The details of D-Day, the biggest Allied military invasion of the Second World War

Only 75 years ago, the June 6, 1944, the Allied troops gave the start to the Operation Overlord, which ushered in the campaign to liberate Europe from the Nazis and the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

Forces from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and France attacked German Nazi troops on the northern coast of France in what is considered the most the biggest amphibious operation of military history.

The so-called D-Day was the landing of 156,000 men and 10,000 vehicles on five carefully selected beaches of Normandy and named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The operation had been thoroughly planned a year ago. The original date was June 5, 1944 but was delayed by 24 hours due to bad weather.

What happened?

Some 2,000 bombers dropped more than 7,600 bombs in the night of June 5-6 as airborne troops arrived behind the enemy line. From England, there remains about 7,000 ships to focus on the main attack, about 80 kilometers of Normandy coast.

The Nazi commanders, who were waiting for the invasion but thought it would take place in another area, had installed a network of bunkers and defenses all over the French coast.

Assisted by surprise effect Given the secrecy surrounding the invasion, the Allies simultaneously attacked several beaches, but the US forces they suffered significant losses in Omaha.

According to the site USAinformationsIt is estimated that 90% of the soldiers died during the first badault on Omaha. In just five minutes, some 1000 fighters are dead by the bullets of the 352nd German Infantry Division.

On D-Day, approximately 4,400 Allied combatants lost their lives and some 9,000 others were injured. The number of German victims is estimated at between 4,000 and 9,000 men.

The beginning of the liberation was not easy considering the German resistance, but the allies liberated Paris at the end of August 1944. At that time, 10% of the two million combatants of the Allied troops who had arrived in France were dead, wounded. or gone.

In Normandy, they rest in 27 military cemeteries the remains of 97,378 soldiers killed during D-Day and the following days. In Colleville-sur-mer, where the 75th anniversary commemoration ceremony took place on Thursday, the average age of the 9,386 soldiers buried is 23 years.