D-Day

D-Day (6 June 1944) A pivotal battle in World War II. Although German troops were already on the defensive against the Red Army in the East, Stalin had continually urged the Western Allies to open up a front in the West. D-Day breached the heavily fortified French coastline in Normandy. The Germans had expected such an invasion to take place further to the East. The date was also unexpected, since the German forecasts indicated bad weather for this day. An armada of over 2,500 ships crossed the Channel to transport 130,000 soldiers from the USA and the British Empire. The troops from the British Empire landed on the beaches to the West, and the US troops landed on three beaches to the East, encountering fierce resistance at Omaha Beach. Owing to overwhelming superiority in the air, the Allies managed to land an additional 20,000 troops behind enemy lines, which were crucial in blocking the German flow of reinforcements. Once the beachheads were established, supplies of soldiers and equipment could be sent from England. Although the initial advance towards Caen was slower than expected and took a month to complete, it was the beginning of the Normandy Campaign, the liberation of France, and the final phase of the War.