6 June marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day beach landings, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Early on the morning of 6 June 1944, swarms of landing craft arrived on the beaches of northern Normandy in France, and 135,000 Allied soldiers started to pour onto French soil.
The 80km stretch of beaches, north of Bayeux, were code-named (from west to east) Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Here’s the story of the D-Day landings and how you can visit the beaches yourself.
Why did D-Day happen?
In early 1944, an Allied invasion of occupied France seemed inevitable. Hitler’s disastrous campaign in Russia and inability to control the skies over Europe had left Germany vulnerable, and both sides knew a landing was coming. After long deliberation, it was decided that the beaches along Normandy’s northern coast – rather than the even more heavily fortified coastline further north around Calais, where Hitler was expecting an attack – would serve as a surprise spearhead into Europe.
Code-named ‘Operation Overlord’, the invasion began on the night of 5 June 1944 when three paratroop divisions were dropped behind enemy lines. At about 6.30am on the morning of 6 June, six amphibious divisions stormed ashore at five beaches, backed up by 6000 sea craft and 13,000 aeroplanes.
What does the D in D-Day stand for?
The D in D-Day stands simply for ‘Day’, the designation given to the day of any significant military operation. The day before was known as D-1, and the day after as D+1, and so on.
Omaha Beach
The assault by the US infantry on Omaha Beach (the 7km stretch of coastline around Vierville-sur-Mer, St-Laurent-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer) was by far the bloodiest of the day. From the outset, the Allies’ best-laid plans were thrown into chaos. The beach was heavily defended by three battalions of heavily armed, highly trained Germans supported by mines, underwater obstacles and an extensive trench system. Strong winds blew many of the landing craft far from their carefully planned landing sectors. Soldiers disembarking, overloaded with equipment, faced drowning or were cut down by machine-gun and mortar fire from the cliffs. Only two of the 29 tanks expected to support the troops made it to shore, making it almost impossible to advance as planned.
Eventually, meter by meter, the GIs gained a precarious foothold on the beach. Assisted by naval bombardment, the US troops blew through a key German strongpoint and began to move off the beach. Of the 2500 American casualties sustained at Omaha Beach on D-Day, over 1000 were fatalities, most occurring within the first hour of the landings.
Today, little evidence remains of the events of 1944, except for the solemn American cemetery and concrete German bunkers. At very low tide, remnants of the Mulberry Harbour, a massive temporary port set up off the coast, can still be seen.
Omaha is now a tranquil spot, a beautiful golden stretch with dunes and summer houses. Make sure to look out for the yellow stripes that mark the Circuit de la Plage d’Omaha, a self-guided tour along the beach.
Utah Beach
Halfway between Bayeux and Cherbourg, Utah Beach – the Allies’ right (western) flank on D-Day – stretches for 5km near the village of La Madeleine.
The US soldiers landing here faced a much better situation than their comrades at Omaha. Most of the landing craft came ashore in a relatively lightly defended area, allowing the beach to be cleared by noon and soldiers to link up with paratroopers. By nightfall, approximately 20,000 men and 1700 vehicles had arrived on French soil via Utah Beach. However, during the three weeks it took to reach Cherbourg, US forces endured one casualty for every 10 meters advanced.
Memorials commemorating D-Day events, including the impressive Musée du Débarquement de Utah Beach, a few kilometers inland in Ste-Marie du Mont, offer insights into the historic significance of this site.
Sword, Juno & Gold Beaches
Stretching for about 35km from Ouistreham to Arromanches, these three beaches were attacked by the British Army, alongside significant Canadian units, and smaller groups from the Commonwealth, Free French, and Polish forces.
Sword Beach
At Sword Beach, initial German resistance was rapidly overcome, and the beach was secured within hours. Infantry pushed inland from Ouistreham to connect with paratroopers, though they faced heavy casualties as their supporting armor fell behind, trapped in massive traffic jams on narrow coastal roads. Nevertheless, they reached within 5km of Caen by 4pm, but heavy German counterattacks forced them to dig in, preventing the capture of Caen on the first day as planned.
Juno Beach
Canadian battalions swiftly landed at Dune-lined Juno Beach but faced significant challenges, clearing German positions trench by trench to advance inland. Mines took a heavy toll on the infantry, yet by noon, they had moved south and east of Creuilly.
A Cross of Lorraine now marks the spot where General Charles de Gaulle came ashore after the landings, followed by Winston Churchill on 12 June and King George VI on 16 June. The Juno Beach Centre organizes tours of the beach that include access to an influential bunker nearby.
Gold Beach
The British forces’ attack at Gold Beach initially descended into chaos, as unexpectedly high waters obscured German underwater obstacles. However, by 9am, Allied armored divisions were on the beach, and several brigades advanced inland. By the afternoon, they had linked up with the Juno forces, just 3km from Bayeux.
A Tour of the D-Day Beaches
While tours are available, if you have a car, consider exploring on your own. You can follow the D514 along the D-Day coast or take several signposted routes around the battle sites – look for ‘D-Day–Le Choc’ in the American sectors and ‘Overlord-L’Assaut’ in the British and Canadian sectors.
What Happened After D-Day?
Within four days after D-Day, the Allies had established a coastal strip approximately 100km long and 10km deep. German armor converged on Caen, where fierce fighting continued for over a month, leaving the city in ruins.
The valuable port of Cherbourg fell to the Allies on 27 June after a series of intense battles, and by the end of July, US army units had advanced to the border of Brittany. By mid-August, two German armies were surrounded and destroyed, and on 20 August, US forces crossed the Seine at multiple points, around 40km north and south of Paris. On 25 August, both Allied and Free French troops, under General Charles de Gaulle’s command, entered the capital, liberating it by that afternoon.
