80th Anniversary of D-Day

80th Anniversary of D-Day

Reported By SFC D.Marsh June 6

D-Day

Today marks the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings at Normandy; where a combined amphibious invasion force composed of American, British, and Canadian Troops assaulted five beaches in an attempt to break the Atlantic Wall in the largest amphibious assault in all of history with over 300,000 Allied Forces personnel directly engaged in combat during the landings. The Atlantic Wall were defenses the German Forces had constructed after conquering France in 1940 and garrisoned to prevent British Forces from locking the German Army into a stalemate similar to the Great War two decades prior.

The Allied Forces led by Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight. D. Eisenhower carefully planned an invasion of Europe to break German Supremacy of Europe. This plan was then named Operation Overlord. The night leading up to the invasion, Airborne Divisions were dropped into Normandy the night prior to assault German supply lines, artillery, and coastal defenses. The following morning, following an extensive bombing campaign from the air 156,000 Soldiers from the United States, British Empire, and the Dominion of Canada landed on the beaches codenamed Gold, Sword, Juno, Utah and Omaha. After hours of Brutal fighting on the beaches, defenses on the beaches were eventually overran and destroyed by the assaulting force leading to a larger breakthrough across Normandy to finally allow the Allies to join the war in earnest.

The Allies did not get through the invasion unscathed as over 4,000 were confirmed to be killed in action on the beaches and the defensive structures themselves. The Germans took heavy losses as well during the invasion seeing 4,000-9,000 killed in action defending the beaches. As the invasion progressed into days and coastal towns were liberated from the occupation, the Allied forces considered the Operation a success and continued to drive strong against the German Army and push them back into Germany until May 8th 1945 when Grand Admiral Donitz signed the Unconditional Surrender of all of Germany to the Allies and the Soviet Union.

Let us remember those that fought on June 6th, 1944 for their bravery and sacrifice as they charged into the unknown.