operation casualties

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teg
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operation casualties

#1

Post by teg » 12 May 2017, 21:13

What were the reasons of low allied casualties in operation dragoon in comparison with operation overlord?

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Sheldrake
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Re: operation casualties

#2

Post by Sheldrake » 13 May 2017, 00:37

teg wrote:What were the reasons of low allied casualties in operation dragoon in comparison with operation overlord?
Op Overlord was a cross channel assault starting 6th June 1944 on a heavily defended section of coast and initiated the major land battle between anglo american forces and the German army of the West.

Op Dragoon took place ten weeks after Op Overlord against thinly fortified defences denuded of troops sent to reinforce the German army in Normandy. Indeed one of the defending divisions 716th had already lost almost all of its infantry strength on D day and had been sent to recuperate.


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Kingfish
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Re: operation casualties

#3

Post by Kingfish » 13 May 2017, 03:45

This map gives a good indication of where the Germans felt the most likely places for an Allied invasion
Image

However, doesn't tell the full story. As Sheldrake points out, a significant portion of the German units in 19th army were sent northward to Normandy.
What remained was forced to stretch its meager resources to cover the coast. The coastal defenses were also very weak.
The gods do not deduct from a man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
~Babylonian Proverb

teg
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Re: operation casualties

#4

Post by teg » 13 May 2017, 14:27

Why during operation Dragoon the number of Germans taken prisoner was in several times higher than the number of KIA and WIA?

Richard Anderson
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Re: operation casualties

#5

Post by Richard Anderson » 13 May 2017, 19:28

teg wrote:Why during operation Dragoon the number of Germans taken prisoner was in several times higher than the number of KIA and WIA?
By 15 August, Ob. West sent all three mobile infantry divisions in 19. Armee, 271, 272., and 277. to Normandy, replacing them with the fought-out 716. ID, which was immobile and recovering from the loss of three-quarters of its strength in four weeks of combat. Otherwise, only 11. Pz.Div. and four static divisions (148. Res.-Inf., 242., 244., and 338. Inf.-Div.) held the entire Mediterranean coast. 11. Panzer covered the withdrawal of the few mobile elements of the army, the rest were lost.
Richard C. Anderson Jr.

American Thunder: U.S. Army Tank Design, Development, and Doctrine in World War II
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall
Hitler's Last Gamble
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