When Allies saved the world

The odds of success during World War II were in favour of the Nazis, who had taken up
positions on the cliffs of Normandy. But when the Allies dropped air-troopers, the
defeat of the Germans was imminent, writes Chanan Singh Dhillon 

ThE beginning of 1944 had been crucial during World War II. It stands out in the annals of world history as Allied forces embarked to crush the Axis forces. Speaking on the occasion of D-day celebrations in Normandy in France on June 7, 2009, celebrating the landings of 1944, President Barrack Obama, whose grandfather took part in the landings, asked the audience: "Why does this day hold such a revered place in our memory?" Answering the question himself, he said: "The odds of success were heavily in favour of the Nazis, who had taken up positions high on the cliffs along the western coast of Normandy in fortified bunkers, and also had the sea beaches of the western coast of France effectively mined. The outcome of adventurous landings hanged between hope and despair. But the Allied forces had already seized the dominion of the air space and dropped thousands of air troopers behind the front lines of the enemy. The foothold on Omaha beach was achieved at the cost of 10,000 lives of soldiers." 

The President of the USA, the Prime Minister of the UK, and the President of France paid homage to the fallen soldiers in the presence of WW II veterans, a majority of whom were over 80. They shared the stories of their turmoil and tribulations, how they happened to watch their comrades in arms fall by enemy fire. Their steadfastness and resolve to dislodge the enemy won them laurels of the free world.

After the landings on the beaches, it was a fight to the finish to flush out entrenched German forces. The link up with paratroopers dropped on the French soil gave an impetus to the morale of the French forces, already engaged in underground activities against the occupation forces. The defeat of the Nazis on the beaches of France was total, and the enemy found itself in a complete disarray. From here on, the Germans were given no chance to regroup till the Allied forces knocked at the German frontiers.

On the Far East war front, the Americans — having learnt lessons for their complacency — became a party to WW I on their own terms. During the progress of World War II, America decided to jump into the war when the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbour, causing colossal damage to the navy and shipyards of the Allies. WW II by then had gone into the third year. America embarked upon a massive ship-building programme to outmatch the Japanese navy, which literally ruled the Pacific Ocean.

America, within a short period, manufactured two aircraft carriers and two battleships and launched them along with 500 cargo ships. The peak of production reached one ship a day.

Giant B-29 super fortress bombers, famous for carpet bombing over Germany, which not only pulverised its industry but also major cities, were now engaged in hell fire raids over Japan. On the first Monday of April, 1945, onward, they dropped 1,50,000 tonnes of fire bombs, killing upward of 500,000 people and making 13 millions homeless in 26 cities. The incendiaries whipped by winds created raging firestorms, incinerating everything in their path. The fires licked Japanese homes, made of wood, straw and matting, and reduced them to ashes in no time.

Every available and serviceable B-29 bomber was mustered for the most awesome, damaging bombing raid of the entire war. Two weeks before the last V-2 rocket from Germany fell on Britain, 300 B-29 bombers — rumbling at low level with radar-aided aiming — dropped Napalm markers, and then unleashed over 2000 tonnes of oil-filled incendiaries on an area of 12 square miles on Tokyo.

The damage caused was massive. The total number of those killed ranged between 80,000 and 1,50,000. Many people just vanished without a trace. Now the raids peaked to 500 bombers a day.

On the sea front the US and British navy bombarded five different costal cities of Japan every day. At the same time the Allied naval forces destroyed Japanese major shipping assets and planes. On July 14, 1945, a few weeks to Hiroshima, 1,400 sorties were carried in a day, in which 11 warships and 20 freighters of the Japanese navy were destroyed.

The British army had suffered humiliation after its abject surrender of 200-year-old garrisons of Singapore and Malaya, which were overrun within weeks by the much smaller force of the Japanese, which was equipped with small arms, and rode on bicycles. The opening strike by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, was audaciously sensational, far bolder and far-flung than the Nazis blitzkrieg, which left Europe breathless.

The countdown of the bombing of Hiroshima had begun. On June 14, 1945, the first atom bomb test took place in New Mexico. On July 17 — during the two weeks talks after the surrender of Germany — UK, US and Russian leaders held a meeting where Stalin confirmed his promise to join the Allies in war against Japan. On July 16 the Allies demanded from Japan unconditional surrender. On July 28 the Japanese premier snubbed the Allies.

On August 6 an atom bomb nicknamed Fat Man was dropped on Hiroshima at 12.20 am. An estimated death toll given was 100,000. On August 8 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. On August 9 another atom bomb nicknamed Little Boy was dropped on Nagasaki, which caused a death toll of 40,000. Russia launched a massive mechanised attack on Manchuria with a force 1.5 million troops and overran the one million strong Japanese army.

The supreme war cabinet of Japan saw that defeat of Japan was inevitable but surrender was announced with conditions, which were rejected by the Allies. Ultimately, Emperor Hirohito was asked to intervene. He came out with his first speech to his nation in 20 years. He asked for a single condition to continue imperial rule. But the Allies insisted that all imperial rulings will be subject to the decisions of supreme commander of the Allied occupation forces, which was accepted, and an unconditional surrender was announced by the Emperor.

During the intervening period, a small group of fanatical and diehard officers raided the palace, shot and hacked to pieces the general in charge of the palace. They then used his seal of office to forge orders that had the authority over troops and went in search of the tape-recording of the Emperor’s speech, but failed. They all committed suicide.

Germany had already surrendered, and was occupied by the Russians and the Allied forces. With the surrender of Japan, WW II came to an end. One may call it miracle or mayhem for mankind, but the legacy of the astonishing military technology it has produced will linger.

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