Commemorating our heroes 80 years on

As part of Operation Fortitude, the RAF drop hundreds of dummy paratroopers across Calvados, Manche and Seine Maritime in order to distract German units from where the actual landings will take place.
Meanwhile, 6,939 vessels – 1,213 warships, 4,126 landing craft, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels – gather in preparation for landings at five Normandy beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The first allied glider pilots land on French soil and, after only 10 minutes, they hold the target bridges and send out the success signal: ‘ham and jam’.

This strategically important town on the main road to Cherbourg is one of the key places targeted.

The BBC broadcasts a message from General Eisenhower to the people of Normandy:

"The lives of many of you depend on the speed with which you obey. Leave your towns at once – stay off the roads – go on foot and take nothing with you that is difficult to carry. Do not gather in groups which may be mistaken for enemy troops."

This is the time of day when the beach landings were scheduled to begin.

As the sun rises, the Allied naval forces start their bombardments of the beaches with seven battleships, 23 cruisers and 103 destroyers.

Rocket launcher barges approach the targeted beaches and fire them with rockets: around 20,000 in Gold, Juno and Sword beaches and 18,000 in Utah and Omaha.
US Troops assigned to Omaha and Utah beaches start to get into landing craft and set sail for the beaches despite the choppy conditions.

The plan for Gold beach is to clear the way for an artificial harbour and then head to Bayeux via Caen. Progress is good, with around 413 casualties out of around 24,900 landing troops.

Hitler is finally awake at the Berghof, Berchtesgaden.

He finds the news from Normandy excellent, as he still thinks - thanks to Operation Fortitude's chain of deceptions - that the morning's events are a cover for the real invasion at Pas-de-Calais.

In London, the BBC broadcasts a special news bulletin - Communique No 1 - on its Home, Overseas and European Services - the first official announcement of D Day.
"This is London. London calling in the Home, Overseas and European services of the BBC and through United Nations Mediterranean, and this is John Snagge speaking.

"Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force have just issued Communiqué No 1.

"Communiqué No 1: Under the command of General Eisenhower, Allied naval forces, supported by strong air forces, began landing Allied armies this morning on the northern coast of France."

Churchill updates the House of Commons with positivity; "I have to announce to the House that during the night and the early hours of this morning the first of the series of landings in force upon the European Continent has taken place."

Meanwhile Hitler holds his daily military conference at his headquarters in the Bavarian Alps. “The news couldn't be better. As long as they were in Britain, we couldn't get at them. Now we have them where we can destroy them.”

Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis of the Green Howards clears trenches, takes out pillboxes and leads a successful enemy attack which sees him save two men left behind.

He will be the only winner of a Victoria Cross on D-Day.

Capturing Caen is a key objective, but it isn’t going well.

Allied air forces are firing at German forces, but the enemy tanks and infantry are moving and causing a threat to the Allied beachhead.

On top of this, few civilians have left the town despite Allied leaflets warning them of the aerial attacks. Hundreds have been wounded or killed in the bombardment and parts of the city are on fire.

Despite the attacks, Caen is still in the hands of the Nazis.

The first sections of two artificial harbours code-named Mulberry are now heading across the Channel.

These huge concrete and steel constructions have been devised to help the allied troops resupply invasion forces and are particularly helpful in bad weather conditions.

A German armoured ‘Panzer’ division has been attacking British forces between the Juno and Sword landing zones.

The BBC broadcasts a speech from General Charles De Gaulle in which he calls on Frenchmen to "fight with all the means at their disposal".

“The battle has begun, and France will fight it with fury. For the sons of France, whoever they may be, wherever they may be, the simple and sacred duty is to fight the enemy with every means in their power.”

British patrols are approaching Bayeux, another major first day objective. They won’t get there until tomorrow due to being behind by about three miles.

As night approaches, fighting continues, and more troops are arriving by glider to join the battle.

Some 14,000 allied troops have landed along the 55-mile front, and some have advanced miles inland.

But all is not over as German troops have moved north and some are still defending the beaches.

“Once more, a supreme test has to be faced. This time, the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause...” King George.

By midnight, the Allies can take stock of what has been an extraordinarily successful day.

Despite still not taking Caen and suffering thousands of casualties, they managed to gain a foothold in France. Caen will continue to be bombed.

159,000 allied troops have, on this day, established four beachheads. Fighting will continue but a crucial stage has been reached.