The Invasion of Normandy

The Allied endeavor to open a second front on the French coast of Normandy in the European theater of operations during World War II. The Battle of Normandy (code-named Operation Overlord) activated a second front with amphibious Allied landings on the morning of June 6, 1944.

Although often and famously referred to simply as D-day, the fighting in Normandy lasted for months, with the bulk of the German resistance finally eliminated by late August. The objectives of the operation were to establish a beachhead from which to liberate occupied regions and eventually drive back the German Reich.

Although ultimately successful, the early assault at Normandy was extremely costly in terms of men and materiel. The landings on the coast of Normandy involved a massive joint operation of mostly U.S., British, and Canadian forces—with naval, aerial, and paratroop elements supporting the main amphibious assault. In their path, the Germans placed three Panzer divisions under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, which were reinforced by only minimal air and armor support. As part of their Atlantic Wall defenses, the Germans had extensively fortified the foreshore area, but they manned it with only a haphazard collection of troops, including non-German nationalities (mainly Russians) who agreed to fight for the Germans rather than endure prisoner of war camps.

Following the initial landing phase of the Normandy invasion, many more Allied troops and equipment continued to come ashore after D-day. By the end of July, more than one million Allied troops were entrenched along the Normandy coast. In the end, Operation Overlord succeeded in its objective by sheer force of numbers in both men and materiel.

Although the footing the Allies gained at Normandy was crucial to the efforts and success of the western front, it may not have affected the ultimate outcome of the war. ...