World War II: D-Day, The Invasion of Normandy
The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944 brought together the land, air and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest invasion force in human history. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The beaches were given the code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO and SWORD. The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by over 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries. Almost 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States landed on D-Day. Casualties from the three countries during the landing numbered 10,300. By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores. Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors and airmen of the allied forces western front, and Russian forces on the eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France.
Order of the Day, June 6, 1944
General Eisenhower's determination that operation OVERLORD (the invasion of France) would bring a quick end to the war is obvious in this message to the troops of the Allied Expeditionary Forces on June 6, 1944, the morning of the invasion.
"Order of the Day" - statement as issued to the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force on June 6, 1944
"Order of the Day" - draft of statement
In case of the failure of the D-Day Operation
Following the decision for the cross channel invasion, General Eisenhower wrote a press release on a pad of paper, to be used if necessary. The handwritten message by General Eisenhower, the "In Case of Failure message," is mistakenly dated "July" 5 instead of "June" 5.
In Case of Failure Message
Prelude to Operation Overlord
The Trident Conference, May 1943
The Quadrant Conference, August 1943
Harry Butcher, Naval Aid to General Eisenhower, Diary Entry, October 5, 1943
The Sextant and Eureka Conferences, November- December 1943
Handwritten note from President Roosevelt to Marshal Stalin appointing General Eisenhower to command Operation Overlord. General George Marshall added a note to Eisenhower on December 7, 1943.
Overlord - Anvil Papers, December 1943 - April 1944 Part 1
Overlord - Anvil Papers, December 1943 - April 1944 Part 2
Operation Policy Memoranda, January 29, 1944
British Assault Area - Naval Operation Orders, May 15, 1944
Minutes of the SCAEF 21st Meeting, June 2, 1944
Conditions in Normandy, June 3, 1944
Reports
Report of the 8th Air Force, Normandy Invasion, June 2-17, 1944
Report of the Amphibious Operations, Invasion of Northern France,
Western Task Force, United States Fleet, June 1944
Report of the 82nd Airborne Division, "Operation Neptune" at Normandy, June 6 - July 8, 1944
After Action Report, 115th Infantry, June 1944
After Action Report, Headquarters, 22nd Infantry, July 21, 1944
SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces) Messages
SHAEF Incoming Message from General Eisenhower to General Marshall concerning the first reports of the Normandy landing, June 6, 1944
SHAEF Message from General Eisenhower reporting on the D-Day landing area, June 8, 1944
Journal Entries
Journal entries from the 16th Infantry Regiment journal, June 6-17, 1944
Photographs
Outposts of the Atlantic Wall - Rommel inspecting beachhead defenses
Part of Mulberry Harbor for Arromanches at Southampton docks
Newbury, England area, June 5, 1944, just prior to the loading of paratroopers of the Airborne Division
Allied troops loading into LSTs
Scene from a landing barge, "Into the Jaws of Death," June 6, 1944
Omaha Beach landings, photograph taken from ship
Gliders bring in supplies to U.S. Army troops fighting on Utah Beach, Les Dunes De Madeleine, France, June 6, 1944
Allied soldiers killed in glider crash, damaged glider in background
Medics with wounded soldiers on Utah Beach, June 6, 1944
Scene from a Coast Guard landing barge, June 6, 1944
Utah Beach: after gaining the comparative safety offered by a concrete wall, American troops of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, move over the crest of a hill to the interior of Northern France, June 9, 1944
German POWs rest in a barb-wired enclosure after being interrogated by American soldiers, Utah Beach, June 6, 1944
General Eisenhower aboard the HMS Apollo, a mine layer, for visit to beachhead along French coast
Germans, former "Harrenvolk," come over the crest of a hill with their hands over their heads in surrender and are rounded up by American soldiers, one of whom can be seen at the extreme right. Utah Beach, Quinville, France
A platoon of black troops surround a farm house as they prepare to eliminate a German sniper holding up an advance, Omaha Beachhead near Vierville Sur-Mer, France, June 10, 1944
French civilians place crosses at the graves of American soldiers in a cemetery on Omaha Beach
General Eisenhower decorates U.S. troops of the U.S. 1st Division. L-R: Generals Clarence Ralph Huebner, Omar Bradley, Eisenhower
For a listing of collections at the Eisenhower Presidential Library with materials pertaining to this topic, please see: D-Day: Planning Overlord Subject Guide and the D-Day: The Invasion Subject Guide.
