Remembering D-Day: Key facts and figures about the invasion that changed the course of World War II

Associated Press

OMAHA BEACH, France (AP) — The June 6, 1944, D-Day penetration of Nazi-occupied France was unprecedented successful standard and audacity, utilizing nan largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to punch a spread successful Adolf Hitler’s defenses successful occidental Europe and alteration nan people of World War II.

With veterans and world dignitaries gathering successful Normandy to commemorate nan 80th day of nan landings, here’s a look astatine immoderate specifications astir really nan cognition unfolded.

WHO TOOK PART

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed successful Normandy connected June 6, 1944. Of those, 73,000 were from nan United States and 83,000 from Britain and Canada. Forces from respective different countries were besides involved, including French troops fighting pinch Gen. Charles de Gaulle.
The Allies faced astir 50,000 German forces.

More than 2 cardinal Allied soldiers, sailors, pilots, medics and different group from a twelve countries were progressive successful nan wide Operation Overlord, nan conflict to wrest occidental France from Nazi power that started connected D-Day.

WHERE AND WHEN

The oversea landings started astatine 6:30 a.m., conscionable aft dawn, targeting 5 code-named beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword. The cognition besides included actions inland, including overnight parachute landings connected strategical German sites and U.S. Army Rangers scaling cliffs to return retired German weapon positions.

Around 11,000 Allied aircraft, 7,000 ships and boats, and thousands of different vehicles were involved.

MANY DEATHS ON ALL SIDES

A full of 4,414 Allied troops were killed connected D-Day itself, including 2,501 Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded.

In nan ensuing Battle of Normandy, 73,000 Allied forces were killed and 153,000 wounded. The conflict — and particularly Allied bombings of French villages and cities — killed astir 20,000 French civilians.

The nonstop German casualties aren’t known, but historians estimate betwixt 4,000 and 9,000 men were killed, wounded aliases missing during nan D-Day penetration alone. About 22,000 German soldiers are among nan galore buried astir Normandy.

SURVIVORS

Inevitably, nan number of survivors attending awesome day commemorations successful France continues to dwindle. The youngest survivors are now successful their precocious 90s. It’s unclear really galore D-Day veterans are still alive. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says it doesn’t way their numbers.