OPERATION OVERLORD - A SYNOPSIS OF THE D-DAY LANDINGS

Abstract

Arguably the most famous date of the Second World War is the 6th June 1944, better known as D-Day, the date on which the Allies returned to the continent of Europe in Operation Overlord, the greatest amphibious assault ever mounted in the history of warfare. In the first two hours alone 156 000 Allied troops went ashore, forming the vanguard for the army of over two million men that was to follow. Although the officers who planned the invasion predicted that the Allies would suffer a tremendously high casualty rate, the inescapable fact was that in order to come to grips with the German Army and destroy it, sooner or later it would be necessary to invade the mainland of Europe. The enthusiasm with which this concept was embraced usually varied in proportion to the distance of the individual from the potential invasion coast.