The Atlantic Wall

Adolf Hitler's vision for a successful defense against an Anglo-Allied invasion from the West, the Atlantic Wall is a shoreline copy of the Maginot Line, a "continuous belt of interlocking fire emanating from bombproof concrete structures," impervious to attack by Allied air and naval bombardment. The French coastline provides natural defenses, which German engineers strengthen. By D-Day, 6.5 million of a planned 11 million mines are laid, along with obstacles on every beach suitable for amphibious landing. Gun emplacements impervious to naval bombardment are arranged to allow deadly crossfire across every beach. Barbed wire and antitank ditches finish the beach defenses. Inland, where geographically appropriate, the countryside is flooded, civilians uprooted and buildings and forests torn down to halt the Allies. The goal is that any GI surviving long enough to reach cover will be wounded or paralyzed with fear. Rommel lacks resources for fixed defenses inland...