Nostalgia USA June 2016 Nostalgia USA June 2016 | Page 6

BattlePlan
T hisarticle isdedicated to the memory of those who died
on Tuesday 6 June 1944 in pursuit of freedom. It is
through their sacrifice that we enjoy the freedoms we
have today. In this the first part of the story of D-Day,
6 June 1944 we concentrate on the build-up to the
invasion.
By Ian R Gumm

O peration OVER LOR D, as the
invasion of N orthwest Europe is
known, was the largest amphibious
assault to have ever taken place and
involved almost three million Allied
troops from twelve participating Allied
nations. It took more than two and a
half years to plan and prepare and
culminated in the capture of Paris 80
days after the Allied forces landed on
the coast of France.
It began in the early hours of Tuesday 6
June 1944 when three Allied Airborne
Divisions were dropped by parachute
and reinforced by gliders to secure the
flanks of the invasion area. T hese
airborne landings were followed up by a
massive air and naval bombardment of
the German coastal defences in
preparation for the early morning
amphibious assault.
At 06.35 hrs the seaborne landings
commenced with the amphibious
assaults in the American sector at
U TAH and OM AH A Beaches, which