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JUNE 6TH 1944, THE INVASION OF NORMANDY, KNOWN AS D DAY TOOK TWO YEARS OF DETAILED PLANNING
TO PUT SIGNIFICANT FORCES AND MATERIAL TOGETHER.
GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE AND THE
D DAY INVASION.
THE NAVAL COMPONENT OF THE INVASION WAS CALLED OPERATION NEPTUNE AND INCLUDED WARSHIPS, AUXILIARIES,
AND LANDING CRAFT.
D DAY BEGAN WITH THE LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT EVER CONDUCTED.
THE ALLIED FORCES GOAL WAS TO SECURE A FOOTHOLD ON FRANCE'S NORMANDY BEACHES AND ASSIST IN
THE LIBERATION OF NAZI OCCUPIED EUROPE.
THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AND GERMAN MINEFIELDS STOOD BETWEEN THE ALLIED FORCE AND THE NORMANDY
COASTLINE.
THE TARGET WAS A 50 MILE WIDE AREA OF LANDING BEACHES CODE NAME UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO,
AND SWORD.
EIGHT COUNTRIES INCLUDING BRITAIN, CANADA, AND FRANCE SUPPLIED SHIPS FOR THE INVASION.
MORE THAN 1,200 WARSHIPS AND 4,100 AMPHIBIOUS CRAFT WERE USED AS WELL AS AN ESTIMATED 3,500
LANDING CRAFT.
0630 ON JUNE 6TH AMERICANS BEGAN LANDING ON UTAH AND THEN OMAHA BEACHES.
0730 BRITISH AND CANADIAN FORCES LANDED ON GOLD, JUNO, AND SWORD BEACHES.
A COMBINATION OF SHORT RANGE DESTROYER GUNNERY SUPPORT, AERIAL BOMBARDMENT, AND INFANTRY
ASSAULTS WERE USED TO BREAK THE GERMAN DEFENSES ON THE BEACH.
ALLIED NAVAL AND SHORE BASED ARTILLERY HELPED DEFEAT THE INITIAL COUNTER ATTACKS.
DOMINANCE IN THE AIR KEPT THE TRANSPORTATION OF GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS FROM REACHING THE
REGION.
THE NORMANDY LANDINGS SIGNALED THE BEGINNING OF THE END TO NAZI GERMANY AND ULTIMATELY
WORLD WAR TWO.
THE BEACHES AT NORMANDY ARE STILL REFERRED TO BY THE INVASIONS CODE NAMES.