13 Memorable Facts About D-Day

American troops landing on Omaha beach at Normandy on D-Day.

KEYSTONE/GETTY IMAGES

The Normandy landings—an event better known as “D-Day”—became a

pivotal moment in the Second World War. Heavy losses were inflicted on both
sides, but with planning, deception, and semiaquatic tanks, the Allied forces
pulled off what is considered the biggest amphibious invasion in history. Here
are a few things you should know about the historic crusade to liberate France
from Nazi Germany.

1. D-DAY OCCURRED ON JUNE 6, 1944.

The D-Day invasion was several years in the making. In December 1941, the
United States formally entered World War II. Shortly thereafter, British and
American strategists began entertaining the possibility of a huge offensive
across the English Channel and into Nazi-occupied France. But first, the Allies
swept through northern Africa and southern Italy, weakening the Axis hold on
the Mediterranean Sea. Their strategy resulted in Italy’s unconditional
surrender in September 1943 (though that wasn’t the end of the war in Italy).
Earlier that year, the Western allies started making preparations for a
campaign that would finally open up a new front in northwestern France. It
was going to be an amphibious assault, with tens of thousands of men leaving
England and then landing on France’s Atlantic coastline.

2. NORMANDY WAS CHOSEN AS THE D-DAY LANDING SITE

BECAUSE THE ALLIES WERE HOPING TO SURPRISE GERMAN
FORCES.

Since the Germans would presumably expect an attack on the Pas de Calais—
the closest point to the UK—the Allies decided to hit the beaches of Normandy
instead. Normandy was also within flying distance of war planes stationed in
England, and it had a conveniently located port.

3. D-DAY ACTION CENTERED AROUND FIVE BEACHES THAT WERE

CODE-NAMED "UTAH," "OMAHA," "GOLD," "JUNO," AND "SWORD."

FOX
PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES

Altogether, the D-Day landing beaches encompassed 50 miles of coastline real

estate. The Canadian 3rd Division landed on Juno; British forces touched
down on Gold and Sword; and the Americans were sent to Utah and Omaha.
Of the five beaches, Omaha had the most bloodshed: Roughly 2400 American
casualties—plus 1200 German casualties—occurred there. How the beaches
got their code-names is a mystery, although it’s been claimed that American
general Omar Bradley named “Omaha” and “Utah” after two of his staff
carpenters. (One of the men came from Omaha, Nebraska, while the other
called Provo, Utah, home.)

4. PULLING OFF THE D-DAY LANDINGS INVOLVED SOME

ELABORATE TRICKERY TO FOOL THE NAZIS.

If the Allies landed in France, Hitler was confident that his men could repel
them. “They will get the thrashing of their lives,” the Führer boasted. But in
order to do that, the German military would need to know exactly where the
Allied troops planned to begin their invasion. So, in 1943, the Allies kicked off
an ingenious misinformation campaign. Using everything from phony radio
transmissions to inflatable tanks, they successfully convinced the Germans that
the British and American forces planned to make landfall at the Pas de Calais.
Duped by the charade, the Germans kept a large percentage of their troops
stationed there (and in Norway, which was the rumored target of another bogus
attack). That left Normandy relatively under-defended when D-Day came
along.

5. D-DAY WAS PLANNED WITH THE HELP OF METEOROLOGISTS.

The landings at Normandy and subsequent invasion of France were code-

named “Operation Overlord,” and General Dwight D. Eisenhower (the future
U.S. president) led the operation. To choose the right date for his invasion,
Eisenhower consulted with three different teams of meteorologists, who
predicted that in early June, the weather would be best on June 5, 6, or 7; if not
then, they'd have to wait for late June.
Originally, Eisenhower wanted to start the operation on June 5. But the
weather didn’t cooperate. To quote geophysicist Walter Munk, “On [that date],
there were very high winds, and Eisenhower made the decision to wait 24
hours. However, 24 hours later, the Americans predicted there would be a
break in the storm and that conditions would be difficult, but not impossible.”
Ultimately, Ike began the attack on June 6, even though the weather was less
than ideal. It’s worth noting that if he’d waited for a clearer day, the Germans
might have been better prepared for his advance. (As for the dates they'd
suggested for late June? There was a massive storm.)

6. "D-DAY" WAS A COMMON MILITARY TERM, ACCORDING TO

EISENHOWER'S PERSONAL AIDE.

A few years after Eisenhower retired from public life, he was asked if the “D”
in “D-day” stood for anything. In response to this inquiry, his aide Robert
Schultz (a brigadier general) said that “any amphibious operation has a
‘departed date’; therefore, the shortened term ‘D-Day’ is used”.

7. D-DAY WAS AMONG THE LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS IN

MILITARY HISTORY.
 KEYSTONE/GETT
Y IMAGES

On D-Day, approximately 156,115 Allied troops—representing the United

States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia,
France, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland—landed on the beaches of
Normandy. They were accompanied by almost 7000 nautical vessels. In terms
of aerial support, the Allies showed up with more than 10,000 individual
aircrafts, which outnumbered the German planes 30 to one.

8. ON D-DAY, FLOATING TANKS WERE DEPLOYED BY THE ALLIES.

The brainchild of British engineers, the Sherman Duplex Drive Tanks (a.k.a.
“Donald Duck” tanks) came with foldable canvas screens that could be
unfurled at will, turning the vehicle into a crude boat. Once afloat, the tanks
were driven forward with a set of propellers. They had a top nautical speed of
just under 5 mph. The Duplex Drives that were sent to Juno, Sword, and Gold
fared a lot better than those assigned to Omaha or Utah. The one at Omaha
mostly sank because they had to travel across larger stretches of water—and
they encountered choppier waves.
9. WHEN THE D-DAY ATTACK STARTED, ADOLF HITLER WAS
ASLEEP.

On the eve of D-Day, Hitler was entertaining Joseph Goebbels and some other
guests at his home in the Alps. The dictator didn’t go to bed until 3 a.m. Just
three and a half hours later, at 6:30 a.m., the opening land invasions at
Normandy began. (And by that point, Allied gliders and paratroopers had been
touching down nearby since 12:16 in the morning.) Hitler was finally roused at
noon, when his arms minister informed him about the massive assault
underway in Normandy. Hitler didn’t take it seriously and was slow to
authorize a top general’s request for reinforcements. That mistake proved
critical.

10. DWIGHT EISENHOWER WAS FULLY PREPARED TO ACCEPT

BLAME IF THINGS WENT BADLY ON D-DAY.

KEYSTONE/GETT
Y IMAGES

While Hitler was partying in the Alps, Eisenhower was drafting a bleak
message. The success of Operation Overlord was by no means guaranteed, and
if something went horribly awry, Ike might have had no choice but to order a
full retreat. So, he preemptively wrote a brief statement that he intended to
release if the invasion fell apart. “Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area
have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops,” it
said. “My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best
information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and
devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is
mine alone.”

11. KNOCKING OUT GERMAN COMMUNICATIONS WAS ONE OF THE

KEYS TO VICTORY ON D-DAY.

Hitler may not have had all of his troops in the right spot, but the Germans
who’d been stationed at Normandy did enjoy some crucial advantages. At
many localities—Omaha Beach included—the Nazi forces had high-powered
machine guns and fortified positions. That combination enabled them to mow
down huge numbers of Allied troops. But before the dawn broke on June 6,
British and American paratroopers had landed behind enemy lines and taken
out vital lines of communication while capturing some important bridges.
Ultimately, that helped turn the tide against Germany.

12. THEODORE ROOSEVELT'S SON EARNED A MEDAL OF HONOR

FOR FIGHTING ON D-DAY.

It was the 56-year-old brigadier general Theodore Roosevelt Jr. who led the
first wave of troops on Utah Beach. The men, who had been pushed off-course
by the turbulent waters, missed their original destination by over 2000 yards.
Undaunted, Roosevelt announced, “We’re going to start the war from right
here.” Though he was arthritic and walked with a cane, Roosevelt insisted on
putting himself right in the heart of the action. Under his leadership, the beach
was taken in short order. Roosevelt, who died of natural causes one month
later, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

13. D-DAY WAS THE OPENING CHAPTER IN A LONG CAMPAIGN.

The Normandy invasion was not a one-day affair; it raged on until Allied
forces crossed the River Seine in August. Altogether, the Allies took about
200,000 casualties over the course of the campaign—including 4413 deaths on
D-Day alone. According to the D-Day Center, “No reliable figures exist for the
German losses, but it is estimated that around 200,000 were killed or wounded
with approximately 200,000 more taken prisoner.” On May 7, 1945—less than
a year after D-Day—Germany surrendered, ending the war in its European
Theater.