The Normandy landings were the landing operations of the Allied (Western Allies) invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time (UTC+2). In planning, D-Day (D-Day (military term)) was the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent on final approval.
The assault was conducted in two phases: an air assault landing of 24,000 American (US), British (UK), Canadian (Canada) and Free French airborne troops (airborne forces) shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions (division (military)) on the coast of France commencing at 6:30 AM. There were also subsidiary attacks mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas.
The operation was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, with over 160,000 troops landing on 6 June 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support (Naval gunfire support). The landings took place along a Convert50mikmadj=on stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah (Utah Beach), Omaha (Omaha Beach), Gold (Gold Beach), Juno (Juno Beach) and Sword (Sword Beach).
Conflict: Operation Neptune
Partof: Operation Overlord, Battle of Normandy (Invasion of Normandy)
Place: Normandy, France
Territory: Allied beachhead in Normandy, France
Result: Decisive Allied victory
Combatant1: flagUnited Kingdom,flagUnited States1944,flagCanada1921,flagiconFrancefree Free France (Free French Forces),flagPoland,flagNorway,flagAustralia
Combatant2: flagNazi Germanyname=Germany
Commander1: flagiconUnited States1944 Dwight D. Eisenhower,flagiconUnited Kingdom Bernard Montgomery,flagiconUnited States1944 Omar Bradley,flagiconUnited Kingdom Trafford Leigh-Mallory,flagiconUnited Kingdom Arthur Tedder,flagiconUnited Kingdom Miles Dempsey,flagiconUnited Kingdom Bertram Ramsay
Commander2: flagiconGermanyNazi Gerd von Rundstedt,flagiconGermanyNazi Erwin Rommel,flagiconGermanyNazi Friedrich Dollmann ,flagiconGermanyNazi Hans von Salmuth,flagiconGermanyNazi Wilhelm FalleyKIA
Strength1: 175,000
Strength2: unknown
Casualties1: Total allied casualties (killed, wounded, missing, or captured) are estimated at approximately 10,000.,These comprised:,United States-6,603, of which 2,499 fatal.,United Kingdom-2,700.,Canada-1,074, of which 359 fatal.
Casualties2: Estimated between 4,000 and 9,000 casualties
Notes: Campaignbox Normandy