D-Day: A Historic Invasion Remembered

On June 6, 1944, the D-Day operation brought together the land, air and sea forces of the Allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight Allied countries and almost 133,000 troops from the United States, the British Commonwealth and Allies. The invasion was conducted in two main phases: an airborne assault and amphibious landings. By day’s end, approximately 156,000 Allied troops had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches. More than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing.