5 in March. (Hastings 42) This totaled 5,638 aircraft lost by the Germans in a 3-month span. Not only did the Germans loose aircraft they lost valuable and experienced pilots. This was disastrous to Germany but the commanders had no idea that Germanys air force had been beaten so decisively. In fact they feared that shortly after we landed on Normandy the Luftwaffle would retaliate with a crushing blow of 300 fighters and 200 bombers in one operational attack. (Hastings 52)
             Only on D- Day, when a mere 319 German sorties resisted was the truth suspected. In the weeks that followed, as enemy air activity remained negligible it was confirmed. The critical air battle had been fought and won by the Americans over Germany weeks before the first Allied soldier waded ashore. (Hastings 54)
             The Allies prepared in other ways as well.
             The Allies knew that the Germans would try to stop any invasion close to the beaches. This would be the time that the whole operation was the most vulnerable. The Allies took a very deceptive approach to the matter of diverting German reinforcements away from Normandy. This operation was code named "Fortitude". The first step was to trick the Germans into thinking there was a huge invasion coming from eastern England and would be attacking Pas de Calais, a French town 150 mile away from Normandy. They accomplished this by "accidentally" letting the Germans in on their plans to attack. Next they had to keep the Germans confused about the scope of the landings on Normandy. Was it the main invasion or was it only a feint. As June 6th approached the Allies faked an invasion with dummy parachutists. These dummies were half sized paratroopers that were thrown out of the airplanes by the hundreds. This tricked the Germans into diverting their Panzer tank divisons away fro!
             m Normandy. These tactics worked extremely
             ...