At the time, the Nazis had taken over nearly the whole of Europe. The Allied forces, which were made up of soldiers from many countries, including the UK, the USA and places like Canada and Australia, landed on the beaches of Normandy in France, and started to break through the German army's defences.
They began an attack that lasted for eleven months and took them all the way to the German capital Berlin, to the bunker that was Adolf Hitler's headquarters. The attack began when Allied planes and warships bombarded German positions along the coastline.
This was to damage the defences making it easier for the troops to get ashore. At the same time, planes and gliders dropped tens of thousands of allied soldiers behind the German defences. They took control of important roads and bridges. This made it harder for the German army to rush extra men towards areas where the troops were landing. Thousands of ships had set out from the south coast of England to help.
In all, over 6, vessels joined the attack. They were supported by over 11, planes. The naval force crossed the channel overnight.
By the end of D-Day, the Allies had put , troops ashore. Then, at in the morning, the Normandy landings began. By some estimates, over 4, of the Allied forces lost their lives from the D-Day invasion.
Thousands more were recorded as wounded or missing. D-Day was a day that cost many lives on all sides of the conflict, changing not only the future of countries, but of families as well. Because of that, there is much to be learned from those who experienced its victories and its horrors firsthand. Do you have D-Day veterans in your family?
Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground.
Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good Luck! Moreover, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.
In the ensuing weeks, the Allies fought their way across the Normandy countryside in the face of determined German resistance, as well as a dense landscape of marshes and hedgerows. By the end of June, the Allies had seized the vital port of Cherbourg, landed approximately , men and , vehicles in Normandy, and were poised to continue their march across France.
By the end of August , the Allies had reached the Seine River, Paris was liberated and the Germans had been removed from northwestern France, effectively concluding the Battle of Normandy. The Allied forces then prepared to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet troops moving in from the east.
The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide against the Nazis. A significant psychological blow, it also prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front against the advancing Soviets. The following spring, on May 8, , the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier, on April Start your free trial today. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present.
As early as , Adolf Hitler knew that a large-scale Allied invasion of France could turn the tide of the war in Europe. Without the brilliant planning and heroic sacrifices of the D-Day invasion, the Allies may have never defeated the Nazi forces in Europe. On June 6, , more than , American, British and Canadian troops stormed 50 miles of Normandy's fiercely defended
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