Nazi Megastructures: America's War

The programme examines the German army's preparations for the D‑Day landings. It highlights that these extensive defensive measures were undertaken even though the Germans had no concrete evidence of the exact location in Europe where the Allies intended to strike.

D‑Day is a programme presented as a single episode that examines the events surrounding the Allied invasion of Europe. It concentrates on the German side of the story, showing how the Wehrmacht approached the looming threat of an amphibious assault even though the Allies kept their exact plans hidden. The heart of the episode follows the German army’s attempts to ready itself for the expected landings, despite having no solid evidence about where the invasion would occur. It highlights the difficulty of planning defensive actions when the precise point of attack is unknown, and it shows the steps the German command took to keep its forces prepared for any eventuality. Because the Germans were operating in a cloud of uncertainty, they had to adopt a broad, flexible stance. The episode depicts how they kept troops on alert, organised units for rapid response and maintained a heightened state of readiness across the western front. This approach reflects the challenge of preparing for a massive operation without clear intelligence, forcing the German high command to balance caution with the need to be able to react quickly. In its final moments, the programme underscores the paradox of a well‑trained army forced to prepare for a battle it could not pinpoint. By focusing on the German perspective, the episode offers a clear picture of how lack of concrete information shaped their strategic choices in the crucial weeks leading up to the D‑Day landings.