BLANCO COUNTY WW2 MUSEUM

The Americans strategic focus was on a across channel attack to liberate France, and then drive into Germany. While there was a concession to the British for investing some resources in the southern campaign of Sicily and Italy, there was never any serious wavering of the commitment to land in France.

Although the Germans had occupied France since 1940, they had not much placed much of a major defensive plan in place until 1942.  Their challenge was defending Europe from southern France to Norway. Britain didn't represent a major threat beyond an occasional raid, but the entry of the United States into the war added a whole different dimension.  

As the American forces began their buildup in Britain, the Germans ramped up their defensive measures to counter a possible invasion. Russia continued to be the focus of the German effort and troops deployed in Western Europe were troops that could not be deployed in the East. 

The Germans learned form the Italian landings that Allied naval gunfire dominated any figting in range of the fleet.  So their strategy was based on fighting the Allied forces inland outside of the range of naval gunfire and only a minimal effort was employed in defending the coastline.  Rapind counterattack by Armored reserves held inland was the basis of the tactical doctrine.  

In late 1943, Erwin Rommel was put in charge of the forces in France and immmediately began a program to build up the coastal defenses.  Rommels's battlefield expeience in North Africa injected the reality of the tactical problems of Allied Air superiority. So his thought was to engage the invading army on the beaches, delay their buildup, and counterattack with armored reserves before they became established.  He immediately began fortiying the caostal areas of France.  

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By the time the Allies landed in Normandy Rommel's vision of Allied airpower dominating the battlefield was a reality.  Rommel himself was a casualty when his vehicle was strafed by roaming Allied Aircraft and he was severeley wounded.