Although the term D-Day
is used routinely as military lingo for the day an operation or event
will take place, for many it is also synonymous with June 6, 1944, the
day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the
beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe
from Nazi control during World War II.
Within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the
invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would
meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east.
With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the
Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to
winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on
northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies
from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future
invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces
into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished,
he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.
On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower,
the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for
Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in
history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels
carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France.
That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones
in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air
cover and support for the invasion.
By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground;
the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame
light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the
Americans at Utah. The
task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were
lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops
on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000
Allied troops--Americans, British and Canadians--had successfully
stormed Normandy’s beaches.
For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and
the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was
away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint
designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the
Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the
counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield,
causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to
help in the defense. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective
Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the
Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support,
which helped protect advancing Allied troops.
Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by
British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery--for example, the Allies were
able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had
intended in France--D-Day was a decided success. By the end of June, the
Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised
to continue their march across Europe.
The heroism and bravery displayed by troops from the Allied countries
on D-Day has served as inspiration for several films, most famously The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). It was also depicted in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001).
Sources: Text
Videos
D-Day History
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From the Army website:
Resources
The U.S. Army Center of Military History's in-depth description of the invasion at Normandy.
Go to the website
Bedford, Va. This small town in rural Virginia lost 19 men on
D-Day from a population of less than 4000, the highest per capita loss
of anywhere in the United States.
Go to the website
The National D-Day Museum celebrates the American spirit, the
teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who won
World War II and promotes the exploration and expression of these values
by future generations.
Go to the website
Washington D.C. and College Park, Md.
Go to the website
Fort McNair, Washington D.C.
Go to the website
Carlisle, Pa.
Go to the website
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WWII Poster Gallery
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The Beaches
D-Day Airborne and Beach Assault
The Normandy beaches were chosen by planners because they lay within
range of air cover, and were less heavily defended than the obvious
objective of the Pas de Calais, the shortest distance between Great
Britain and the Continent. Airborne drops at both ends of the beachheads
were to protect the flanks, as well as open up roadways to the
interior. Six divisions were to land on the first day; three U.S., two
British and one Canadian. Two more British and one U.S. division were to
follow up after the assault division had cleared the way through the
beach defenses.
Disorganization, confusion, incomplete or faulty implementation
of plans characterized the initial phases of the landings. This was
especially true of the airborne landings which were badly scattered, as
well as the first wave units landing on the assault beaches. To their
great credit, most of the troops were able to adapt to the
disorganization. In the end, the Allies achieved their objective.
Airborne Assault
The AIRBORNE ASSAULT into Normandy as part of the D-Day Allied
invasion of Europe was the largest use of airborne troops up to that
time. Paratroopers of the U.S. 82d and 101st Airborne divisions, the
British 6th Airborne Division, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and
other attached Allied units took part in the assault. Numbering more
than 13,000 men, the paratroopers were flown from bases in southern
England to the Cotentin Peninsula in approximately 925 C-47 airplanes.
An additional 4,000 men, consisting of glider infantry with supporting
weapons and medical and signal units, were to arrive in 500 gliders
later on D-Day to reinforce the paratroopers. The parachute troops were
assigned what was probably the most difficult task of the initial
operation -- a night jump behind enemy lines five hours before the
coastal landings.
To protect the invasion zone's western extremity and to
facilitate the "Utah" landing force's movement into the Cotentin
Peninsula, the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions descended on the
peninsula by parachute and glider in the early hours of D-Day. The
paratroopers were badly scattered.
Many were injured and killed during
the attack, and much of their equipment was lost. But the brave
paratroopers fought fiercely, causing confusion among the German
commanders and keeping the Germans troops occupied. Their efforts,
hampered by harsh weather, darkness and disorganization, and initiative
of resourceful soldiers and leaders, ensured that the UTAH BEACH assault
objectives were eventually accomplished. The British and Canadian
attacks also accomplished their primary goal of securing the left flank
of the invasion force.
Utah Beach
UTAH BEACH was added to the initial invasion plan almost as an
afterthought. The allies needed a major port as soon as possible, and
UTAH BEACH would put VII (U.S.) Corps within 60 kilometers of Cherbourg
at the outset. The major obstacles in this sector were not so much the
beach defenses, but the flooded and rough terrain that blocked the way
north.
Omaha Beach
OMAHA BEACH linked the U.S. and British beaches. It was a
critical link between the Contentin peninsula and the flat plain in
front of Caen. Omaha was also the most restricted and heavily defended
beach, and for this reason at least one veteran U.S. Division (lst) was
tasked to land there. The terrain was difficult. Omaha beach was unlike
any of the other assault beaches in Normandy. Its crescent curve and
unusual assortment of bluffs, cliffs and draws were immediately
recognizable from the sea. It was the most defensible beach chosen for
D-Day; in fact, many planners did not believe it a likely place for a
major landing. The high ground commanded all approaches to the beach
from the sea and tidal flats. Moreover, any advance made by U.S. troops
from the beach would be limited to narrow passages between the bluffs.
Advances directly up the steep bluffs were difficult in the extreme.
German strong points were arranged to command all the approaches and
pillboxes were sited in the draws to fire east and west, thereby
enfilading troops while remaining concealed from bombarding warships.
These pillboxes had to be taken out by direct assault. Compounding this
problem was the allied intelligence failure to identify a nearly
full-strength infantry division, the 352nd, directly behind the beach.
It was believed to be no further forward than St. Lo and Caumont, 20
miles inland.
V (U.S.) Corps was assigned to this sector. The objective was to
obtain a lodgment area between Port-en-Bessin and the Vire River and
ultimately push forward to St. Lo and Caumont in order to cut German
communications (St. Lo was a major road junction). Allocated to the task
were 1st and 29th (U.S.) Divisions, supported by the 5th Ranger
Battalion and 5th Engineer Special Brigade.
Gold Beach
GOLD BEACH was the objective of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division
of the British 2nd Army. Its primary task was to seize Arrolnanches
(future site of a Mulberry) and drive inland to seize the road junction
at Bayeux, as well as contact U.S. forces on their right and Canadians
on their left. The initial opposition was fierce, but the British
invasion forces broke through with relatively light casualties and were
able to reach their objectives in this sector. A major factor in their
success was that the British assault forces were lavishly equipped with
armour and "Funnies" of the 79th Armoured Division. The "Funnies" were
the specialist vehicles, armed with 290 mm mortars, designed for tasks
such as clearing obstacles or minefields and destruction of large fixed
fortifications. Perhaps the most famous is the "Flail" tank, which was a
Sherman equipped with a large roller to which was attached lengths of
chain. These tanks were designed to clear terrain to their front, and
detonate mine fields and other booby traps without danger to the tanks
or infantry following.
Juno Beach
JUNO BEACH was the landing area for 3rd Canadian Division. The
Canadians were very concerned about their role in the invasion (as were
most of the planning staff) as the memory of 2nd Canadian Division's
destruction at Dieppe was still fresh. But many lessons had been
learned, and the 3rd Canadian Division, in spite of heavy opposition at
Courselles-sur-Mer, broke through and advanced nearly to their
objective, the airfield at Carpiquet, west of Caen. The Canadians made
the deepest penetration of any land forces on June 6th, again with
moderate casualties.
Sword Beach
SWORD BEACH was the objective of 3rd (British) Infantry
Division. They were to advance inland as far as Caen, and line up with
British Airborne forces east of the Orne River/Caen Canal. The Orne
River bridges had been seized in late at night on the 5th of June by a
glider-borne reinforced company commanded by Maj. John Howard. As at the
other beaches, British forces penetrated quite a ways inland after
breaking the opposition at water's edge. Unfortunately, the objective of
Caen was probably asking too much of a single infantry division,
especially given the traffic jams and resistance encountered further
inland. 1st Special Service (Commando) brigade commanded by Lord Lovat,
linked up in the morning with Howard's force at Pegasus bridge on the
British left. Fierce opposition from the 2lst Panzer and later the 12th
SS Panzer division prevented the British from reaching Caen on the 6th.
Indeed, Caen was not taken until late June.
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