Did Hitler Sleep Through D-Day?

A grave error

(Public domain)

Just after midnight on June 6th, 1944, paratroopers from England began dropping into France for the precursor to the D-Day landings. These drops were made to disrupt German communication lines and seize key crossings, bridges, and crossroads. In the earliest hours of the day, under the full moon's glow, the largest amphibious operation in history was underway. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in his fortress in Germany, the Führer slept soundly.

The early hours of the invasion were pure chaos for Germany. Commanders on the ground were demanding reinforcements to counter the blow, but no one could get anyone on the phone. Army elements were stuck in position around the port of Calais, and no one had the authorization to release them. The only person who could direct large movements of troops was Hitler himself. As the military situation continued to degrade from 1943 into 1944, Hitler took a more direct hand in the running of the military. Instead of leaving decisions to his commanding officers, he took it upon himself to make sweeping strategic decisions. Ordering troops on the ground to new locations or ordering an unauthorized retreat could incur the wrath of the Führer — a potentially fatal mistake.

Interestingly enough, one of the reasons that Germany was late in responding to the massive attack on their…