Introduction The Allied Invasion Of France On June 6, 1944 Is Variousl

Introduction The Allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944 is variously known as D-Day, the Longest Day, Cross-Channel Attack, and probably some others as well. It was the largest single military operation of World War II. Hence, the Normandy beaches are a must stop if you get anywhere close to France. The 50th anniversary celebration in 1994 generated a lot of hype. The recent movie Saving Private Ryan rekindled that interest. However, the landing always held a special niche going back to the event itself. Much like Gettysburg, the Normandy attack has been studied in great detail -- hour by hour, person by person, shot by shot. We'll assume a flight landing in Paris and getting a rental car (a must) at the airport. Then you would drive over to Caen (about a 150 miles) and spend the night, which would put you at the east end of the beaches the next morning. This book by Bruce Bilven, Jr., is a historical documentation of D-Day, June 6, 1944. The book itself contains a lot of dates, n ames and places, which makes it a tough book to follow. Bruce Bilven Jr., himself took part in the massive D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach, as a second Lieutenant in the 29th Division Artillery. Drawing on his own experiances as a solider in World War II, he wrote two other Landmark Books about the war; From Casablanca to Berlin and From Pearl Harbor to Okinawa. Since the war he has written The American Revolution as well as many other books articles, and reviews. He lives with his wife and co-author, Naomi, and his college-age son in New York City. Summary Strategy D-Day began with the concept of the Second Front. When Stalin's Russia was invaded in 1941, he immediately demanded that his new allies attack Hitler to take off the pressure. No matter his past complicity. Churchill and Roosevelt replied with the invasion of North Africa in November 1942 and Italy in 1943. Chief of staff George C. Marshall considered these sideshows draining away troops and time. The real war, argued Mars hall, was to be a direct advance on Germany through France. Even as the sideshows proceeded, three other campaigns were under way -- the war against the German submarines, the US-British strategic bombing offensive against Germany, and the logistical buildup in Britain. The submarine conflict was a precondition for the bombing and the buildup. The Allies were fortunate that Hitler was had no interest in naval warfare. By 1943 the Allies had mastered the North Atlantic. The bombing offensive established control of the skies, which was another precondition for the invasion. The actual effect on German industrial production is still controversial, but there's no doubt that the bombing drained away German air resources that might have shown up over Normandy beaches in 1944. At the same time, the bombing forced the Germans to rationalize certain production techniques. The result, ironically, was the military production increased during the bombing offensive. British and American officers drew up plans for several contingencies in 1943. Operation OVERLORD was a large-scale assault against the German Army in France. This plan served as the basis for a final plan developed early in 1944 after General Eisenhower, designated as the supreme commander, arrived in Britain and established his command, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, or SHAEF. The overlooked question about D-Day is why it didn't happen in 1943. The Germans were greatly weakened after defeats at Stalingrad and North Africa in 1942. The French resistance was at its most effective. Instead, the British and Americans squabbled about how to proceed, and the delay meant that, in effect, nothing happened in 1943. It's one of the most interesting What If's of World War II. The over-all ground commander for the invasion was the former head of the British Eighth Army, General Montgomery, who also commanded the 21 Army Group, the controlling headquarters for the two Allied armies scheduled to make the invasion. The British were to assault on the left; the Americans on the right. This alignment explains why during the Cold War the weakened Brits defended the North German plain (on the left), while the much stronger American forces in

How to Use the Metric System in Spanish

How to Use the Metric System in Spanish You may speak Spanish well, but if youre talking to typical Spaniards or Latin Americans using inches, cups, miles, and gallons, chances are they wont understand you well even if they know words such as pulgadas and millas. With a few exceptions- among ​them, Spanish speakers inside the United States- Spanish speakers throughout the world use the metric system of measurements in everyday life. Although local or indigenous measurements are in use in some places, and American/British measurements are occasionally used for some specific instances (gasoline is sold by the gallon in some parts of Latin America, for example), the metric system is universally understood in the Spanish-speaking world. The metric system has widespread usage even in Puerto Rico, even though it is a U.S. territory. British Measurements and Their Metric Equivalents in Spanish Here are the most common British measurements and their metric equivalents in Spanish and English: Length (Longitud) 1 centimeter (centà ­metro) 0.3937 inches (pulgadas)1 inch (pulgada) 2.54 centimeters (centà ­metros)1 foot (pie) 30.48 centimeters (centà ­metros)1 foot (pie) 0.3048 meters (metros)1 yard (yarda) 0.9144 meters (metros)1 meter (metro) 1.093613 yards (yardas)1 kilometer (kilà ³metro) 0.621 miles (millas)1 mile (milla) 1.609344 kilometers (kilà ³metros) Weight (Peso) 1 gram (gramo) 0.353 ounces (onzas)1 ounce (onza) 28.35 grams (gramos)1 pound (libra) 453.6 grams (gramos)1 pound (libra) 0.4563 kilograms (kilogramos)1 kilogram (kilogramo) 2.2046 pounds (libras)1 American ton (tonelada americana) 0.907 metric tons (toneladas mà ©tricas)1 metric ton (tonelada mà ©trica) 1.1 metric tons (toneladas mà ©tricas) Volume/capacity (volumen/capacidad) 1 milliliter (mililitro) 0.034 fluid ounces (onzas fluidas)1 milliliter (mililitro) 0.2 teaspoons (cucharaditas)1 fluid ounce (onza fluida) 29.6 milliliters (mililitros)1 teaspoon (cucharadita) 5 milliliters (mililitros)1 cup (taza) 0.24 liters (litros)1 quart (cuarto) 0.95 liters (litros)1 liter (litro) 4.227 cups (tazas)1 liter (litro) 1.057 quarts (cuartos)1 liter (litro) 0.264 U.S. gallons (galones americanos)1 U.S. gallon (galà ³n americano) 3.785 liters (litros) Area (superficie) 1 square centimeter (centà ­metro cuadrado) 0.155 square inches (pulgadas cuadradas)1 square inch (pulgada cuadrada) 6.4516 square centimeters (centà ­metros cuadrados)1 square foot (pie cuadrado) 929 square centimeters (centà ­metros cuadrados)1 acre (acre) 0.405 hectares (hectreas)1 hectare (hectrea) 2.471 acres (acres)1 square kilometer (kilà ³metro cuadrado) 0.386 square miles (millas cuadradas)1 square mile (milla cuadrada) 2.59 square kilometers (kilà ³metros cuadrados) Of course, mathematical accuracy isnt always necessary. For example, if you remember that a kilogram is a bit more than 2 pounds and a liter is a bit more than a quart, thats close enough for many purposes. And if youre driving, remember that a speed-limit sign that says 100 kilà ³metros por hora means you shouldnt be driving more than 62 miles per hour. Sample Spanish Sentences Involving Measurements  ¿Realmente necesitamos 2 litros de agua al dà ­a? (Do we really need 2 liters of water per day?) El hombre ms grande del mundo tenà ­a 2 metros 29 de estatura y un peso de 201 kilogramos. (The tallest man in the world had a height of 2.29 meters and a weight of 201 kilograms.) El territorio mexicano abarca una superficie de 1.960.189 kilà ³metros cuadrados sin contar sus islas o mares. (The Mexican territory covers an area of 1,960,189 square kilometers not counting its islands or seas.) La velocidad de la luz en el vacà ­o es una constante universal con el valor 299.792.458 metros por segundo. (The speed of light in a vacuum is a universal constant with a value of 299,792,458 meters per second.) Los hoteles de esta zona deben tener la habitacià ³n doble de 12 metros cuadrados mà ­nimo. (Hotels in this zone should have double rooms of at least 12 square meters in area.) La diferencia de 10 centà ­metros no se percibe ni importa. (The difference of 10 centimeters is neither noticeable nor important.) Hay casi 13,000 kilà ³metros entre Londres y Johannesburgo. (There are almost 13,000 kilometers between London and Johannesburg.) Key Takeaways All Spanish-speaking countries use the metric system, although British and indigenous measurements sometimes have specialized uses.Outside the United States, most native Spanish speakers are unfamiliar with everyday British measures even if they understand what the words mean.The Spanish words for metric units are very similar to the corresponding English words.