D-day Invasion

By mid-1940, Germany invaded and occupied most of northwestern France. After Germany failed to occupy Britain, the Americans entered the war. The following year, the Americans and British began seriously considering the possibility of invading across the English Channel. Hitler, aware of these plans, appointed Rommel with finishing the Atlantic Wall and consolidating two thousand mile fortification. In the months before the planned invasion, the Allies carried out a deception operation that was intended to make the Germans think that the main target was Pas de Calais rather than Normandy. Several other distracting tactics were used including making Germany believe that Norway and other locations were also potential targets.

Eisenhower, the commander of the operation, originally chose June 5, 1944, as the date for the invasion. However, due to bad weather on the days prior to operation day, the invasion was delayed 24 hours. After receiving confirmation from his meteorologist, Eisenhower gave the green light to his troops. Later, that day, over five thousand ships and landing crafts carrying troops and supplies began its journey across the Channel toward France. In addition, over eleven thousand aircrafts were mobilized to provide air support for the invasion.

By early morning June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops had landed on the ground behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit routes. At around 6:30, the invasions began. Facing little opposition, the British and Canadians captured several beaches, code-named Gold, Juno, and Sword. American forces, on the other hand, faced heavy resistance at Omaha Beach, where over two thousand American soldiers were killed. Nevertheless, in the end, the Allied Troops had successfully stormed Normandy's beaches. Less than a week later, all the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops and 50,000 vehicles had landed in Normandy.

The effect of the invasion on the Germans was substantial. First off, the Germans had suffered from the absence of commander Rommel. Because of unreliable information that came his way, Hitler believed that the invasion was a distraction from a coming attack north of the Seine River. He hesitated to call for defense because of the strong Allied air support and eventually had to resort to taking long detours. Following the invasion, the Allies fought their war into the heart German resistance. By the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River and restored France's sovereignty. The invasion turned the tide against the Nazis and put them on the defensive for the rest of the war. Half a year later, Nazi Germany surrendered.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Normandy-Invasion#toc236177