Rommel expected an invasion to require a concentrated landing area, while Hitler continued to believe the main attack would come at Pas-de-Calais. German officers recognized Normandy's vulnerability but disagreed about ports, air cover, and the placement of armoured reserves. Allied deception worked unevenly: Operation Copperhead failed, while broader signals and false formations helped preserve German uncertainty. Normandy's success depended on logistics, intelligence, reserve decisions, and the enemy's interpretation of incomplete evidence.
Chapter · 2:31:33-2:36:51
D-Day deception, Rommel, and the Normandy problem
Biting on the Beaches introduces the D-Day landings through German assessments of Normandy, Allied deception, and the problem of committing reserves.