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D-Day 65

D-Day: the biggest wartime operation

'We cannot afford to fail.'

These were the words of General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander in the run-up to D-Day. Failure would give Hitler the opportunity to initiate an eleventh-hour attempt to save Germany and launch his new V-weapons against British cities. Success would mean the beginning of the end of the Third Reich.

Midnight had not long struck when the British and American airborne armada began its mission on 6 June 1944 in the moonlight. They landed at the edges of the invasion area on the Normandy coast to secure the western and eastern flanks of the beachheads and protect them from German attacks. After two years of meticulous preparations and high level planning by the most senior British and American commanders, Operation Overlord, their audacious strategy to invade and liberate north-west Europe, was under way.

Watch video clips from Al Murray's Road to Berlin on Discovery Channel
The comedian Al Murray uses his background in History from Oxford to take a closer look at World War II and the machinery and weapons used by the Allied forces. Follow him as he travels from the beaches of Normandy to Hitler's bunker in Berlin, taking a look at D-Day and the realities of life at war.

Back to the beaches 60 years on

Five years ago, the Legion launched a big 'thank you' to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the extraordinary bravery displayed by the men who took part in the D-Day operations. A dozen veterans recalled their memories, impressions and the role they played during the historic day.

Flags planted to commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day in 2004 There was also an opportunity for all our supporters to show their gratitude by paying tribute to not just our 'D-Day Dozen' but to every soldier, sailor and airman prepared to sacrifice their lives. Every one of them helped to change the outcome of World War II on 6 June 1944 and liberate Europe from the grip of the Nazis. In their honour, we planted 1,520 flags, one for each man who fell on that day. We also took every one of the flags returned to us to Normandy in their honour.

The Longest Day

On a day like no other Europe has known, these are just a few of the key actions on 6 June.

00:16 Gliders land near Pegasus Bridge
00:26 Both bridges (at Benouville (Pegasus) and Ranville) are secured
00.20 – 04.15 US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions dropped at base of Cherbourg peninsula
British 6th Airborne Division dropped east of Caen
02.30 – 06.00 Bombardment and assault fleet of Eastern and Western Task Forces arrive and anchor
06.30 – 07.45 H-Hour: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, Juno
09.00 German 84th Corps learn of Allied amphibious landings
09.30 Press is informed of D-Day landings
10.15  Rommel is informed of the Allied invasion
12.30 On Sword Beach, British 185th Brigade moves inland
13.30 On Omaha Beach, American troops advance inland
16.00 German and British forces see combat between the areas of Bazenville and Villers-le-Sec
18.00 The British advance towards Caen halted
20.00  Allies secure Colleville-sur-Mer
00.00 All 5 Allied beachheads secured, but many D-Day objectives remain unachieved

Some of the Allies' major D-Day objectives, such as reaching the city of Caen, were not met due to high tides, congestion on the beaches and strong German defences. However, D-Day went largely as planned and by the evening the operation was declared a success.

By midnight total Allied casualties on the Normandy beaches numbered 10,000. Of that number, 2,500 men did not live to see the sunset on D-Day. Today, the remains of soldiers from both sides who fought in the Battle of Normandy lie in 27 cemeteries in the area.

Visit the D-Day Interactive on Discovery Channel 
Take an interactive step-by-step look at some of the most significant stages of D-Day, from where the British landed in France to the objectives of the American, British and Canadian troops, and where the Germans were lying in wait to make their counter attacks.