When Is D-Day Celebrated?
Each year D-Day is celebrated on June 6th because it was the date when in 1944 allied troops landed on the Normandy Coast and executed Operation Overload. The operation broke Hitler’s Atlantic Wall and began the liberation of France and Western Europe from Nazi occupation.
Was D-Day The Largest Amphibious Attack In Human History?
Yes, Operation Overload, or Normandy invasion was the largest amphibious assault in the history of warfare. American military leader Dwight D Eisenhower even called it the “Great Crusade”.
Along with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, in total 12 nations participated from the allied side.
Their total capacity:
- 156,000 soldiers
- 195,700 naval personals
- 1213 naval combat ships
- 2395 aircrafts
- 867 gliders
- And 6939 other armored vessels
With this mega military power, allies stormed the entire Normandy coast and captured it by the nightfall of June 6th, 1944. The success led them to put a strong foothold in Europe’s mainland and began further operations to liberate Western Europe.
How Many German Troops Fought On D-Day?
51,000 German men were defending the five beaches of Normandy coast. Those five beaches were Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno. Almost 10,000 Germans had to lose their lives during the combat against allied forces. Although, allies too faced severe causalities of 4000 to 9000.
Why Allies Had To Plan D-Day Invasion?
During World War 2, Hitler’s Nazi forces defeated and occupied almost the entire Europe. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, and many other nations were in the hands of the Nazis.
For them, it was almost impossible to regain independence from the powerful Germans. On top of that, Hitler already built the giant Atlantic Wall (coastline defense system) so that no enemy can enter his occupied regions. To liberate those nations, it was necessary to set a strong foothold on Europe’s mainland (France).
Therefore, to set a strong position in the main warzone, Great Britain, the United States, and Canada had to plan the D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944.
Is D-Day A Public Holiday In The United States?
Nope, in the United States, it is not a public holiday. However, in states like Alabama schools, colleges and businesses could remain closed because Jefferson Davis’s birthday falls at the same time.
