Events of D-day.

Essay by MaroxHigh School, 10th gradeA+, December 2003

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One of the most pivotal battles of all time was the Invasion of Normandy, or "D-Day." It took place on June 6, 1944. The invasion force consisted of 11,000 aircraft, 6,000 ships, and 2 million soldiers, sailors, and airmen from 15 different countries. It is said to be the most phenomenal armada ever assembled. An American bomber pilot said, "We could see the battleships firing at the coast. And literally you could have walked, if you took big steps, from one side of the Channel to the other. There were that many ships out there." Operation Overlord was the "most difficult and complicated operation that has ever taken place."-Winston Churchill.

The invasion began the morning of June 6. The first airborne drops were at approximately 12:30 a.m. Troops landed via parachute or glider. After months of training and becoming familiar with maps of the area and designated drop zones, it was all wasted in a few minutes.

Some of the planes that were dropping the troops took heavy anti-aircraft fire from the ground, and while they were dodging bullets, they were moving several miles out of the drop zones. Some parachutists landed 20 miles out of their drop zones. Some soldiers landed in the correct or almost right place. They formed small squads and attacked the enemy wherever they could. At 3:00 a.m., an intense bombing raid began. About 5,000 artillery rounds and 10,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the coastal areas. However, the raid was for the most part unsuccessful. Pilots missed their targets due to fog and other conditions. The majority of the bunkers on the coast, which were a main target, were missed.

At 6:30 a.m., one of the most spectacular invasions in history took place. Men landed at five different beaches (given in code name):...