George Sotomayor's Album: Wall Photos

Photo 905 of 6,203 in Wall Photos

D-Day Invasion
June 6, 1944
On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces invaded the Normandy beaches in German-occupied France, marking the turning point of World War II in Europe. The invasion, dubbed Operation Overlord and immortalized as D-Day, was one of the most ambitious military campaigns in history. Some 156,000 American, British, and Canadian troops — led by General Dwight Eisenhower — crossed the choppy English Channel to land on the heavily fortified beaches of Normandy.

Beyond being a blunt show of force, the operation was fueled by deception. Using fake radio transmissions, double agents, and a decoy army led by General George Patton, the Allies tricked the Nazis into thinking an attack was headed to Pas de Calais, located 150 miles away. It worked. Allied troops outnumbered Germans on the Utah and Omaha beaches. Dodging machine-gun fire and landmines, troops trudged through sand and ascended steep cliffs over a day-long slough. By nightfall, the beaches had been taken. More than 4,500 Allied troops, including 2,500 Americans, lost their lives on D-Day in service of a victory that changed the course of history. By August, the Allies had liberated Paris. Less than a year later, the Nazis surrendered.

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