# Weather for the Normandy landings?



## Titus Pullo (Jan 27, 2007)

The weather for the days prior to the Normandy landings was fairly bad and it remained so through the early morning of the landings. However does anyone have any actual data for what the ambient temps may have been on the beach head that day? Almost all the videos I have seen of the invasion it appears as though many soldiers coming ashore are dressed rather warmly for a June day.

I realize coming from the channel the temps would have been a bit lower then inland even just 4-5 miles, but would they be that cool even in June? I would expect to find the temps in the 60's that time of the year in that region, but have been unable to find historical data proving this. If so it seems like a lot of extra gear for a waterborne landing especially since most of their gear was made of wool which just soaks up water.


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## x SF med (Jan 27, 2007)

Brew, I believe it was unseasonably cool for the landings - Ithink ther had been an inversion, and the cool foggy weather just hung in....  until just after the landing.  Water temps at that time of yrear bring down the ambient by about 2* as far as 2km inland.  So it was probably 45-50* Ambient reduced by 2*, wind chill, fog (yeas wind chill and fog - happens in the Channel, and on LIS) and just being splashed.  If you notice, the shots later in the day, the field Jackets and extra gear is stowed.


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## pardus (Jan 27, 2007)

One thing to remember is that the gear they landed with was gear they would have to fight live with without resupply for a few days possibly so they'd probably take all they needed for nights etc...

Hope this helps somewhat.

http://www.ecmwf.int/research/era/dday/


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## Looon (Jan 28, 2007)

If I had to guess, I don't think they noticed how cold it was. I bet those fuckers were sweating their asses off the entire way until they finally got enchrenched on the beach head.:uhh:


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## Titus Pullo (Jan 28, 2007)

pardus762 said:


> One thing to remember is that the gear they landed with was gear they would have to fight live with without resupply for a few days possibly so they'd probably take all they needed for nights etc...
> 
> Hope this helps somewhat.
> 
> http://www.ecmwf.int/research/era/dday/



I can understand humping in the gear you would need for the next several days, especially on an operation that size. Having been a grunt though I know that you do not wear all your kit. They had rucks that could hold snivel gear and 3-4 days worth of other gear. 

My thought was that it was rather warm to be wearing that much stuff, add to that fact that they were probably sweating their asses off, they now weighed about 20lbs more due to being wet AND they most likely had sand everywhere you don't want it and I would guess that fighting conditions on the beach that day were completely miserable. Of course you do not probably truly realize all those factors when you are trying to get off the deadliest place on the planet. It just truly adds to my awe factor of our forefathers and the true heroes they are.

I know that I have done my fair share of humping across Gods green earth, I have bitched about having to stop moving because you get cold, or bitched about being the CO RTO and humping 2 radios and so on. But nothing I ever did will come close to what those men did that morning.


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## Titus Pullo (Jan 28, 2007)

Ranger Luna said:


> If I had to guess, I don't think they noticed how cold it was. I bet those fuckers were sweating their asses off the entire way until they finally got enchrenched on the beach head.:uhh:



Which is my thought as well. First things first, get off the beach and live. When you accomplish that task, then you bitch about being miserable.


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## Charlie (Jan 28, 2007)

What type of gear are you referring to?
Leggings and jackets were standard fare for uniforms of the period....now to find my WWII uniform book...


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## Charlie (Jan 28, 2007)

Data, can't find the actual temps for the day though
http://www.ecmwf.int/research/era/dday/


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## pardus (Jan 28, 2007)

All im saying is guesstimation only.

It just occured to me that the soldiers my not have had a choice in what they wore, with an operation of such a size it may well have been that everything worn/ carried was dictated from above.

Also most beaches were taken with little resistance, Omaha was the exception, so I guess they were not for the most part expecting to fight their way ashore. :2c:  



Brewmonkey said:


> I can understand humping in the gear you would need for the next several days, especially on an operation that size. Having been a grunt though I know that you do not wear all your kit. They had rucks that could hold snivel gear and 3-4 days worth of other gear.
> 
> My thought was that it was rather warm to be wearing that much stuff, add to that fact that they were probably sweating their asses off, they now weighed about 20lbs more due to being wet AND they most likely had sand everywhere you don't want it and I would guess that fighting conditions on the beach that day were completely miserable. Of course you do not probably truly realize all those factors when you are trying to get off the deadliest place on the planet. It just truly adds to my awe factor of our forefathers and the true heroes they are.
> 
> I know that I have done my fair share of humping across Gods green earth, I have bitched about having to stop moving because you get cold, or bitched about being the CO RTO and humping 2 radios and so on. But nothing I ever did will come close to what those men did that morning.


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## pardus (Jan 28, 2007)

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783144355&path=%21nationworld&s=1037645509161

This is interesting

"The Germans have been expecting an attack further to the north. That much is clear. The weather today is better than it was yesterday but worse than that normally required for an invasion. There is quite a sea swell and it is pretty windy. Not like June at all. In that sense, we took them by surprise."

From here 

http://www.dailypast.com/europe/normandylandings.shtml

OK still cant find a temp but all im reading is saying that the weather was not good at all, unseasonably cold etc...


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## SpitfireV (Jan 28, 2007)

I think I've got a weather map in my one of my books. Standby all units.


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## pardus (Jan 28, 2007)

There are a few weather maps in the links posted, we really need temps.


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## Sdiver (Jan 28, 2007)

Brew,
I remember seeing a show on _The Weather Channel_ about the D-Day landings, marking one of the anniversaires. Where they talked about the weather, and how the landings had been scrubbed for the day before. They IIRC, they went into pretty good detail about the cold fronts that moved in, and how it opened up just enough for the landings to take place. 

Might want to check their page out.....www.weather.com


Also, these guys where probably wearing their heavy snivel gear because there were stuck on these ships at their embarkation points in England for upwards of 48 hours, and then the crossing of the channel at night, I'm sure it was colder than a witches tit in a brass brazier, so that could be why you see these guys with their field jackets and such on as they hit the beach.


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## Looon (Jan 28, 2007)

Im pretty sure that the Channel is nipply yr 'round.

I went on deployment to Sculthorpe in England during the Summer......I think.:uhh:  It was nipply then.

Sculthorpe was one of the staging areas for D-Day.


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## Polar Bear (Jan 28, 2007)

Alright I have searched the Web nothing. I sent several emails to local weather forecasters will see if they answer back.


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## SpitfireV (Jan 28, 2007)

Nothing in my books, either. Thought Ambroses' one had it.


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## pardus (Jan 28, 2007)

*German Commander-in-Chief West, Field Marshal Karl R. Gerd von Rundstedt's Report on*

June 6, 1944, at about 0100, under conditions of cloudy, overcast weather with a rather strong wind, intermittent showers and rough sea up to four degrees;

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq109-5.htm


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## pardus (Jan 28, 2007)

*D Day Weather Chart*

From the British Met office


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## Queen Beach (Jan 28, 2007)

Did I miss the part that stated what the Temperature was on June 6th 1944?  :doh:


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## Charlie (Jan 28, 2007)

70 is the mean temp for June, so I would think with the storm it was in the 50's or low 60's.


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## Titus Pullo (Jan 30, 2007)

pardus762 said:


> http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783144355&path=%21nationworld&s=1037645509161
> 
> This is interesting
> 
> ...



The Germans always expected the attack to come from the area of Pas de Calais and even once the actual invasion began at Normandy many top German Officers insisted it was a feint. It may have been one of the reasons the invasion was a success. Had we met head to head with the entire German army we would have been pushed back across the channel.


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## Titus Pullo (Jan 30, 2007)

Polar Bear said:


> Alright I have searched the Web nothing. I sent several emails to local weather forecasters will see if they answer back.



Trust me, my Google-Fu is very strong and I have a wife with a degree in Atmospheric Science, and still found squat on the web as far as actual temps that day. A lot of historical averages but no actual temps.


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## Polar Bear (Jan 30, 2007)

Brewmonkey said:


> A lot of historical averages but no actual temps.


 
Lots and Lots, I did find sites you could pay for the data...no answers yet from the local witch doctors


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## pardus (Jan 30, 2007)

Brewmonkey said:


> The Germans always expected the attack to come from the area of Pas de Calais and even once the actual invasion began at Normandy many top German Officers insisted it was a feint. It may have been one of the reasons the invasion was a success. Had we met head to head with the entire German army we would have been pushed back across the channel.



Yes agreed, I posted that for the reference to the weather state.


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## Queen Beach (Jan 30, 2007)

I spent way to much time searching this data....found a ton on the weather "conditions" but not the actual temp......

WHY IS IT SUCH A SECRET???


or maybe it is just that it was more interesting on the cloud coverage and overall conditions that the Temp became non-important for reporting purposes.  I have read several journals as well and still no actual air/water temps.......


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## AWP (Jan 30, 2007)

Page 4 of this link lists the Wx at Sword Beach as of 1500 local: sunny, winds 13-18 mph, and a temp of 59 degrees F.

http://london.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/4/dday/pdfs/DDayWeather.pdf


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## Queen Beach (Jan 30, 2007)

Freefalling said:


> Page 4 of this link lists the Wx at Sword Beach as of 1500 local: sunny, winds 13-18 mph, and a temp of 59 degrees F.
> 
> http://london.iwm.org.uk/upload/package/4/dday/pdfs/DDayWeather.pdf



Holy Crap...I think that was one of the articles I scanned......:doh: :doh: :doh: 

Thanks FF ...looks like Charlie was pretty close :)


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## pardus (Jan 30, 2007)

Queen Beach said:


> Holy Crap...I think that was one of the articles I scanned......





Me too!!!   :doh: :doh:


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