Anniversary of D-Day

Today, June 6, 2023, marks the 79^th anniversary of D-Day, the day in World War II on which Allied forces made landings on the beaches of Normandy on the northern coast of France that resulted in the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Also known as the Battle of Normandy, the battle began on June 6, 1944, when 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along the Normandy coast. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and followed a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about where the invasion would really take place. By late August of 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the spring of 1945 the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of the war in Europe.

The Americans had entered the war in December of 1941 and by 1942 they and the British were considering the possibility of a major allied invasion across the English Channel. In early 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower was appointed commander of Operation Overlord and began a massive deception operation intended to make the Germans think the main invasion target was at Calais, the narrowest point between Britain and France. In addition, they led the Germans to believe that Norway and other locations were potential invasion targets. They used fake equipment, a phantom army commanded by General George Patton, double agents, and fraudulent radio transmissions to pull off the deception.

General Eisenhower had selected June 5 as the date for the invasion, but bad weather on the days leading up to the operation caused it to be delayed for 24 hours. On the morning of the 5^th, Eisenhower’s meteorologist predicted improved conditions for the following day and the go-ahead was given for Operation Overlord. Eisenhower told his troops, "You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. "

By dawn of June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops had already landed behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit roads. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture beaches codenamed Gold, Juno, and Sword, as did the Americans at Utah Beach. But American forces encountered heavy resistance on Omaha Beach, where there were over 2000 American casualties. By the end of the day, however, approximately 156,000 Allied troops had successfully stormed the Normandy beaches, fully securing the beaches with over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles, and some 100,000 tons of equipment less than a week later.

The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide of war against the Nazis. It was a significant psychological blow to Hitler and prevented him from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front against the advancing Russians. On May 8, 1945, the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier on April 30.

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