Defense Primer: 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944

Defense Primer: 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944

May 28, 2019
Defense Primer: 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944
June 6, 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of the historic
manned by Germans), as the main barrier to the invasion
amphibious landing by Allied Forces on the coast of
force. Allied leaders initially set June 5, 1944, as D-Day but
Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, during World War II
on the morning of June 4, stormy weather over the English
(1939-1945). D-Day marked the beginning of the Allied
Channel forced Gen. Eisenhower to postpone the attack for
campaign to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.
24 hours to June 6 when a break in the weather was
expected. Operation NEPTUNE was the code name given
What is the “D” in D-Day?
to the seaborne assault phase. See Figure 1.
The “D” in D-Day is the designation for the first day of any
important invasion or military operation. The days before
Allied Landings on June 6, 1944
and after a D-Day are indicated using minus and plus signs,
Before dawn on June 6, 1944, 13,000 paratroopers from
(i.e., D-1 means one day before (June 5) while D+7 means
three airborne divisions—the U.S. 82nd and 101st and the
seven days after D-Day (June 13)).
British 6th—parachuted and landed by glider behind
targeted beaches. See Figure 2. Over 1,200 aircraft were
D-Day Preparation and Operations
used in the pre-landing drop. Allied naval forces, including
At the Tehran Conference in August 1943, Allied leaders
the U.S. Coast Guard, conveyed assault forces across the
decided that a cross channel assault was crucial to defeat
English Channel. Beginning at 0630 AM, six American,
Nazi Germany. In January 1944, General Dwight D.
British and Canadian divisions landed on Utah, Omaha,
Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander and took
Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches in the largest amphibious
charge of Operation OVERLORD, the codename given to
assault in history. The 29th Infantry Division (Omaha
the combined land, naval and air operation. Tens of
Beach), comprised of units from Maryland, Virginia and
thousands of troops, with equipment and supplies, gathered
Washington, D.C., was the only National Guard division to
in England in preparation for the assault.
land on D-Day. See Figure 3 for additional data. By the
end of June 11, 1944 (D+5), 326,547 troops, 54,186
Figure 1. D-Day Embarkation Ports in England and
vehicles and 104,428 tons of supplies were landed and the
Beach Designations in Normandy, France
six beaches were secured.
Figure 2. Normandy Beaches on D-Day

Source: DOD, Map from the U.S. Army Transportation Museum.

By May 1944, after considerable deliberation among Allied
Source: D-Day: The Beaches, U.S. European Command (EUCOM).
leaders, Normandy in northwestern France was chosen
because of its proximity to the British coast and because it
Participation and Casualties
provided an element of surprise. Code named
According the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about
FORTITUDE, the deception operation prior to D-Day
16 million Americans served during WWII. As of April
convinced the Germans that the Allied invasion was to be at
2019, there were approximately 496,777 living WWII
the Pas-de-Calais directly opposite Dover, England, or via a
veterans.VA estimates that 348 WWII veterans are dying
northern route in Norway. The deception deflected the
each day. There are no VA statistics on the number of
German high command’s attention away from Normandy
living D-Day veterans. Casualties for Allied Forces on June
and resulted in panzer divisions being stationed inland. This
6, 1944, were estimated at 10,000 killed in action (KIA),
left the “Atlantic Wall,” a 2,400-mile line of obstacles (6.5
wounded, and missing in action (MIA) including 6,603
million mines, thousands of concrete bunkers, thousands of
Americans, 2,700 British, and 946 Canadians.
tank ditches and pillboxes containing heavy artillery
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Defense Primer: 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944
From June 6, 1944 to August 21, 1944, the Allies landed
Gen. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. There were no MoH
more than two million men in northern France and suffered
recipients from the other military departments for D-Day.
more than 226,386 casualties: 72,911 KIA/MIA and
153,475 wounded. German losses included over 240,000
Normandy American Cemetery
casualties and 200,000 captured. Between 13,000 and
The Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer,
20,000 French civilians died, and many were seriously
France, is the resting place for 9,387 Americans buried, and
wounded. Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944.
a memorial to the 1,557 MIAs who gave their lives during
the initial landings and subsequent operations. The
Figure 3: D-Day by the Numbers
permanent cemetery was dedicated on July 18, 1956. It is
located on land granted to the United States by France in
Total Allied troops who landed in Normandy: 156,115
perpetuity, on the site of the temporary American cemetery
Total Allied airborne troops (included in figures above):
established on June 8, 1944. It is one of 14 permanent
23,400
WWII military cemeteries on foreign soil that are
maintained by the American Battle Monuments
American: 73,000 (Omaha and Utah beaches + airborne)
Commission (ABMC), an independent federal agency
British: 61,715 (Gold and Sword beaches + airborne)
established in 1923, which serves as the custodian of U.S.
Canadian: 21,400 (Juno Beach)
overseas commemorative cemeteries and memorials.
Total Allied aircraft that supported landings: 11,590
Total naval vessels in Operation NEPTUNE: 6,939
Commemorative Events
Naval combat ships: 1,213
AMBC, “75th Anniversary of D-Day at Normandy American
Landing ships/craft: 4,126
Cemetery,” at https://www.abmc.gov/dday75.
Ancil ary craft: 736
EUCOM, “Commemorating World War II 75 in Europe,”
videos at https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/WWII75inEurope.
Merchant vessels: 864
U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France, “75th Anniversary of D-
80 percent were British; 16.5 percent, U.S.; and the rest from
Day Landing and the Battle of Normandy,” June 1-10, 2019, at
France, Hol and, Norway and Poland.
https://fr.usembassy.gov/75th-anniversary-of-d-day-landing-and-
Soldiers’ home nations: United States, Britain, Canada,
the-battle-of-normandy/.
Belgium, Norway, Poland, Luxembourg, Greece,
Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and Australia (+177 French

commandos)
Sources of Information
Engaged Allied army divisions:
ABMC, “Normandy” at https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-
3rd British Infantry – Sword Beach
memorials/europe/normandy-american-cemetery.
3rd Canadian Infantry – Juno Beach
Army, “D-Day June 6, 1944,” at https://www.army.mil/d-day/.
4th U.S. Infantry – Utah Beach
Army Center of Military History, “Normandy Invasion: MoH,”
at https://history.army.mil/html/reference/Normandy/nor-
1st & 29th U.S. Infantry – Omaha Beach
moh.html.
50th British Infantry – Gold Beach
EUCOM, “Veterans of only National Guard division to land on
6th British Airborne – Dropped on east bank of the Orne
D-Day return for 65th anniversary of invasion,” August 26,
River
2011, at https://www.eucom.mil/media-
82nd & 101st U.S. Airborne – Night drop on Cotentin
library/article/20208/veterans-of-only-national-guard-division-
Peninsula behind Utah Beach
to-land-on-d-day-return-for-65th-anniver.
2nd & 5th U.S. Ranger Battalions – Pointe du Hoc
National D-Day Memorial, “Preparation and Planning” at
https://www.dday.org/preparation-and-planning/.
Source: D-Day: The Beaches, EUCOM and adapted by CRS.
National WWII Museum, “D-Day: The Allies Invade Europe,”
at https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/d-day-
Medal of Honor Recipients
allies-invade-europe.
According to the Army Center of
Naval History and Heritage Command, “Operation NEPTUNE:
Military History, there were 12 soldiers
Invasion of Normandy,” at
who received the Medal of Honor
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/libr
(MoH) for action during the Normandy
ary/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/o/operation-
invasion on June 6, 1944. Nine were
neptune-invasion-normandy.html.
awarded posthumously. The three
U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office, “The U.S. Coast Guard at
recipients awarded their MoHs were:
Normandy,” at https://www.history.uscg.mil/Our-
Pvt. Carlton W. Barrett, S/Sgt. Walter
Col ections/Commemorations/D-Day/.
D. Ehlers and 1st Lt. Carlos C. Ogden.
The nine posthumous recipients were:

2d Lt. John E. Butts, Lt. Col. Robert G. Cole, S/Sgt. Arthur
F. DeFranzo, Pfc. Charles N. DeGlopper, Cpl. John D.
Barbara Salazar Torreon, Senior Research Librarian
Kelly, 1st Lt. Jimmie W. Monteith, Jr., T/Sgt. Frank D.
Peregory, Tech. 5th Grade John J. Pinder, Jr., and Brig.
IF11228
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Defense Primer: 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944

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