France, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States will mark restrictions on the opening shot of the liberation of Europe from the Nazis • Virtual memorial ceremonies will replace huge events

• Royal Air Force veteran in front of pennants representing British fallen on Normandy day of invasion

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This morning, 76 years ago, artillery ships from the British, Canadian and US navies began one of the heavy riots in history, along a coastal strip in the Normandy Peninsula, with thousands of aircraft on their way to attack targets in depth.

It was the opening shot of the greatest amphibious operation in human history, whose code name was "Operation Overlord." As part of the extraordinary operation, US, UK, Canada and other smaller partnerships stormed the shores of the Western Peninsula with the goal of liberating France from the clutches of Nazi Germany and ending World War II.

The operation involved more than 1.3 million soldiers, thousands of tanks, hundreds of aircraft and dozens of warships. The invasion began on five landing beaches. Two assigned to the American and nicknamed "Omaha" and "Utah," and three assigned to the British and Canadians and nicknamed "Gold," "Juno," and "Surd." The landing itself was preceded by the landing of paratroopers in the enemy's rear, with the aim of taking over key points and employing the Germans.

The landing was the culmination of a tremendous disinformation campaign that, with the help of false broadcasts and constant forces, managed to convince Hitler that the Allied invasion of Western Europe would take place at another point - in Feh-de-Calais, which is closer to Paris and the German border, and is the shortest point in the Channel. To France. The combination of deception and prolonged German response time, together with the sheer intensity of the invading force, overpowered the German defensive system and, after difficult battles, led to the liberation of France as a whole.

"Sad Memorial Day"

While last year's huge ceremonies were held to mark the 75th anniversary of the historic landing, attended by world leaders and thousands of families taking part and falling in the invasion, today the cemeteries and memorials across Normandy remain almost completely deserted, due to the global corona epidemic.

Authorities in France have made a generous move to leave all memorial sites open to visitors, but the lack of international flights and rigid restrictions has left most of the memorial sites around the landing beaches fairly empty. In the UK, the Invasion Memory Fund has unveiled a series of photos showing the unveiling of a new memorial to victims in battles in Normandy, as an attempt to give the public a sense of participation in today's commemoration.

In the United States, the memorial and memorial center in Bedford, Virginia, a small town where 20 of its sons fell on the day of the invasion, announced a virtual ceremony in which the public was invited to attend, screening a documentary on the center's Web site and ringing the bell to the 20 fallen strangers.

The World War II Memorial Museum in New Orleans has announced that it will open its doors for limited tours to an audience that will buy tickets in advance for the invasion and fall. "It's a sad day," says Museum President Stephen Watson, "since it's Saturday, we could hope for more than 5,000 visitors before the epidemic. Now we'll have to settle for just a few."