D-Day
This page will tell you all about D-Day and what it was.
D-Day began in the early morning in 1944, 6th June, D-Day being the greatest seaborne invasion in history, on the beaches of Normandy, France. It was named Operation Overlord and it was the result of years of detailed planning. More than 150,000 Allied soldiers were ferried across the English Channel to take the occupied beaches of France. The invasion was almost called off due to bad weather, but eventually General Dwight D. Eisenhower (the Allied Commander) made the risky decision to go ahead with the invasion. By nightfall, the beaches were taken and only 2,500 soldiers lost their life which was very small for an operation of this size.
The Allies tricked the Nazis with inflatable tanks and planes planted near Dover which caused the Nazis to heavily defend Dunkirk and other places further North than where the invasion was actually planned. Also, the Allies managed to get pictures on postcards which showed the whole coastline. Other sources of information included maps, aerial photos taken by surveillance planes and information from spies.
The most difficult of the five beaches which the Allies attacked was ' Omaha' because it was surrounded by high cliffs and had very few routes inland, making it ideal to defend but very challenging to breach.
During the invasion some deadly artillery and weapons were used by the 156,000 allied troops such as: Sherman tanks strapped with flamethowers and spinning ploughs to uproot landmines. These tanks were also great because they provided cover for the foot soldiers and smashed through the Nazi defences.
To take the beaches the Americans landed 73,ooo troops: about 23,000 on Utah beach and about 34,000 on Omaha and 15,000 airborne troops; on the British and Canadian beaches 83,115 troops were used (61,715 were British): about 24,000 on Gold beach, 21,400 on Juno beach, 29,000 on Sword beach and 7900 airborne troops.
During and after D-day the Nazis didn't come up with a resistance and only made one effort to counter at the Battle of Bulge. Then the allies pushed to Paris and took back France, then the Soviets joined in from the east and the Nazis were pushed out of power.
This map indicates what happened.
The Allies tricked the Nazis with inflatable tanks and planes planted near Dover which caused the Nazis to heavily defend Dunkirk and other places further North than where the invasion was actually planned. Also, the Allies managed to get pictures on postcards which showed the whole coastline. Other sources of information included maps, aerial photos taken by surveillance planes and information from spies.
The most difficult of the five beaches which the Allies attacked was ' Omaha' because it was surrounded by high cliffs and had very few routes inland, making it ideal to defend but very challenging to breach.
During the invasion some deadly artillery and weapons were used by the 156,000 allied troops such as: Sherman tanks strapped with flamethowers and spinning ploughs to uproot landmines. These tanks were also great because they provided cover for the foot soldiers and smashed through the Nazi defences.
To take the beaches the Americans landed 73,ooo troops: about 23,000 on Utah beach and about 34,000 on Omaha and 15,000 airborne troops; on the British and Canadian beaches 83,115 troops were used (61,715 were British): about 24,000 on Gold beach, 21,400 on Juno beach, 29,000 on Sword beach and 7900 airborne troops.
During and after D-day the Nazis didn't come up with a resistance and only made one effort to counter at the Battle of Bulge. Then the allies pushed to Paris and took back France, then the Soviets joined in from the east and the Nazis were pushed out of power.
This map indicates what happened.