Existing comment:
D-Day
June 6, 1944
D-Day was a massive assault on German-occupied France carefully planned by the Allies to penetrate the western front of Hitler's "Fortress Europe".
The plan called for Allied forces to land during the morning low tide on five beaches along the west coast of France, code named Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah.
American would be the first to land at Omaha and Utah -- and also at Pointe du Hoc, where they would neutralize German defenses that threatened the beach landings. British and Canadian forces would follow, with the British going ashore at Sword and Gold and the Canadians at Juno.
Prior to the landings, airborne troops would drop beyond the beaches to protect the Allies' north and south flanks.
On D-Day, not everything went according to plan, especially on Omaha Beach. But the Allies prevailed -- often through the sheer grit of individuals, many experiencing combat for the first time.
In subsequent days and weeks, the Allies poured two million troops and tons of supplies, equipment, and munitions into France and began fighting their way toward Berlin. |