All About D-Day

During World War II (1939-1945) a large and important battle called the Battle of Normandy which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944. The Battle of Normandy allowed the Allied Powers (America, Britain, Soviet Union, France, and Poland) to free Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.

The first day of the battle began on June 6, 1944. This day was also known as D-Day. On D-Day, nearly 156,000 American, British and Canadian army forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily guarded coast of Normandy in France. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious (using the ocean) military attacks in history and required extensive planning.

By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated (freed), and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.