06.06.1944: Normandy showdown. To liberate France, Europe and mankind: thousands, fallen. Tribute to all D-Day heroes!

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Back on the beaches for the last time: D-Day heroes who still hear the cries of fallen comrades

D-Day Normandy landings from air and from sea: U.S. paratroopers fix their static lines before a jump before dawn on D-Day June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France.

In pictures: D-Day 71th anniversary
Veterans from the Norfolk and District branch of the Normandy Veterans Association stand on Sword beach in Normandy, France, as dozens of British veterans made the cross-Channel pilgrimage on the eve of the 71st anniversary of D-Day.

The ‘Atlantic Wall’. On the 50-mile coast of Normandy June 6, 1944: It was a formidable task. Not only was it a day with bad weather conditions, but the Germans have also put up an interlinked series of obstacles on the shore composing of mines, metal tripods, barbed wires, pillboxes, and more. Nevertheless, the Allied Forces pushed through with heavy aerial, naval, and airborne bombardment first, and then followed by amphibious landings composed primarily of American, British, and Canadian forces on 5 separate D-Day beaches with code names:
Utah Beach
Omaha Beach
Gold Beach
Juno Beach
Sword Beach
Other troops who joined the Battle of Normandy on the D-Day beaches were from countries such as Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Poland.
The enemy was truly taken by surprise. It was still a difficult ordeal though, but in the end, the Allied Forces succeeded in breaching the walls of the Germans, and over the coming months, the Allies have expanded their foothold. (It is said that the Allies landed around 156,000 troops.)

5 Jun 1944 - 6,000 ships, thousands of aircraft, cross the English Channel in preparation for D-Day on 6 June: ‘Thank God Such Men Lived’
Seventy-one years ago on June 6, 1944, the Allied armies waded ashore on the beaches of Normandy to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe. The night before, on June 5, American airborne forces (82nd and 101st) had landed on the western flank of the invasion area near St. Mere Eglise, while British airborne forces secured the eastern flank and Pegasus Bridge. They jumped out of C-47 Dakota Skytrain transport planes through darkness and into glory. Some arrived by glider. Private John Steele of the 82nd Airborne landed on the steeple of the church at St. Mere Eglise, where he played “dead” and survived.

They came ashore the next morning on five different beaches. Brig. Gen. Ted Roosevelt Jr. (the son of President Teddy Roosevelt) landed with his men on Utah Beach facing relatively little German opposition. Having missed their designated landing area by about a mile, Roosevelt was asked whether his troops should re-embark. He replied, “We’ll start the war from right here.”

The Canadians stormed ashore on Juno Beach and included James Doohan, who would later find fame as “Scottie” on Star Trek. Sword and Gold were reserved for the British forces. A tiny contingent of French commandos joined the British on Sword and helped capture Ouistreham, destroying the casino. The worst Allied casualties took place on bloody Omaha, partly due to an abbreviated naval bombardment of the German positions.

The Allies, in spite of the vast size of their armada and the relative openness of their societies, had, remarkably, managed to achieve strategic surprise over the Germans. Erwin Rommel, believing that adverse weather would prevent an immediate attack, had gone to Germany where he was celebrating his wife’s 50th birthday. Hitler persisted in the mistaken belief that the Normandy invasion was a feint and that the “real” blow would be struck at the Pas de Calais.

the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. The operation began the invasion of German-occupied western Europe, led to the liberation of France from Nazi control, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war.

Planning for the operation began in 1943. In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a substantial military deception, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, to mislead the Germans as to the date and location of the main Allied landings. The weather on D-Day was far from ideal, but postponing would have meant a delay of at least two weeks, as the invasion planners had requirements for the phase of the moon, the tides, and the time of day that meant only a few days in each month were deemed suitable.

The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault—the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beach. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled using specialised tanks.

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Image courtesy Daily Mail, Hulton Archive / Getty Images, Maxime SPONY, iamaileen.com, Adrian Brooks / Imagewise, dailymail.co.uk, AP, Associated Press / Army Signal Corps, Mark Large, Wikipedia, and PA