D-Day

On June 6, 1944, the Allied troops of World War II (1939–45) invaded German-occupied France. The Allies arrived on the beaches of Normandy in hopes of pushing their way into France. The date of the invasion is remembered in history as D-Day.

D-Day is a term used in military planning before dates are decided. D-Day refers to the target date for an operation. Events planned on days before or after may be referred to with a plus or minus. For example, two days before an operation would be referred to D-Day minus two.

The events at the invasion of Normandy were so monumental that the term D-Day has been applied permanently to that date. The Germans, led by dictator Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), had occupied France since 1940. The Allied powers did not have the resources until 1944 to try to push the Germans back out.

A combination of resources, full moon, and low tide were all important to a successful invasion from the English Channel. On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches at Normandy. Five thousand Allied ships carried nearly one hundred thousand men. Over a thousand heavy bombers and more than two thousand fighter planes flew overhead. It was the largest combined air, sea, and land operation in history.

Fighting at Normandy was intense and brutal, even though the Germans were poorly prepared. The Allied troops persisted, and in the end of July, they were able to break out of the beach area and advance across France. By August 25, the Germans had been pushed back with another bombardment, and Paris was liberated. By September 14, the Allies had pushed the Germans back to the Franco-German border. Then it was only a matter of time until the defeat of Nazi Germany was complete. The invasion of Normandy had provided the Allies with the opening to victory.