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D-Day 65

Facts and figures of D-Day

D-Day was the biggest seaborne invasion and the greatest military campaign the world has seen.

Allied troops landed in Normandy 156,115
  American (Omaha & Utah beaches + airborne) 73,000
  British (Gold & Sword beaches + airborne) 61,715
  Canadian (Juno Beach) 21,400
Airborne troops (included in figures above) 23,400
Aircraft supporting the landings  11,590
Sorties flown by allied aircraft 14,674
Aircraft lost  127
Naval vessels in Operation Neptune 6939
  Naval combat ships 1213
  Landing ships and landing craft 4126
  Ancillary craft 736
  Merchant vessels 864
Personnel in Operation Neptune  195,700
  American 52,889
  British 112,824
  Other allied 4988

By the end of 11 June (D + 5), 326,547 troops, 54,186 vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies had been landed on the beaches.

As well as the troops who landed in Normandy on D-Day, and those in supporting roles at sea and in the air, millions more men and women in the Allied countries were involved in the preparations for D-Day. They played thousands of different roles, both in the Armed Forces and as civilians.
(Courtesy of D-Day Museum, Portsmouth)

D-Day codes

In the planning and lead up to the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944, secrecy was paramount. A huge security blanket covered every aspect of the operation, including the exact place and date.

Code names and acronyms became vital. These are just a few.

D-Day: the date of the operation

H-Hour: the hour of the invasion

Bolero: the build up to D-Day in Britain

Operation Overlord: the overall invasion plan

Operation Neptune: the seaborne invasion

Fortitude: A long-term operation to conceal the true location of the D-Day landings

Mulberry: artificial harbours towed across the Channel

Ham & Jam: the signal indicating the bridges at Benouville (Pegasus Bridge) and Ranville were secured by Allied Forces

UTAH - Code name for most western beach between Pouppeville and La Madeleine, 3 miles long, assigned to the US 1st Army, 7th Corps. Casualties were the lightest of all the landings - out of 23,000 troops, only 197 men were killed or wounded. It was divided into zones assigned Tare Green, Uncle Red and Victor.

OMAHA - Code name for the beach between Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes and Vierville-sur-Mer, 6 miles long (largest). Taking Omaha was the responsibility of US 1st Army, 5th Corps, with sea transport provided by the US Navy and elements of the Royal Navy. The movie Saving Private Ryan portrays some of the events here. The 1st Infantry assault experienced the worst ordeal of the D-Day operation. The Americans suffered 2,400 casualties but 34,000 Allied troops had landed by nightfall.
Divided into Charlie, Dog, Easy and Fox zones.

GOLD - Code name for beach from Longues-sur-Mer to La Riviere, 5 miles long and includes Arromanches where the Mulberry Harbour was established. British 2nd Army, 30th Corps landed here and by nightfall, 25,000 troops had landed and pushed the Germans six miles inland. There were just 400 British casualties. Divided into How, Item, Jig and King zones.

JUNO - Code name for beach spanning either side of the port of Courseulles-sur-Mer from La Riviere to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, 6 miles wide. Canadian 3rd Infantry Division & British 2nd Army, 1st Corps. Out of 21,400 men landed, there were 1,200 casualties. Divided into Love, Mike and Nan zones.

SWORD - Code name for beach stretching 5 miles from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to Ouistreham at the mouth of the River Orne. British 2nd Army, 1st Corps with French & British commandos. It was nine miles north of the city of Caen – a major route centre of Northern France. The British landed 29,000 men and suffered just 630 casualties. Divided into Oboe, Peter, Queen and Roger zones.