1 of 15
|
This June 6, 2021 marks the 77th anniversary of the Normandy invasion - US troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day was the largest amphibious operation in history.
More than 160,000 Allied troops - about half American - invaded Western Europe overwhelming German forces in an operation that became a turning point in World War II.
Look in this gallery for the historical images of this day.
2 of 15
|
American troops wait to disembark on D-Day.
3 of 15
|
American troops help their wounded comrades after they fired at their landing craft.
The allied forces had about 10,000 casualties securing the beaches.
4 of 15
|
French commandos equipped with bicycles disembark from their launch after Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy.
The Germans responded to the Allied troops with a barrage of mortar and artillery attacks, killing many before they could even get out of the boats.
The fighting was especially fierce on Omaha Beach, where Nazi fighters wiped out the first wave of invading forces and left the survivors struggling to cover the battlefield.
5 of 15
|
The 50th Infantry Division of the British Army lands on the beaches of Normandy.
This photograph is part of an exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London.
6 of 15
|
An aerial view shows 32 intentionally sunk US merchant ships that served as seawalls as well as air defense platforms.
7 of 15
|
Accumulated traffic on the beach and on the road leading to Le Hamel, France, during the arrival of the 50th Infantry Division.
8 of 15
|
American troops and their vehicles ready to disembark.
'D-Day' was one of the most significant and heartbreaking battles in history.
9 of 15
|
A sign outside Trinity Church in New York invites devotees to pray for the Allied victory on D-Day.
10 of 15
|
Commandos of the 4th Special Services Brigade of the Royal Navy advance towards Juno Beach in the Saint-Aubin-sur-mer sea, of Lower Normandy.
11 of 15
|
British Army Private Walter Ray shares a bottle of rum he found floating in the sea.
12 of 15
|
US General Dwight D. Eisenhower (left), Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, and British Marshal Marshal Bernard Montgomery (right) discuss plans at an unknown location in June 1944. The Allies did their best to maintain confidentiality and mislead Hitler employing double agents to use decoy tanks and fake bases in England to hide actual troop movements.
13 of 15
|
Eisenhower gives the order of the day to the paratroopers in England.
"Total victory, nothing more," was the order just before they boarded their planes to participate in the first wave.
The invasion — whose code name was Operation Overlord — had been in the works for more than two years.
14 of 15
|
British troops pose for a photo with a French woman at La Breche d'Hermanville.
15 of 15
|
American troops crowd in front of their landing craft as it approaches the beach.
The smoke in the background is naval fire, to cover the troops on the ground.
(CNN) -
Here's a look at "D-Day," or the day Allied troops invaded Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, to fight Nazi Germany in World War II.
Facts
It was the largest amphibious invasion (by land and water) in history.
The code name for the invasion was "Operation Overlord."
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of the operation, and the landing was planned in Normandy, west of where German troops and artillery were concentrated.
"D" stands for Day. "D-Day" is a code for the day a major military attack is scheduled to begin.
Code names for the five beaches where the Allies landed: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
More than 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 ships supported the operation.
The exact number of casualties is not known.
An estimated 10,000 Allied soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing in action: 6,603 Americans, 2,700 British, and 946 Canadians.
Chronology
August 19, 1942 -
The attack on the French port of Dieppe, with heavy losses, convinces D-Day planners to land on the beaches.
Preparations begin for an allied invasion across the English Channel.
May 1943 -
The Trident Conference, a strategic meeting of the United Kingdom and the United States on the war, takes place in Washington.
Winston Churchill, President Theodore Roosevelt and their military advisers discuss the crossing of the English Channel.
August 1943 -
The Chiefs of Staff of the United Kingdom and the United States outline Operation Overlord during the Quadrant Conference.
November and December 1943 -
The military chiefs of the United Kingdom and the United States discuss the specifics of the incursion into France during the Sextant and Eureka conferences.
1944 -
The Germans expect a raid along the northern coast of France, but do not know where it will occur.
They concentrate their troops and artillery near Calais, where the English Channel is narrower.
advertising
World War II plane lands on Florida beach after mechanical failure
June 5, 1944 -
Allied paratroopers and gliders carrying heavy equipment leave England to begin the invasion of France by air.
In a message relayed to the troops before leaving, Eisenhower tells them: “The tide has turned!
The free men of the world march together towards victory….
We will accept nothing less than total victory.
June 6, 1944 -
The military navy and more than 160,000 soldiers cross the English Channel at dawn.
The minesweepers sail first to clear the waters in preparation for the arrival of thousands of landing craft carrying men, vehicles and supplies.
Between midnight and 8 a.m., the Allied forces fly 14,674 missions.
At 6:30 am the troops begin to disembark on an 80-kilometer front.
In a broadcast to the population of occupied Europe, Eisenhower says, "Even if the initial raid was not made into your country, the time for your liberation is near."
World War II Day