80th Anniversary of D-Day: What happened on this day in France during World War II?

Thursday (6 June, 2024), marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Normandy, France, during World War II. This momentous event, codenamed Operation Overlord, was unprecedented in its scale and strategic importance, ultimately leading to the downfall of Nazi Germany.

This year’s 80th anniversary is particularly poignant as it may be the last major commemoration involving living veterans, given their advanced ages, reported CNN. Approximately 150 American veterans, 15 Canadian veterans, and more than 40 British WWII veterans are expected to attend the events in Normandy.

These veterans, now in their late 90s and beyond, will be joined by around 25 heads of state and government, including US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend.

The French Interior Ministry has deployed a massive contingent of 12,000 security personnel to ensure the safety of the attendees.

As the world commemorates this historic day, we delve into the details of the invasion, the sacrifices made, and the message it sends to this day:

What is D-Day?

Originally slated for 5 June, 1944, when favorable conditions of a full moon, low tides, and good weather were anticipated, D-Day faced a 24-hour delay due to storms.

In military terminology, ‘D-Day’ served as a code for the onset of a significant military operation, with the initial ‘D’ representing ‘Day.’ Essentially, ‘D-Day’ translates to ‘Day-Day.’ Prior to the Allied invasion in June 1944, the term ‘D-Day’ was relatively common. However, following Operation Overlord, the two became synonymous, and ‘D-Day’ now universally denotes the initiation of this operation.

D-Day witnessed an unparalleled collaboration among international armed forces, with over 2 million troops stationed in the UK in readiness for the invasion, as per the Imperial War Museums (IWM).

Although primarily comprised of American, British, and Canadian troops, reports from the IWM indicate the presence of forces from Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and Poland in the Operation Overlord campaign.

A look at the invasion: Planning, execution and deception

The planning for D-Day began over a year in advance and involved substantial military deception to mislead the Germans about the time and place of the invasion. This deception strategy, known as Operation Bodyguard, included Operation Fortitude, which aimed to convince the Nazis that the main invasion would occur in Norway (Fortitude North) and Pas de Calais (Fortitude South), not Normandy.

Also Read: Top 10 deadliest World War II battles

On 6 June, 1944, at 6:30 am, the largest amphibious assault in history commenced. Nearly 160,000 Allied troops, including 73,000 Americans and 83,000 from Britain and Canada, landed on five code-named beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Supporting these troops were around 11,000 aircraft, 7,000 ships and boats, and thousands of other vehicles.

Factoring in the human cost: Sacrifices and casualties

The human cost of D-Day was immense. On that single day, 4,414 Allied troops were killed, including 2,501 Americans, with more than 5,000 wounded. German casualties are estimated to be between 4,000 and 9,000. The ensuing Battle of Normandy, which lasted 77 days, saw 73,000 Allied forces killed and 153,000 wounded. Additionally, around 20,000 French civilians were killed due to Allied bombings.

Among the many stories of bravery and sacrifice, the “Bedford Boys” from Bedford, Virginia, stand out. Of the 44 men from Bedford who stormed the beaches, 20 were killed on D-Day, marking the highest per capita D-Day loss in the United States.

Turning the tide of World War II

D-Day is often referred to as the “beginning of the end” of Hitler’s regime. The successful landings allowed the Allies to establish a foothold in Western Europe, leading to the liberation of France and the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

The operation’s success was crucial in ensuring that the Allies could continue their advance into Europe. On 7 May, 1945, less than a year after D-Day, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

This year’s commemoration is especially significant given the current geopolitical climate, with a major ground war once again raging in Europe due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

With inputs from agencies