, planes dropped strips of metallized paper to interfere with German radar stations. Despite the weakness of the German aviation and navy, the command of the expeditionary forces created a reliable anti-submarine, anti-mine and air defense... In particular, in order to prevent the exit of German ships from the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea into the English Channel, large naval cover forces were deployed. After three months of training in the concentration area, located 100 - 150 km north of the southern coast of England, the landing troops in late May - early June were concentrated in the assembly areas, 20 -25 km from the landing site. On June 3-4, they headed to the embarkation points - Falmouth, Plymouth, Weymouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Newhaven. The landing was scheduled for June 5, but due to poor meteorological conditions it was postponed for a day.

On the night of June 6, simultaneously with the transition of the amphibious assault, the allied aviation began to strike at the artillery batteries, separate centers of resistance, headquarters, troop concentrations and the rear of the enemy. Aviation delivered strong strikes against targets in the Calais and Boulogne region in order to divert the attention of the German command from the actual direction of the landing. On the night before the landing, the airborne troops began dropping out. It was attended by 1,662 aircraft and 512 gliders of American aviation, 733 aircraft and 335 gliders of the British Air Force. Parts of the 82nd US Airborne Division landed west of Saint-Mer-Eglise. In this area, there were only individual units of German troops, and the paratroopers did not meet strong opposition, and soon occupied Saint-Mer-Eglise.

On the morning of June 6, artillery preparation began, which was led by 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 24 cruisers, 74 destroyers. In addition, American and British aircraft launched massive strikes. As a result, the defense of the German fascist troops on the coast was largely suppressed. At 0630 hours in the western zone and an hour later in the eastern zone, the first amphibious assault groups landed on the coast. American troops, which had landed in the extreme western sector ("Utah"), by the end of June 6, advanced inland to 10 km and joined up with the 82nd Airborne Division.

The 5th Corps of the 1st American Army, which landed in the Omaha sector, was severely defeated. Here, the defense of the back was not sufficiently suppressed. The artillery units landed with a delay, and the troops of the first throw were without fire support. The landing detachments of the corps, suffering heavy losses from enemy artillery and machine-gun fire, during the first day with difficulty captured a small section of the coast with a depth of 1.5-2 km. In the landing zone of the Anglo-Canadian forces, the resistance of the German-fascist forces was weak. Having overcome it without much effort, the paratroopers by the evening connected with parts of the 6th airborne division. By the end of the first day of the operation, the allied forces had created three bridgeheads with a depth of 2 to 9 km. On the coast of Normandy, the main forces of five infantry three airborne divisions with reinforcement units numbering over 156 thousand people landed. During the first days of the landing operation, the Allied strategic aviation made 14,000 sorties. During the same time, only 50 German aircraft sorties were recorded in the landing area.

During June 7-8, the command of the expeditionary forces continued the intensive transfer of new forces and funds to the captured bridgeheads. In three days, eight infantry, one tank, three airborne divisions and a large number and a large number of reinforcement units were concentrated here. On the morning of June 9, the allied forces went on the offensive with the aim of creating a single bridgehead. In the period from June 9 to 12, the expeditionary forces managed to occupy a coastline with a length of 80 km along the front and 13 -18 km in depth, while there were already 16 divisions and armored units equivalent to three armored divisions on the bridgehead.

The fascist German command, still believing that the enemy's main attack would follow through the Pas-de-Calais, continued to keep large forces in this area. The transfer of German troops from other regions of France was disrupted by the allied aviation and French patriots.

On June 12, Hitler's headquarters made an unsuccessful attempt to cut the grouping of allied forces between the Orne and Vir rivers. By this time, she pulled up to the bridgehead three tank and one motorized divisions, bringing the grouping of her troops in Normandy to 12 divisions. But these units were poorly staffed with people and equipment. In order to prevent the expansion of the bridgehead, the fascist German command brought divisions into battle in parts, as they approached the landing area. As a result, their efforts were diffused.

The allied command, seeking to use favorable conditions, applied measures to further deploy offensive operations in order to expand the bridgehead. American troops received the task of capturing the Cotentin Peninsula with the port of Cherbourg. Anglo-Canadian forces were to advance southward and occupy the city of Caen. On June 17, American forces reached the west coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in the Carter region, cutting off the peninsula from the rest of Normandy. On June 27, the Americans captured Cherbourg, and on July 1, they completely cleared the Cotentin Peninsula of Nazi troops. In the first half of July, the Allies restored the port at Cherbourg. He began to play an essential role in the supply of troops in France. The offensive of the Anglo-Canadian forces, undertaken on June 25-26 to capture Caen, did not reach its goal. The Germans showed stubborn resistance. By the end of June, the Allied bridgehead in Normandy had reached 100 km along the front and 20 to 40 km in depth.

The UWC headquarters still hesitated to reinforce its troops in Normandy by transferring formations from North-Eastern France. The directive of the Supreme High Command of July 7 indicated that there was a possibility of a second landing on the front of the 15th Army in the Pas-de-Calais Strait zone. The main reason, which did not allow to strengthen the Wehrmacht troops in the West, was the grandiose offensive of the Soviet armed forces in Belarus, which began in June. It was adopted in accordance with the agreement with the allies. The Hitlerite command not only could not withdraw connections from Soviet-German front, but it was forced to transfer additional forces and resources there. Not having the opportunity to reinforce the troops in the West and not daring to transfer forces from the coast of the Pas-de-Calais to the bridgehead, the Hitlerite headquarters was unable to significantly strengthen the defense in Normandy. On July 7-8, the British launched an offensive with the forces of three infantry divisions and three armored brigades in order to capture the northern western part Cana. Here they were opposed by the German airfield division. To suppress its defense and support the advancing troops, the allied command involved not only tactical, but also strategic aviation. Large ships of the navy took part in the artillery preparation. In addition, Kahn was subjected to repeated bombardment by Allied aviation. By the end of July 9, the British infantry occupied the completely destroyed north-western part of the city. After a respite on July 18, the British continued their assault on the city with four infantry and three tank divisions.

Troops occupied block after block as aircraft and artillery pushed their way. On July 21, they completely captured the city. By July 25, the allies reached the line south of Saint-Lo, Comont, Caen. This concludes the Normandy landing operation. Thus, in the period from June 6 to July 24, the American-British command succeeded in landing an expeditionary force in Normandy and taking a bridgehead about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. The size of the bridgehead was about 2 times less than that envisaged by the plan of the operation. However, the absolute domination of the allies in the air and at sea made it possible to concentrate a large number of forces and means here. The landing of the American-British Expeditionary Force in Normandy, which meant the opening of a second front in Western Europe, was the largest landing operation of strategic importance during the Second World War. While preparing and carrying out it, the Allies skillfully solved many problems: they achieved a surprise landing and clear interaction of ground forces, aviation, the navy and airborne troops; carried out a quick transfer across the English Channel to Normandy of a large number of troops, military equipment and various cargoes. The successful implementation of the operation was favored by the grandiose summer offensive of the Soviet armed forces, which forced the fascist German command to abandon its main reserves to the eastern front. About difficulties and disabilities German troops during the hostilities in Normandy is evidenced, in particular, by Romel's telegram sent to Hitler on July 15, 1944. It reported that in recent weeks the losses of Army Group B had reached 97 thousand people, and the received reinforcements amounted to only 6 thousand Despite all this, the deadlines set for the Normandy operation were not met and the pace of the offensive was low. This was due to the fact that the allied command acted with extreme caution, striving to methodically and consistently oust the enemy. In some areas, Hitler's troops offered stubborn resistance. The damage of the German-fascist troops for the period of almost seven weeks of fighting amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, 2117 tanks and 345 aircraft. The Allies in the period from June 6 to July 23 lost 122 thousand people (49 thousand British and Canadians and about 73 thousand Americans). The Allied Command and Expeditionary Force gained combat experience during the operation, which they used in subsequent operations.

The Anglo-American forces managed to achieve complete surprise. Possessing a huge advantage in forces and technology, with absolute supremacy at sea and in the air, they captured a major bridgehead in Normandy. All attempts of the German command to liquidate it were unsuccessful. The German "secret weapon" - the FAU-1 projectile, first used to bomb London on June 13, 1944, did not give the results expected by the Nazis. On July 25, 1944, the Allies launched an offensive in Normandy and defeated German forces in northern France. Significant assistance was provided to the allies by the French partisans, who attacked the rear units of the occupiers, destroyed their transport and communications equipment, blew up bridges, and sabotaged railways... General Eisenhower believed that the help of the guerrillas was equivalent to the actions of 15 regular divisions.

On August 15, Operation Anvil began, against which Churchill had long and stubbornly opposed. He proposed to use the forces intended for her not in France, but in Italy - closer to the Balkans, but Eisenhower and Roosevelt refused to change the plans agreed in Tehran. On the southern coast of France, east of Marseille, the Allies landed two armies: the American and the French. Fearing being cut off, German forces in Southwestern and Southern France began to retreat. Soon the allied forces, advancing from Northern and Southern France, united. By September 1944, almost all of France had been cleared of the occupiers. Anglo-American troops entered the territory of Belgium and Holland. On September 3, 1944, they liberated the capital of Belgium - Brussels. Only at the western borders of Germany did the Allied offensive slow down for a while.

This event can be called by different names ("D-Day", Norman Operation or "Overlord"). This event is popular even outside the warring countries. This battle claimed many lives. The battle that went into world history... Operation Overlord is a military procedure for the Allied forces, and it was this operation that opened the second western front. Held in France (Normandy). To date, Operation Overlord is one of the largest amphibious operations in world history. It was attended by at least three million people. This procedure began in 1944 (June 6), and ended on August 31 of the same year. The end of "Overlod" consisted in the liberation of the city of Paris from the German invaders. Operation "overload" was notable for its high-quality preparation for the battle, organizational skills. Also in this victory, the ridiculous mistakes of the Reich army played a huge role, they provoked the German collapse in France.

The main goal of the American, British troops was to strike at the heart of the Third Reich, it was also necessary to destroy the main enemy from the Osin countries. The German goal (as the goal of the country that is defending itself) is simple: not to allow the troops to gain a foothold in France, it was also necessary to provide them with technical and human losses, and at the end to throw them into a strait called the English Channel.

The Americans prepared for the landing in advance (one of the very first landing plans was studied three years before its implementation).

The operation was postponed multiple times and changed, due to the fact that the United States could not make a final decision about which is more important - the Pacific or European theater of operations. So, Operation Overlord was launched when it was decided that Pacific Ocean plays the role of tactical defense, and Germany is the main contender.

The operation included two phases, each of which had its own name: "Neptune" and "Cobra". "Neptune" provided for the landing of troops with a further seizure of the coastal part of the territory, and "Cobra" consisted in a further offensive inland and the capture of Paris. The first part lasted almost a month, the second two. To avoid the "leak" of information, the troops were located in special bases, which were forbidden to leave. Informational propaganda was carried out about the place and time of the Overlord. In addition to the troops of England and the United States, Australian, New Zealand and Canadian soldiers participated here. For a long time they could not decide on the time and venue, Brittany, Normandy and Pas-de-Calais were considered as the most suitable places for the landing of troops. As you know, the preference was given to Normandy. The main selection criteria were: the power of strengthening the defense, the level of separation and the radius of operation of the aviation of the allied forces. The Germans were confident that the landing would take place in the Pas-de-Calais area, due to the fact that this place is located closest to England. On June 6, in the daytime, the operation began. The night before that day, parachute troops were thrown off behind enemy lines, this provided some assistance to the main forces. On the eve of the main attack, the Germans and their fortifications were fired upon from a massive air raid and ships.

Crossing the English Channel (Operation "Neptune")

In Casablanca, a decision was made. In August 1943, in Quebec, the Joint Chiefs of Staff presented the plan of operation to Roosevelt and Churchill. In November 1943, Stalin was informed about this plan in Tehran. It was decided that the British and American armies would land in France. The Red Army will help them by launching a major offensive in the east. Fascist Germany will be crushed in a huge vice.

Since the beginning of 1943, the troops concentrated in the south-west of England began intensive training, preparing for the landing operation. Simultaneously, the American and British Air Forces began bombing German bases in occupied Europe. In 1944, the bombing of France, Belgium and Holland began. Since the main efforts were focused on the English Channel area, the Germans realized what exactly was being prepared. Information from spies and submarines confirmed these guesses. In the British Isles, huge forces of the allies were assembled. It was clear that a crossing of the English Channel was being prepared.

But neither the fascist spies nor the submarines could tell the German High Command the date of the landing and the place where the ram would hit the wall of the "Fortress Europe".

By reasoning, the German command came to the conclusion that the main blow would be delivered in the Calais region through the Dover Strait, where the width of the water barrier is the smallest, and the coast is most convenient for landing. In addition, the Allied armies would immediately find themselves quite close to the borders of Germany. It was to this conclusion that Eisenhower pushed the Germans, almost openly calling Calais the landing site. And the Germans transferred their reinforcements to the Calais area, believing him.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, convinced that the Germans had succumbed to deception, ordered a landing in Normandy. Attack units were to land on a 50-mile stretch of coastline halfway between Cherbourg and Deauville. The western border of the sector was on the Cotentin Peninsula. An advance across this peninsula would isolate Cherbourg, and after the inevitable fall of this important port, the Allies would have a sea gate at Western Europe... To receive the landing ships immediately after disembarking on the captured coast, it was planned to build artificial harbors as soon as the bridgeheads were occupied.

The landing sector was divided into 3 sections. In the west, near Deauville, the British were to land. In the center, on the Omaha section, and in the west, on the Utah section, the Americans landed.

The operation to invade Europe was given the code name "Overlord". General command was entrusted to the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Eisenhower. This book is not intended to examine the enormous mechanism and complex elaborations of a gigantic plan of action for the three branches of the armed forces. The book will give only the most general description of Operation Neptune - the naval part of Operation Overlord.

The objective of Operation Neptune was to seize and hold bridgeheads on the Normandy coast by the invasion forces, the total number of which was about 1 million soldiers. To land such a huge mass of troops, it was necessary to prepare many convoys and a colossal number of landing craft. Hundreds of transports and escort ships were involved in the transport of troops. During the landing, ships of all types were involved. They cleared the way to the coast, landed troops, covered bridgeheads, supported the landing with fire, built and defended artificial harbors in which the subsequent unloading of transports was to be carried out.

Each of the missions of Operation Neptune was a colossal undertaking. The treacherous waters of the English Channel made the passage of convoys difficult due to strong winds, thick fogs and intense waves. All this could have ruined any convoy. Approaching the coast of Normandy, the lead ships of the Allies had to break through the deadly fields of magnetic, contact, acoustic and other mines. Having smashed the barriers, the ships fell into shallow water, studded with various barriers and artificial obstacles - concrete blocks, steel hedgehogs hidden under water. The amphibious formations had to break through many miles of defensive positions. Fire support ships were supposed to destroy pillboxes, bunkers with guns installed in them, long-range artillery in the depths of the territory, and mobile artillery batteries. The Allies intended to build the huge Mulberry man-made harbor from sunken old ships, steel caissons and pontoons. They needed to be towed in shallow water and cordoned off a section of the water area. And all this had to be done, despite the presence of German submarines in the waters of the English Channel and Luftwaffe aircraft in the sky overhead.

In total, more than 4,000 ships and ships were assembled for Operation Neptune. British Admiral Sir Bertrand G. Ramsay was appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied naval forces. The huge armada was divided into 5 operational formations: 3 British under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Philip L. Wayne and 2 American under the command of Rear Admiral A.G. Pick. Since the landing was planned on an unequipped coast, it was scheduled for late May or early June, when low tides and relatively calm weather would facilitate the actions of subversive teams and assault formations.

Bad weather delayed the start of Operation Overlord until 5 June. A sudden oncoming storm forced the ships to turn back, but this delay for a day could not disrupt the plans of Operation Neptune, although a colossal machine was set in motion. On June 6, the Overlord was again launched, and the landing fleet set off again.

The forces involved in Operation Neptune withdrew from distant British ports and headed for the assembly area south of the Isle of Wight. Heavy fire support ships arrived from Belfast, Northern Ireland. American landing craft and escort ships departed from ports in southwest England. British landing ships left the Thames estuary, Southampton and other ports in southeastern England.

Observing a very complicated schedule, all the numerous formations and groups of a huge armada arrived in the indicated area of ​​the English Channel and from there, in a predetermined order, headed towards the shores of Normandy.

Ahead were minesweepers and ships with special teams of demolitions, which were supposed to clear the way to the bridgeheads and mark the fairways they had made with luminous buoys. 4 paratrooper divisions landed in the depths of the territory in order to capture local airfields and important roads. The minesweepers were followed by small ships and hundreds of landing craft with assault units. They were to turn around on the baseline 3,000 yards offshore. Further, troop transports and cargo ships moved, for which a "Transport zone" was defined 12-14 miles from the bridgeheads. Together with them were warships of fire support. They had to maneuver in special areas on the flanks of transport zones. The last were troop transports with reserves, heavy cargo ships, floating hospitals, a huge number of auxiliary ships and escort ships needed to support such convoys.

Quite far from the coast of Normandy, the landing armada was divided into 3 groups. British and Canadian forces headed to the eastern landing sites, US Task Force O to Section Omaha, and Task Force U to Section Utah.

Task Force O was commanded by Rear Admiral J. L. Hall. Rear Admiral D.P. Moon was in command of Task Force U. Both formations made up the Western Task Force under the command of Rear Admiral Kirk. Formation "O" was assigned a fire support group under the command of Rear Admiral Ch.F. Bryant. It included the battleships "Texas" (flagship) and "Arkansas", light cruisers "Glasgow", "Montcalm", "Georges Leigh", 8 American and 3 British destroyers. Task Force U was assigned a fire support group for Rear Admiral M.L. Deyo. It consisted of the old battleship Nevada, the British monitor Erebus, the heavy cruisers Tuscaloosa (flagship), Quincy and Hawkins, 2 British light cruisers, the Dutch gunboat Sumba and 8 American destroyers.

The American destroyers that were part of the fire support teams are listed below. The list also includes American destroyer escorts that were part of the Western Task Force. The destroyers took part in literally every stage of Operation Neptune, so the overall picture of the landing can be imagined on the basis of combat reports from destroyers and destroyer escorts.

Fire support group "O"; Destroyer Squadron 18: Frankford (Lieutenant Commander J.L. Semms) under the braid pennant of EEM-18 Commander Captain 1st Rank Harry Sanders, Karmik (Captain 2nd Rank R.O.Ber), Doyle (Lieutenant Commander J. G. Marshall), "McCook" (Lieutenant Commander R.L. Remy), "Baldwin" (Lieutenant Commander E. S. Powell) under the braid pennant of the commander of DEM-36 Captain 2nd Rank U .J. Marshall, "Harding" (Captain 2nd Rank J.J. Palmer), "Sutterly" (Lieutenant Commander R.W. Leach), "Thompson" (Lieutenant Commander E.L. Gebelin).

Fire support group "U"; 34th Destroyer Division: "Butler" (Captain 2nd Rank MD Matthews) under the braid pennant of DEM-34 commander Captain 2nd Rank W.L. Benson, "Gerardi" (Captain 2nd Rank NR Curtin), "Herndon" (Captain 2nd Rank G.E. Moore), "Shubrik" (Lieutenant Commander W. Blenman); Destroyer Division 20: "Hobson" (Lieutenant-Commander K. Loveland) under the braid pennant of the DEM-20 commander, 2nd Rank Captain L.U. Nilson, Forrest (Captain 2nd Rank K.P. Letts), Fitch (Captain 2nd Rank K.C. Walpole), Corrie (Lieutenant Commander GD Hoffman).

Reserve fire support group; 119th Destroyer Division: Barton (Captain 2nd Rank J.W. Callahan) under the braid pennant of EEM-60 commander Captain 1st Rank W.L. Freseman, "Walk" (Captain 2nd Rank J.K. Zam), "Laffey" (Captain 2nd Rank F.J. Beckton), "O'Brien" (Captain 2nd Rank W.W. Outerbridge), "Meredith" ( Captain 2nd Rank J. Knüpfer); 33rd Destroyer Division: Jeffers (Lieutenant Commander G.K. Murray) under the braid pennant of the EEM-17 commander, Captain 1st Rank E.K. Murdo, "Nelson" (Lieutenant Commander T.D. McGrath), "Murphy" (Captain 2nd Rank R.E. Wolverton), "Glennon" (Captain 2nd Rank C.E. Johnson), "Plunkett" (Captain 2 rank W. Outerson); 19th Destroyer Division: Ellison (Captain 2nd Rank E.W. Longton) under the braid pennant of EEM-10 commander Captain 1st Rank E.F. Conversa, Hambleton (Captain 2nd Rank G.E. Renken), Rodman (Captain 2nd Rank J. F. Foley), Emmons (Captain 2nd Rank E.B. Billingsley); Destroyer Division 18: Somers (Captain 2nd Rank W.C. Hughes), Davis (Captain 2nd Rank W.E.Dunn) and Juett (Captain 2nd Rank J. Ch. Parham).

The following destroyers were included in the Western Task Force: Emersbury (Lieutenant-Commander E.B. Wilbur) under the braid pennant of DEME-19 commander, 2nd Rank Captain E.B. Adams, Borum (Lieutenant Commander J.C. Davis), Maloy (Lieutenant Commander FD Kellogg), Bates (Lieutenant Commander G.E. Wilmerding), Rich (Captain- Lieutenant EE Mikhel), "Blessman" (Lieutenant Commander JE Gillis).

So, the morning came on June 6, 1944, the day of disembarkation. Hitler vowed to drop the troops into the sea "in exactly 9 hours". Peering into the dark and gloomy coast, the crews of the American destroyers, marching as part of the advanced formations, were not sure that Hitler's words were empty bragging. But the sailors also remembered Admiral Kirk's solemn statement: "I expect that the course of the upcoming battle will prove that American sailors are not inferior in their fighting qualities to anyone!"

Normandy was ahead. The hands of the clock were relentlessly approaching the target time. The destroyers Hobson, Fitch and Corrie moved with the vanguard towards the Utah area.

Operation Neptune

Allied landings in Normandy

Opponents

Commanders

Forces of the parties

Operation Neptune(English Operation Neptune), day "D" (English D-Day) or landing in Normandy (English Normandy landings) - amphibious operation carried out from June 6 to July 25, 1944 in Normandy during World War II wars by the forces of the USA, Great Britain, Canada and their allies against Germany. It was the first part of the strategic Operation Overlord (English Operation Overlord) or Normandy operation, which involved the seizure of northwestern France by the allies.

Total information

Operation Neptune was the first phase of Operation Overlord, and consisted in crossing the English Channel and seizing a bridgehead on the French coast. To support the operation, the Allied naval forces were assembled under the command of the British Admiral Bertram Ramsey, who had experience of similar large-scale naval operations for the transfer of manpower and military equipment (see evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, 1940).

Characteristics of the parties involved

German side

Land units

In June 1944, the Germans had 58 divisions in the West, eight of which were stationed in Holland and Belgium, and the rest in France. About half of these divisions were coastal defense or training divisions, and of the 27 field divisions, only ten were tank divisions, of which three were in the south of France and one was in the Antwerp area. Six divisions were deployed to cover two hundred miles of the Norman coastline, four of which were coastal defense divisions. Of the four coastal defense divisions, three covered the forty-mile stretch of coastline between Cherbourg and Caen, and one division was deployed between the Orne and Seine rivers.

Air Force

The 3rd Air Fleet (Luftwaffe III) under the command of Field Marshal Hugo Sperle, intended for the defense of the West, nominally numbered 500 aircraft, but the qualifications of the pilots remained below average. By the beginning of June 1944, the Luftwaffe had 90 bombers and 70 fighters in operational readiness in the West.

Coastal defense

Coastal defense included artillery guns of all calibers, from 406-mm coastal defense turret guns to French 75-mm field guns during the First World War. On the Normandy coast between Cape Barfleur and Le Havre, there was one battery of three 380 mm guns, located 2.5 miles north of Le Havre. On a 20-mile stretch of coastline on the eastern side of the Cotentin Peninsula, four casemate batteries of 155-mm guns were installed, as well as 10 howitzer batteries, consisting of twenty-four 152-mm and twenty 104-mm guns.

Along the northern coast of the Bay of the Seine, 35 miles between Isigny and Ouistreham, there were only three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and one battery of 104 mm guns. In addition, there were two more open-type batteries of 104-mm guns and two batteries of 100-mm guns in this area.

On the seventeen-mile stretch of coast between Ouistreham and the mouth of the Seine, three casemate batteries of 155 mm guns and two open batteries of 150 mm guns were installed. Coastal defenses in the area consisted of a system of strongholds at intervals of approximately a mile from each other with echeloned depths of 90–180 m. Casemates were installed in concrete shelters whose roofs and sea-facing walls were 2.1 meters thick. Smaller concrete artillery shelters, which contained 50-mm anti-tank guns, were positioned in such a way as to keep the coast under longitudinal fire. A complex system of communication routes linked artillery positions, machine-gun nests, mortar positions and a system of infantry trenches with each other and with the living quarters of the personnel. All this was defended by anti-tank hedgehogs, barbed wire, mines and anti-landing obstacles.

Naval forces

The structure of the command of the German navy in France was confined to the commander-in-chief of the naval group "West" Admiral Kranke, whose headquarters were in Paris. Group "West" included the admiral of the naval forces, the commander on the coast of the English Channel with headquarters in Rouen. Three area commanders were subordinate to him: the commander of the Pas-de-Calais section, which stretched from the Belgian border south to the mouth of the Somme; the commander of the Seine-Somme region, whose boundaries were determined by the coast between the estuaries of the said rivers; commander of the Norman coast from the mouth of the Seine westward to Saint-Malo. There was also an admiral in command of the Atlantic Seaboard, whose headquarters were in Angers. The last commander was subordinate to the three commanders of the regions of Brittany, Loire and Gascony.

The boundaries of the naval areas did not coincide with the boundaries of the military districts, there was no direct interaction between the military, naval and aviation administrations necessary to operate in a rapidly changing situation as a result of the allied landings.

The grouping of the German Navy, which is directly at the command of the Channel Zone (English Channel) command, consisted of five destroyers (base in Le Havre); 23 torpedo boats (8 of which were at Boulogne and 15 at Cherbourg); 116 minesweepers (distributed between Dunkirk and Saint-Malo); 24 patrol ships(21 - in Le Havre and 23 - in Saint-Malo) and 42 artillery barges (16 were in Boulogne, 15 - in Fekans and 11 - in Ouistreham). Along the Atlantic coast, between Brest and Bayonne, there were five destroyers, 146 minesweepers, 59 patrol ships and one torpedo boat. In addition, 49 submarines were assigned for anti-amphibious service. These boats were based at Brest (24), Lorian (2), Saint-Nazaire (19) and La Pallis (4). In the bases of the Bay of Biscay there were another 130 large ocean-going submarines, but they were not adapted to operations in the shallow waters of the English Channel and were not taken into account in the plans to repel the landing.

In addition to these forces, 47 minesweepers, 6 torpedo boats and 13 patrol ships were based in various ports in Belgium and Holland. Other naval forces of Germany, consisting of ships of the line Tirpitz and Scharnhorst, "pocket battleships" Admiral scheer and Lützow heavy cruisers Prinz Eugen and Admiral hipper, as well as four light cruisers Nürnberg , Köln and Emden, together with 37 destroyers and 83 torpedo boats were either in Norwegian or Baltic waters.

In general, the planned antiamphibious measures of the German fleet consisted of the following:

• the use of submarines, torpedo boats and coastal artillery to attack landing craft;
• the laying of a large number of mines of all types, including new and simple types known as the KMA mine (coastal contact mine), along the entire length of the European coast;
• the use of midget submarines and man-torpedoes to strike ships in the area of ​​the invasion;
• intensification of strikes against allied convoys in the ocean using new types of ocean-going submarines.

Allies

Naval part of the operation

The task of the Allied naval forces was to organize the safe and timely arrival of convoys with troops to the enemy's coast, to ensure the uninterrupted landing of reinforcements and fire support for the landing. The threat from the enemy's navy was not considered particularly great.

The command system for the invasion and subsequent escort was as follows:

Eastern sector:

• Eastern Naval Task Force: Commander Rear Admiral Sir Philip Weyenne. The Scylla flagship.
• S-Force (Sword): Commander Rear Admiral Arthur Talbot. Flagship Largs (3rd British Infantry Division and 27th Panzer Brigade).
• G-Forces (Gold): Commander Commodore Douglas-Pennant. Flagship Bulolo (British 50th Infantry Division and 8th Panzer Brigade).
• Forces "J" (Juno): Commander Commodore Oliver. Flagship Hilary (3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade).
• Second Echelon Force "L": Commander Counter-Admiral Perry. Flagship Albatross (7th British Panzer Division and 49th Infantry Division; 4th Panzer Brigade and 51st Scottish Infantry Division).

Western sector:

• Western Naval Task Force: Commander US Navy Rear Admiral Alan Kirk. American heavy cruiser flagship Augusta .
• O Forces (Omaha): Commander US Navy Rear Admiral D. Hall. Flagship Ancon (1st US Infantry Division and part of the 29th Infantry Division).
• U-Forces (Utah): Commander US Navy Rear Admiral D. Moon. Flagship troop transport "Bayfield" (4th US Infantry Division).
• Second Echelon B Forces: Commander Commodore of the US Navy S. Edgar. Flagship Minor (2nd, 9th, 79th and 90th US divisions and the remainder of the 29th division).

The Naval Commanders of Operational Formations and Airborne Forces were to remain senior commanders in their respective sectors until the army units were firmly entrenched in the bridgehead.

Among the ships allocated for shelling the Eastern Sector were the 2nd and 10th cruiser squadrons under the command of Rear Admirals F. Delrimple-Hamilton and W. Petterson. In seniority as Task Force Commander, both admirals agreed to relinquish their seniority and act as instructed by Task Force Command. Likewise, this problem was solved to everyone's satisfaction in the Western Sector. Rear Admiral of the Free French Navy Joshar, holding his flag on the cruiser Georges Leygues, also agreed with a similar command system.

Composition and distribution of naval forces

The total Allied fleet included: 6 939 ships for various purposes(1213 - combat, 4126 - transport, 736 - auxiliary and 864 - merchant ships).

106 ships were allocated for artillery support, including artillery and mortar landing ships. Of these ships, 73 were in the East Sector and 33 in the West. When planning artillery support, a large consumption of ammunition was envisaged, so measures were taken to use lighters loaded with ammunition. Upon returning to port, the lighters were to be loaded immediately, which ensured that the artillery support ships could return to their bombing positions with minimal delays. In addition, it was envisaged that artillery support ships may need to change guns due to the deterioration of the barrels due to the intensity of their use. Therefore, in the ports of southern England, a stock of gun barrels with a caliber of 6-inches and below was created. However, ships in need of replacing 15-inch guns (battleships and monitors) were to be sent to ports in northern England.

Operation progress

Operation Neptune began on June 6, 1944 (also known as D-Day) and ended on July 1, 1944. Her goal was to conquer a beachhead on the continent, which lasted until July 25.

Planned direct artillery preparation began 40 minutes before the landing. The fire was conducted by 7 battleships, 2 monitors, 23 cruisers, 74 destroyers. The heavy guns of the united fleet fired at the detected batteries and reinforced concrete structures of the enemy, the explosions of their shells, in addition, had a very strong effect on the psyche of the German soldiers. As the distance was reduced, lighter naval artillery entered the battle. When the first wave of the landing began to approach the coast, a stationary barrage was placed at the landing sites, which stopped immediately as soon as the troops reached the coast.

Approximately 5 minutes before the start of the assault squadrons' landing, jet mortars mounted on barges opened fire to increase the density of fire. When firing from close range, one such barge, according to the participant in the landing, Captain 3rd Rank K. Edwards, in terms of fire power, replaced more than 80 light cruisers or almost 200 destroyers. About 20 thousand shells were fired at the landing sites of British troops and about 18 thousand shells at the sites of American troops disembarkation. Artillery fire from ships, rocket artillery strikes that covered the entire coast, were, in the opinion of the participants in the landing, more effective than air strikes.

The following trawling plan was adopted:

• for each of the invading forces, two channels must be cut through the mine barrier; trawling of each channel is carried out by a fleet of squadron minesweepers;
• to carry out trawling of the coastal fairway for shelling by ships of the coast and other operations;
• as soon as possible the traversed channel should be widened to create more maneuvering space;
• after disembarkation, continue to monitor enemy mine-barrier operations and sweep newly placed mines.

Loss and bottom line

In the period from June 6 to July 24, the American-British command managed to land an expeditionary force in Normandy and occupy a bridgehead about 100 km along the front and up to 50 km in depth. The size of the bridgehead was about 2 times less than that envisaged by the plan of the operation. However, the absolute domination of the allies in the air and at sea made it possible to concentrate a large number of forces and means here. The landing of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Normandy was the largest landing operation of strategic importance during the Second World War.

During D-Day, the Allies landed 156,000 troops in Normandy. The American component numbered 73,000: 23,250 amphibious assault on Utah Beach, 34,250 at Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne assault forces. 83,115 troops (of which 61,715 are British) have landed on the British and Canadian bridgeheads: 24,970 at Gold Beach, 21,400 at Juneau Beach, 28,845 at Sord Beach and 7,900 in the airborne assault.

11,590 air support aircraft of various types were involved, which made a total of 14,674 sorties, 127 combat aircraft were shot down. On June 6, 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders were involved in the airborne assault landing.

The naval forces involved 6,939 ships and vessels: 1,213 combat, 4,126 amphibious, 736 auxiliary and 864 for cargo transportation. To provide support, the fleet allocated: 195,700 sailors: 52,889 - American, 112,824 - British, 4,988 - from other countries of the coalition.

By June 11, 1944, there were already on the French coast: 326,547 military, 54,186 units of military equipment, 104,428 tons of military equipment and supplies.

Allied losses

During the landing, the Anglo-American troops lost 4,414 people (2,499 - Americans, 1,915 - representatives of other countries). Generally total losses allies on D-Day were about 10,000 people (6,603 - Americans, 2,700 - British, 946 - Canadians). The losses suffered by the Allies include: the dead, the wounded, the missing (whose bodies have never been found) and prisoners of war.

Allies in the period from June 6 to July 23 lost 122 thousand people (49 thousand British and Canadians and about 73 thousand Americans).

Loss of German forces

The losses of the Wehrmacht troops on the day of the landing are estimated to be from 4,000 to 9,000 people.

The total loss of the Nazi troops over a period of almost seven weeks of fighting amounted to 113 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners, 2117 tanks and 345 aircraft.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 French civilians were killed during the invasion, mostly by Allied bombing

Assessment of the event by contemporaries

Notes (edit)

Image in art

Literature and sources of information

• Pochtarev A.N. "Neptune" through the eyes of Russians... - Independent Military Review, No. 19 (808). - Moscow: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 2004.

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