U.S. Army troops wade ashore on Omaha Beach on the morning of 6 June 1944, as the Normandy landings begin.
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| Conflict | Operation Neptune | | Date | 6 June 1944 | | Location | Normandy, France | | Result | Decisive Allied victory | Territorial
changes | Allied beach head in Normandy, France | United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Free France
Poland
Norway
Australia
New Zealand
Netherlands | | Nazi Germany | United States Dwight D. Eisenhower
United Kingdom Bernard Montgomery
United States Omar Bradley
United Kingdom Trafford Leigh-Mallory
United Kingdom Arthur Tedder
United Kingdom Miles Dempsey
United Kingdom Bertram Ramsay | Nazi Germany Gerd von Rundstedt
Nazi Germany Erwin Rommel
Nazi Germany Friedrich Dollmann
Nazi Germany Hans von Salmuth
Nazi Germany Wilhelm Falley | | 175000 | | 10,000 | Total allied casualties (killed, wounded, missing, or captured) are estimated at approximately 10,000.
These comprised:
United States � 6,603, of which 2,499 fatal.
United Kingdom � 2,700.
Canada � 1,074, of which 359 fatal. | | Estimated between 4,000 and 9,000 casualties |
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The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time (GMT+2). In planning, D-Day was the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent on final approval.
The landings were conducted in two phases: an airborne assault landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France starting at 6:30 AM. There were also decoy operations under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas.
The operation, planned by a team under Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan, was the largest amphibious invasion in world history and was executed by land, sea and air elements under direct British command with over 160,000 troops landing on 6 June 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50 mi (80.5 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
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