Even though the Allied Forces ended up winning in World War II, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t make mistakes along the way. Although the history books tend to gloss over the mistakes of the victor, it is pretty important to learn about them. These lessons in history can help us avoid making mistakes in the future. For example, did you know that the US greatly underestimated Japan before the bombing of Pearl Harbor? It was these and many more tactical errors that certainly could have cost the Allies the war! In fact, #7 will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the war!
15. Pointe Du Hoc
Right before D-Day, three U.S. Army Ranger companies were sent to Pointe Du Hoc, cliff between Utah and Omaha Beaches in Normandy. Their mission was to capture the battery of 155mm guns that were stationed there by the Germans. The mission’s end goal was to disarm the Germans so that they wouldn’t be able to open fire on soldiers that were going to be landing on Utah and Omaha Beaches. However, the plan quickly fell apart when German defenses delayed them by forty minutes. Once they finally arrived, the guns had been moved and this cost the lives of 150 to 200 men. Eventually reinforcements had to head over to Omaha Beach.