On 6 June 1944, some 156,000 allied troops landed on five Normandy beaches which eventually led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history, with nearly 5,000 landings and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers. Before the D-Day invasion, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign to mislead the Germans about the date and location of the main Allied landings. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring, the Allies had defeated the Germans. Look at these stunning colored photographs that show before launching and landing allied forces on Normandy beaches.
#1 US Army band leading a procession during birthday celebrations honoring William Shakespeare.
#2 British Airborne Pathfinders check their watches on the night before the invasion.
#3 Members of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company, 6th Airborne Division attend a briefing ahead of the D-Day invasion.
#4 An American corporal stacks cans of gasoline in preparation for the upcoming invasion of France, Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
#5 A Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) is approaching Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, 6th June 1944. To the right is another LCVP.
#6 Oxford Street in London shortly before the launching of the D-Day invasion of France during WWII.
#7 American combat engineer soldiers eating meals atop boxes of ammunition being stockpiled for the impending D-Day invasion of France.
#8 Ammunition stockpiled in the town square for the impending D-Day invasion of France.
#9 Ammunition stored in the town square shortly before D-Day.
#10 The astonishing scale of the invasion can be seen in this image taken of the American forces arriving on Utah Beach.
#11 U.S. troops from the USS Joseph T. Dickman wait to disembark from their landing craft as they approach Utah Beach.
#12 A craft from the USS Samuel Chase lands troops of the US Army First Division on Omaha Beach.
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This photo shows a higgins boat from APA 13—USS Joseph t Dickman which landed at Utah Beach. The first number is the Ship and the second is the Higgins Boat number . My dad is in this picture. Higgins Boats were numbered by the ship they launched from. Samuel Chase was numbered APA 26.
