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THE INVASION BEGAN SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT ON THE MORNING OF 6 JUNE WITH EXTENSIVE AERIAL AND NAVAL BOMBARDMENT AS WELL AS AN AIRBORNE ASSAULT—THE LANDING OF 24,000 AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND CANADIAN AIRBORNE TROOPS.

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THE EARLY MORNING AERIAL ASSAULT WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS ON THE COAST OF FRANCE C. 06:30. THE TARGET 50-MILE (80 KM) STRETCH OF THE NORMANDY COAST WAS DIVIDED INTO FIVE SECTORS: UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, AND SWORD. STRONG WINDS BLEW THE LANDING CRAFT EAST OF THEIR INTENDED POSITIONS, PARTICULARLY AT UTAH AND OMAHA.

THE MEN LANDED UNDER HEAVY FIRE FROM GUN EMPLACEMENTS OVERLOOKING THE BEACHES, AND THE SHORE WAS MINED AND COVERED WITH OBSTACLES SUCH AS WOODEN STAKES, METAL TRIPODS, AND BARBED WIRE, MAKING THE WORK OF THE BEACH-CLEARING TEAMS DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASUALTIES WAS AT OMAHA, WITH ITS HIGH CLIFFS.

AT GOLD, JUNO, AND SWORD, SEVERAL FORTIFIED TOWNS WERE CLEARED IN HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHTING, AND TWO MAJOR GUN EMPLACEMENTS AT GOLD WERE DISABLED USING SPECIALISED TANKS.

THE ALLIES WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH BEACHHEADS AT EACH OF THE FIVE LANDING SITES ON THE FIRST DAY, BUT CARENTAN, SAINT-LÔ, AND BAYEUX REMAINED IN GERMAN HANDS. CAEN, A MAJOR OBJECTIVE, WAS NOT CAPTURED UNTIL 21 JULY.

U.S NAVY ASSAULT TROOPS WERE BLESSED BY THE CATHOLIC CHAPLIN BEFORE  LEAVING ON THE ASSAULT BOATS FROM THE ENGLISH COAST.

THE BEACHES (JUNO AND GOLD) WERE LINKED ON THE FIRST DAY, AND ALL FIVE BEACHHEADS WERE NOT CONNECTED UNTIL 12 JUNE.

GERMAN CASUALTIES ON D-DAY HAVE BEEN ESTIMATED AT 4,000 TO 9,000 MEN.

ALLIED CASUALTIES WERE AT LEAST 10,000, WITH 4,414 CONFIRMED DEAD