WHAT IF...D-DAY HAD FAILED?

The consequences of an unsuccessful invasion would have been felt for decades to come

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Despite the daunting prospect of landing troops on the beaches of Normandy, Allied planning and logistics were so impressive that the operation never really looked like failing. Even amid the carnage of Omaha Beach, a foothold was established.

Had certain events gone differently, however, things might have played out in a whole new direction. For all the planning and training, there were potential weak spots. It would probably have taken a combination of mishaps for D-Day to have completely failed, but they are not farfetched events, and had the Allies been turned back from the beaches, the consequences would have been dire.

Here, military historian David Smith considers how D-Day might have failed, and what the fallout from such a failure might have looked like.

What if D-Day had been unsuccessful?

It’s a fascinating question, and even though it was unlikely to have been a complete failure, there were things that could have gone wrong. From various directions – security breaches, mistakes in planning and a more concerted response from the Germans – there were threats. Don’t forget also that the weather might have played a decisive role. The Germans were already well along the road to defeat, but if the Normandy landings had failed, it is debatable how much of a part the Western democracies would have played in that defeat, and that could have had truly frightening repercussions.

What was the biggest threat to D-Day?