D-Day Lands Allied Troops: Normandy Invasion Begins
The D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibious military operation in history. Over 156,000 Allied troops landed on five beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword) along a 50-mile stretch of the French coast. More than 13,000 paratroopers had dropped behind enemy lines the night before. The invasion involved 6,939 naval vessels and 11,590 aircraft. Omaha Beach saw the heaviest casualties, with the US 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions suffering an estimated 2,400 killed, wounded, and missing. Total Allied casualties on D-Day were approximately 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. German casualties were estimated at 4,000-9,000. The invasion established a permanent Western Front that, combined with the Soviet advance from the east, ensured Germany's defeat within eleven months.
June 6, 1944
82 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 6
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