Topics: World War II (1939-1945) - D-Day: June 6, 1944

D-Day: June 6, 1944

June 6, 1944: 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high - more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded - but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

Order of Battle for the Normandy Campaign

US First Army

1. 1. XII Corps
2. 2. XV Corps

US Third Army

1. 1. V Corps
2. 2. VII Corps
3. 3. VIII Corps
4. 4. XIX Corps

Armored Divisions

1. 1. 2nd Armored Division (2 July)
2. 2. 3rd Armored Division (9 July)
3. 3. 4th Armored Division (28th July)
4. 4. 5th Armored Division (2 August)
5. 5. 6th Armored Division (28th July)
6. 6. 7th Armored Division (14 August)
7. 7. 2nd French Armored Division (1 August)

Airborne Divisions

1. 1. 82nd Airborne Division (6 June)
2. 2. 101st Airborne Division (6 June)

Infantry Divisions

1. 1. 1st Infantry Div (6 June)
2. 2. 2nd Infantry Div (8 June)
3. 3. 4th Infantry Div (6 June)
4. 4. 5th Infantry Div (16 July)
5. 5. 8th Infantry Div (8 July)
6. 6. 9th Infantry Div (14 June)
7. 7. 28th Infantry Div (27 July)
8. 8. 29th Infantry Div(7 June)
9. 9. 30th Infantry Div (15 June)
10. 10. 35th Infantry Div (11 July)
11. 11. 79th Infantry Div (19 June)
12. 12. 80th Infantry Div 8 Aug)
13. 13. 83rd Infantry Div (27 June)
14. 14. 90th Infantry Div (10 June)

 Allied Expeditionary Air Forces consisted of the:

US Airforce

1. 1. US Ninth Tatical Airforce
2. 2. US Eighth Airforce

Royal Air Force

1. 1. Second Tatical Force

 The British 21st Army Group consisted of:
The British Second Army

Armored Divisons

1. 1. Guards Armored Div (28 June)
2. 2. 7th Guards Armored Div (8 June)
3. 3. 11th Armored Div (13 June)
4. 4. 79th Armored Div (Specialized Armor 6 June)

Airborne Divisions

1. 6th Airborne Div (6 June)

Infantry Divisions

1. 1. 3rd Infantry Div (6 June)
2. 2. 15th Infantry Div (Scottish 14 June)
3. 3. 43rd Infantry Div (Wessex 24 June)
4. 4. 49th Infantry Div (West Riding 6 June)
5. 5. 50th Infantry Div (Northumbrian 6 June)
6. 6. 51st Infantry Div (Highland 6 June)
7. 7. 53rd Infantry Div (Welsh 27 June)
8. 8. 59th Infantry Div (Staffordshire 27 June)

Canadian and Polish Forces attached to the British Army:

1. 1. 4th Canadian Armored Div
2. 2. 1st Polish Armored Div
3. 3. 2nd Canadian Div
4. 4. 3rd Canadian Infantry Div

D-Day: June 6, 1944