Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.
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The Allied invasion of Normandy was scheduled for 5 June 1944 and was postponed for 24 hours because of weather.
This video explains how that decision was made, who made it, and how it differs from the depiction in the film Pressure.
Group Captain James Stagg was appointed Chief Meteorological Officer for Operation Overlord in November 1943.
He coordinated three separate forecasting teams: the Met Office at Dunstable, the Royal Navy team at the Admiralty, and the USAAF team at Bushey Park.
The American forecaster Irving Krick favoured historical analogues. The Norwegian forecaster Sverre Petterssen favoured frontal analysis. Their disagreement over the early June forecasts is central to the film, which presents the conflict as Stagg versus Krick.
The video also covers the German position.
Chief meteorologist Walter Stobbe in Paris lacked Atlantic observations because Allied naval patrols and the North Atlantic weather war had denied Germany regular reports. German attempts to collect data included manned stations in Greenland, such as Operation Holzauge, and the automatic Station Kurt in Labrador. Without upstream data, Stobbe could not identify the brief improvement on 6 June.
On 3 June, observations from Blacksod in County Mayo, reported by Maureen Flavin, showed a rapidly falling barometer and an approaching storm.
Stagg briefed General Eisenhower at Southwick House on the night of 3-4 June and forecast strong winds, low cloud and heavy seas for the 5th.
Eisenhower postponed the operation. Convoy U2A, already at sea, was recalled.
On the evening of 4-5 June, Stagg and his teams forecast a temporary ridge and improved conditions for the 6th. Eisenhower ordered the invasion to proceed.
Airborne landings began after midnight and seaborne landings followed at dawn on 6 June.
A severe Channel storm on 19 June destroyed the Mulberry harbour at Omaha Beach.
#PressureMovie #JamesStagg #dday
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:00 D-Day Preparations
2:34 Germans in Greenland
4:50 James Stagg
6:54 Irving Crick
8:25 Petterssen vs Crick
9:39 Stagg & Ike
10:37 Irish Weather Stations
11:34 Countdown to D-Day
12:18 Weather Pressure
14:00 Heated Debates
16:07 D-Day Postponed
18:15 A Glimmer of Hope
21:10 “Let’s Go”
23:08 D-Day 6 June 1944
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My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or Youtube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: “Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!”
Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham and am a member of the Royal Historical Society and Victorian Military Society.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the ‘Comments’ section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, or otherwise questionable comments or material in the ‘Comments’ section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
The History Chap is a trading name of Chris Green Communication Ltd, a company registered in England & Wales (Co No: 05025587)
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I wasn't so sure this would be a particularly interesting story but your superb storytelling and of course the facts you describe make this a totally compelling and fascinating video, thank you 👍
Very good video! Excellent still photos! Have just seen 'Pressure', and re-watched 'The Longest Day' (1962); as a footnote, I wonder if 'Maureen' was the character imagined for the lady postmistress in Scotland with the marine radio, in the movie 'Local Hero'..?
Can I start by observing that it was the possibility of having to change the date is why we talk about “D-Day” – it was standard practice for such plans not to include a date so that the tome of instructions sent out to units simply details what is expected on D-Day, D-Day+1 etc. Similarly, the plans would refer to H-Hour, since the timings of tide etc on one day wouldn't be the same as another. Elsewhere on Youtube I came across an interview with Gp Capt Stagg where he highlighted he'd hoped for such a weather situation, since that would enable tactical surprise (strategic surprise being helped by Operation Fortitude). This illustrates the importance the Allies placed on preventing the Germans obtaining decent forecasts and hence neither British papers nor the BBC were allowed to publish forecasts during the war. In the absence of this intel, Rommel concluded an invasion wasn't possible that week and went home for his wife's birthday.
for the details of the german attempts to land troops in greenland read 'the sledge patrol' by david howarth.
The greenland 'troops' were local trappers deputized, they were massively under armed to face german troops but they drew them into the wilderness.
Fascinating to hear the real details after watching the film very recently.
It's a terrible film( I've seen every war film ever made) because they could have made a broader story. Instead they made an artificial drama where the real story was so much more dramatic in reality. Anyone who disagrees has never seen and appreciated a good quality film. Your story is far far better and more informed.
Interesting. I remember seeing an interview with one of the old meteorologists who was a TV weatherman, and had a reputation for being uncannily accurate. The interviewer asked him how, in the days before computer models and really sophisticated satellite tracking, he was able to be so accurate. He said that the modern meteorologists put too much reliance on the computer models… and that the real trick was to observe the behavior of the air masses, recall similar patterns in the past and then predict the future patterns based on historical behavior. He felt it was almost more an art than a science and predicted weather almost by feel or gut instinct.
Interesting that all the Met teama got it righr but the Americans ans Eisenhower had eniugh sense to believe them. The fact was the Americans had no proper Intelligence sources and relied o the British well after WW2 had ended. This movie interestingly does not show the Americans in a good light.
👍
3:00 from my readings of The Battle of the Atlantic, I concluded that that battle was over by the close of 1942, not '43. Doenitz withdrew almost all U-boats by December '42, January '43 changing strategy to concentrate on UK waters.
22:20 In this picture it looks like Ike is giving them a stern talking to, but in fact they are talking about baseball.
Another good video Chirs ❤
To say everyone was under pressure is an understatement that brake in the weather helped tremendously
Thanks again for another insight into British history
Mark
I love looking over the shoulder of YouTubers bookcases I have many of those books on show too.
Great video , very interesting. My grandfather flew on that day with RAF. Didn’t realise how much effort went into the planning regarding weather.
Ah I've been meaning to see this film. Thank you for the history behind it! Another great episode.
Great video Chris!! Us Brits are obsessed with weather!!! And if Ike had delayed D Day there was a good chance it would have been a disaster, with the worst storm in the Channel in living history wrecking the American Mulberry, and sinking lots of landing craft..😢😢😢
A good story told very well Chris. I think we Brits have been rather fortunate with the weather in our history. Agincourt, the Armada and Waterloo were all heavily influenced. Whenever we have a summer storm, I'm reminded of "The Longest Day" when a wet, miserable and homesick American soldier is reflecting on past, idyllic summer days with his "Pa" and lets out a long, languid "Jooon".
Great video Chris. stag seems to be a man who knew his craft and did not bow to preasure.
🎉🎉 Hi Chris , whot a very informative piece of our British history 👏 😀 . There was so much riding on getting the weather right ! . Thank you for your hard work Chris ….. 🎉🎉 Cheers Simon 🇬🇧
The Normandy beaches were recently converted into a mosque
That has always been one of my favorite D-Day anecdotes and of course you tell a helluva story Chris!
Vhris.what a wonderful presentation. Much more detail then the one you did before. Interesting also was the Naxus wete doing to forecast the weather. Thank you for all the hard work to bring this to us.