TL/DR –
D-Day marked the first day of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II, with planning for the operation beginning a year in advance. The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, saw tens of thousands of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries land on the coastlines of Normandy, France. Despite substantial losses, the operation was seen as a success and marked the beginning of the end of Hitler’s regime.
Commemorating 80 Years Since D-Day
As of June 6, 2024, it’s been 80 years since D-Day, the pivotal first day of the Normandy landings that set the stage for Nazi Germany’s defeat in WWII.
The invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, saw tens of thousands of troops from countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada landing on five designated areas of the Normandy, France coastline.
Planning for D-Day began over a year prior, with the Allies implementing extensive military deception to mislead the Germans about the invasion’s timing and location.
What does D-Day stand for?
‘D-Day’ was military code for the commencement of a key operation. The Royal British Legion states that the term ‘D-Day’ was frequently used prior to the Allied invasion in June 1944 but has since become synonymous with the start of Operation Overlord.
Over 2 million troops gathered in the UK in preparation for the invasion, as per the Imperial War Museums (IWM). Troops hailed from numerous countries including Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Poland.
The invasion was a combined air, land, and sea effort, preceded by an extensive bombing campaign to damage German defenses and the use of deception tactics.
The Allies’ deceptive strategy, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, was aimed at confusing Nazi Germany about the invasion’s main site. According to the IWM, several tactics were designed to convince Germany that the attacks in Normandy were a diversion and the actual invasion would happen elsewhere.
On D-Day, approximately 4,440 Allied troops were confirmed dead with over 5,800 troops wounded or missing, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Because Omaha Beach was the deadliest landing beach, the US Army suffered the most losses.
The National D-Day Memorial Foundation cites Bedford, Virginia, as suffering the highest known per capita D-Day loss in the US.
Despite establishing a foothold on the French coast on D-Day, the Allied forces needed to rapidly build up troop numbers and equipment in Normandy to continue the invasion into mainland Europe. The Allies used air power to delay the German advance towards Normandy, which allowed them to fully control Normandy 77 days later and advance towards Paris.
The US Department of Defense and the IWM regard D-Day as a pivotal victory in WWII. The National World War II Museum states that imagining what could have happened if the operation had failed helps to understand D-Day’s significance.
The combined efforts of the Allies on the western front and Russian soldiers on the eastern front ultimately resulted in the defeat of the German Nazi forces. Victory in Europe (V-E) Day is celebrated on May 8th, marking the day when the armistice took effect following the German Third Reich’s unconditional surrender at Reims, France.
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