D-Day
Operation Overlord
Allied invasion of Nazi controlled France
The assault was conducted in two phases
1. an airborne assault landing of 24000 British, American, Canadian, and Free French airborne troops shortly afer midnight.
2. an amphibious landing of allied infantry and armored divisions on the coast of France starting at 6:30 AM
THere were also decoy operations to distract the German forces from the real landing areas
The operation was the largest amphibious invasion in world history with over 16000 troops
Roughly 10,000 allied causualties (6000 US)
Battle Facts
The coldest, snowiest weather in memory in the Ardennes FOrest on the German/Belgium border.
Over a million men, 500000 Germans, 600000 Americans and 55,000 british.
100000 German casualties, killed, wounded, or captured
81,000 American casualties.
1400 British casualties 200 killed.
800 tanks lost on each side, 1000 German aircraft.
The malmedy massacre where 86 american soldiers were mdrdered was the worst atrocity commited against Americans.
In its entirety, the Battle of the Buldge was the worst battle to American FOrces in WWII.
May 8, 1945 is when DDay was over!
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