Geology and the liberation of Normandy, France, 1944

摘要

The Allied victory in Europe in May 1945 marked the end of an 11‐month campaign which began with the invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 ‐ D‐Day. Geologists participated in both the planning and operational phases of the campaign. Geological factors influenced the trafficability of the Normandy beaches, site selection for temporary airfields, quarrying for road metal and development of potable water supplies, and were also involved in ground response to aerial bombardment, vehicular movement cross‐country and characteristics of both sea floor and river beds. Little‐known applications of geology thus contributed to the fina