After extensive planning and training the Allied forces began the Normandy invasion codenamed Operation Overlord. Many factors dictated the choosing of the Normandy beaches, including the lessons learned from Dieppe and the range of air support.
Preparations included an appeal to the British public to send their holiday photos of Normandy to help create a detailed picture of the area and covert operations involving divers collecting sand samples from the beaches that later became known as Omaha and Utah.
During one of the many harsh pre-invasion training exercises at Slapton Sands on the Devon Coast, which was chosen for their similarity to the Normandy beaches, ended in the loss of nearly 800 American lives from a lightening attack by German Torpedo Boats. Less than six weeks before ‘D’ Day.
Operation Overlord also known as ‘D’ Day began with parachute drops at Midnight the 6th June 1944 and the beach invasions at 6.30am. Up to 3 million soldiers would continue the battle across Normandy for a further 2 months until the liberation of Paris on 25th August 1944. The British would disembark at Sword and Gold Beaches and the Canadians Juno Beach, whilst the Americans would land at Omaha and Utah beach as well as Point du Hoc. British and American Paratroopers were given specific drop points to secure important strategic positions such as bridges and to disable gun batteries sited to protect the landing beaches.
The Invasion Fleet of over 6,000 vessels, from eight different navies, included battleships down to small torpedo boats, submarines, hundreds of landing craft, auxiliaries, merchant ships and tugs.
Above this great armada there were over 13,000 aircraft comprising of fighter, bomber, transport and glider planes. The role of the Naval Ships was to deliver the troops safely to the beaches, and assist the landings by disabling the very well constructed German defensive positions and guns as well as support the troops during their advancement.
The element of surprise was paramount for the success of Operation Overlord and fake plans to invade Calais were leaked to the German forces to divert their attention and resources away from Normandy. These leaks were endorsed with bombing raids over Calais and dummy paratroopers dropped at Le Havre.
All 1944 photos on this page are from Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / National Archives USA
Written by Damian Cranny
Next week in part 3
Ste Mere Eglise: The 82nd and 101st paratroopers invade
For the complete series containing over 180 original 1944 photos, music sung by Kas “The Forces Sweetheart” visit our Podcast page
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