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The mighty German Atlantic Wall and its sprawling coastal fortifications were the targets of a crushing Allied aerial bombardment that preceded the infantry invasion. On June 6 shortly after midnight, 2,200 Allied bombers attacked German positions to soften the landing zones for amphibious troops. One of the reasons that Omaha Beach was so bloody is that thick cloud coverage in that area rendered the bombing campaign at Omaha ineffective, leaving enemy infrastructure—and guns—in perfect working order. [Pictured: Soldiers load 2,000-pound bombs on aircraft in England prior to D-Day.] |
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After the aerial bombardment but before the beach landings, 24,000 American, Canadian, and British paratroopers parachuted in behind enemy lines to secure the beaches’ exits. The same heavy cloud coverage that hindered the Omaha Beach bombardment also foiled the paratroopers. Many units ended up far away from their intended landing zones amid the chaos. [Pictured: A U.S. infantry paratroop regiment are shown inside a C-47 transport in England in the early hours of June 6, 1944.] |
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The Canadians attacking Juno Beach suffered carnage similar to what the Americans experienced at Omaha, particularly the first wave of troops, many of whom died before reaching the shore thanks to rough seas and relentless Nazi artillery. In the end, however, it was the Canadians who captured more towns, more strategic positions, and more ground than any other battalions. [Pictured: Canadian soldiers land on the beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.] |
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D-Day involved nearly 7,000 Allied ships... The beach invasion involved an unprecedented 6,939 ships and other vessels. Eighty percent of them were British. [Pictured: Allied landing craft protected by barrage balloons cross the English Channel on June 6, 1944.] |
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The operation also included 11,590 aircraft. They supported the naval fleets, dropped off paratroopers, conducted reconnaissance, and bombarded Nazi defensive positions. [Pictured: Allied aircrews work around C-47 transport planes shortly before D-Day.] |
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Along with the Americans were 61,715 British Allied liberators and 21,400 Canadian troops. In total, 156,115 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. [Pictured: British troops embark at Southsea, Portsmouth, England, on June 5, 1944.] |
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The U.S. government enlisted the service of now-famous Comanche “code-talkers” in both World War I and World War II. Using their native tribal language, they developed a secret messaging code that proved unbreakable for the Germans. Thirteen of these code-talkers were among the Allied soldiers landing at Normandy. [Pictured: Comanche code-talkers of the 4th Signal Company stand for a portrait.] |
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D-Day was only the start of the long and brutal Battle of Normandy, which raged until the end of August. In terms of average daily casualties, the campaign was bloodier than the infamous Battle of the Somme during World War I. [Pictured: American howitzers shell German forces retreating near Carentan, France, on July 11, 1944.] |
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Between June 6 and Aug. 21, more than 2 million Allied troops landed in Northern France. Relative to the larger battle of Normandy, the D-Day landings represented only a small percentage of overall combatants. [Pictured: Troops of the US Army 2nd Infantry Division march up the bluff at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, on June 7, 1944.] |
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Most of the 9,387 Americans buried at the Normandy American Cemetery were killed on D-Day or in the early stages of the Allied fight to establish a beachhead. It’s one of 14 permanent World War II military cemeteries the American Battle Monuments Commission built on foreign soil. It sits on land granted to the United States by France. [Pictured: An American cemetery in Normandy, France.] |
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