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| LSTs unloading supplies after initial D-Day landings. |
Before the advent of GIS-based mapping systems, geologists, hydrologists, and cartographers worked tirelessly to create detailed and accurate maps of the world around them. The logistical and strategic importance of such charts were assuredly not lost on those within the military, as they could significantly affect the development of offensive and/or defensive operations during war-time.
France was the first to establish a national geological
survey 1825, and the subsequent map it produced was published in 1840. This
same map underwent two major revisions, the latest one being published in 1933,
and was utilized by the US Army Corps of Engineers, in association with the US
Geological Survey, to help generate terrain intelligence in 1943 for the upcoming
invasion of Normandy.
The Allies used codenames in order to plan and execute
specific military operations:
- Operation Overlord (6 June – 25 August, 1944):
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| H-Hour on D-Day, 6 June, 1944. |
- Operation Neptune (6 June – 30 June, 1944):
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| Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division land at Omaha Beach. |
- Operation Cobra (25 July – 31 July, 1944):
Detailed planning for Operation Overlord, the codename for
the invasion of German-occupied France, began in earnest about one year before
D-Day. Allied intelligence divided France itself into a grid, and from this
grid, 1-inch-to-1-mile sheets were printed by the British Army for the regions
of Languedoc, Provence, Corsica, as well as the northern France. Maps were also
printed specifically for the area in-and-around Caen (Figure 6). This was done
in order to assist the Royal Engineers’ Quarrying Companies who were to responsible
for generating the immense amount of aggregate material needed to repair and
construct roads, airfields, and hardened structures such as ammunition and
vehicle depots once the Allies had established a beachhead.
The authors take special care to highlight the significant
work done by the Geographical Section of the General Staff (GSGS) in World War II.
The maps of the Normandy coast created by this group were able to indicate
potential hazards to vehicles once ashore; recommend exits from the beaches
that did not require demolition; suggest appropriate bombing methods to neutralize
enemy beach defenses; direct engineers to sources of fresh water; provide
detailed information on rivers and probable choke-points; identify areas from
which to procure metal, sand, and gravel; and when expanded to include the
whole of northwest Europe, advise USAAF/RAF officials on potential areas
suitable for the construction of temporary airfields. The authors stress that
fact that had it not been for these maps, the execution and success of the
entire Allied campaign could have been derailed for years.
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| Beachhead established on D-Day +3. |
Work(s) Cited:
- Rose, Edward P.F., Jonathan C. Clatworthy, and C. Paul Nathanail. "Specialist Maps Prepared by British Military Geologists for the D-Day Landings and Operations in Normandy, 1944." Cartographic Journal, The 43.2 (2006): 117-43. Print.
Wow! As a history major, this is awesome to read. Truly, maps such as those mentioned were integral to functioning on many levels in a world without computer technology. Huge props to the men (and probably women) who contributed their hard work to drawing and calculating these maps. I wonder how accurate they truly are - obviously accurate enough for the Allies to be successful. Strategy and secrecy concerning the maps was doubtless important as well. If they fell into the wrong hands, the Allies' advantage would have been diminished. It would be really interesting to compare the Allies' maps to the maps of the Germans and see if accuracy or detail or precision or whatever had anything to do with advantage in the war. I suppose nowadays the GIS technology the US has really gives us the upper hand compared to some of our "enemies". Thanks, Jase!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I have always been fascinated by WWII and this article helps me understand the process of everything that needed to be thought of before D-Day. I am intrigued by how they detailed every aspect of the beach, and how they thought about each detail before the landing!
ReplyDeleteMy uncle is a huge history buff and an U.S. History teacher up in New York so I've always been exposed to info like this. But its really awesome to be able to make this connection between something I'm studying and something so historically significant. Thanks for an awesome and informative article.
ReplyDeleteI've definitely been considering a "historical GIS" sort of project for this class, and it's nice to see that there are plenty of applications out there. It's so important to understand why things happen, but it's also important to understand how they happen too, and spatial relationships obviously played an important role in this critical point in history.
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