Replies: 10
| visibility 2,089
|
110%er [8913]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5218
Joined: 9/3/03
|
Amazing D-Day stats
Jun 6, 2019, 11:09 AM
|
|
It's hard for those of us who weren't there to grasp the enormity of the D-Day invasion. Here are some mind-blowing stats I've come across:
Forces from 12 allied nations were involved
156,000 soldiers and paratroopers came ashore on D-Day (73,000 US, 83,000 UK and Canada) as part of Operation Overlord (equivalent to approx two full Memorial Stadiums)
195,700 naval personnel (53,000 US and 113,000 UK) took part in Operation Neptune 6,939 naval vessels took part: 1,213 combat ships, 4,126 landing craft, 736 support ships, 864 merchant ships (little known fact - many of the Higgins boats that delivered the assault force were helmed by Coast Guardsman)
11,590 aircraft flew 14,674 sorties on that one day (127 planes were lost) Of these, 2,395 troopship and 867 gliders delivered the airborne assault soldiers
US Casualties: 7,637 including 2,499 dead (approx 2,000 on Omaha Beach alone); 3,184 wounded; 1,928 missing; 26 captured British Casualties: Approx 2,700 Canadian Casualties: Approx 946 TOTAL Casualties: Approx 11,283 (for perspective, the max capacity of Littlejohn is just over 10,000)
|
|
|
|
All-In [27366]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 26233
Joined: 9/19/11
|
And almost ten times that number of Amerians were lost
Jun 6, 2019, 11:37 AM
|
|
on Okinawa.
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [8913]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5218
Joined: 9/3/03
|
Re: And almost ten times that number of Amerians were lost
Jun 6, 2019, 11:39 AM
|
|
The Pacific island battles were brutal, but none more so than Okinawa. Imagine if we'd had to invade the main Japanese islands....
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [27366]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 26233
Joined: 9/19/11
|
Thank God for me we didn't. I might not be here today.
Jun 6, 2019, 7:13 PM
|
|
Good chance my dad would not have come back from that.
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [24263]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 32002
Joined: 2/15/09
|
And pretty much every other WW2 casualty statistic
Jun 6, 2019, 12:11 PM
[ in reply to And almost ten times that number of Amerians were lost ] |
|
Is blown out of the water by the numbers on the Germany/Soviet front in the East. 9 out of every 10 German soldiers killed in the war were killed by Soviets. Entire huge soviet cities were starved to death etc.
Just staggering numbers to comprehend that we just kinda brush over in WW2 history lessons here in the USA.
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [90202]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 45300
Joined: 10/18/09
|
YeP, read where 8 to 9,000,000 Russian Soldiers died..
Jun 6, 2019, 1:12 PM
|
|
and about 20,000,000+ Russians totally vs Germans!
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [48078]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 49059
Joined: 5/16/04
|
Re: YeP, read where 8 to 9,000,000 Russian Soldiers died..
Jun 6, 2019, 1:17 PM
|
|
They say 3% or the world population died. Crazy.
|
|
|
|
|
Rock Defender [52]
TigerPulse: 90%
Posts: 35
Joined: 11/30/98
|
Re: And pretty much every other WW2 casualty statistic
Jun 6, 2019, 2:17 PM
[ in reply to And pretty much every other WW2 casualty statistic ] |
|
With the whole "Russian collusion" fiasco, it seems to be the prevailing attitude in America that Russia is our enemy and that Russians are evil. While I won't stand up for Putin or Stalin, I think the average Russian is worthy of respect and admiration, in the early part of the nazi invasion they absolutely got their ##### kicked but they never quit. 10's of millions died and most of the country was ravaged.
Russians are tough motherf'ers, the Russian people have my respect as an American.
But today is all about D-Day. In the next 10 years I can't imagine many, if any, WWII veterans will still be alive. Their courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten, they were the heroic generation. God bless them all.
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [24263]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 32002
Joined: 2/15/09
|
definitely true
Jun 6, 2019, 2:26 PM
|
|
the cold war created a narrative that forgot the Russian sacrifice in WW2.
But it's completely incomprehensible what they went through in WW2. They received the full brunt of the German war machine, perhaps the most fierce force in history. Their 2nd most prominent city was starved to death. Imagine that happening to Chicago for instance.
And the thing is, they were willing to do more. They invaded Manchuria just before the US dropped the atomic bombs and were planning to go into Hokkaido Island after taking Manchuria, had the war not been stopped. The Japanese feared Soviet invasion as much as American invasion and that threat led to their surrender as much as anything, not the atomic bombs alone.
Now they definitely committed atrocities of their own, such as the Katyn Forest massacres. But the shear loss that Russia faced in WW2 is staggering to comprehend.
|
|
|
|
|
Head Coach [767]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 522
Joined: 10/26/00
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [27366]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 26233
Joined: 9/19/11
|
|
|
|
Replies: 10
| visibility 2,089
|
|
|