Today we remember those who fought on the beaches, in the air, on the land and at sea this day, 80 years ago. D-Day.
00:00 - 04:00
Allied Airborne troops secure the flanks of the invasion area in Normandy in order to cut off access for the Germans. British 6th Airborne Division were successful in their operation.
Then the American Airborne drop began as aircraft carrying 13,000 Paratroopers flew to the Cotentin Peninsula in northwest Normandy. 101st Airborne were the first, preceded by elite pathfinder units, then an hour later 82nd Airborne jumped into Normandy.
They were met by heavy anti aircraft fire and bad weather but succeeded in achieving many of their objectives. There were high casualties, with 2,500 men killed, wounded or missing by the end of D-Day. Of this number 338 were killed.
04:15
The British 3rd Parachute Brigade’s 9th Parachute Battalion had a special mission to destroy the German Artillery battery at Merville to protect those landing at Sword Beach. Despite anti-aircraft fire they were successful at destroying the guns, but with a cost of 75 casualties.
© IWM (EA 26941)
05:26 - 06:30
The Naval bombardment of German defences began to protect the troops landing on Normandy Beaches. HMS Belfast and HMS Orion among the first at Gold sector beach. After 2 hours the landing craft surged up the beaches and troops from the 7th Battalion Green Howards found smashed German bunkers with shellshocked troops inside due to the bombardment.
06:30
American troops from the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, and units of elite Army Rangers began to land on Omaha Beach. Omaha was the largest of all five Allied landing beaches, stretching 6 miles in length. The objective was to secure 5 beach exits off the beach, but there was heavy defence with German machine guns, mortar and artillery strongpoints, as well as obstacles and mines on the beach.
As soon as the landings started there was chaos, many men forced to leave their boats in deep water with heavy equipment drowned, and units were landed far from their designated landing points. Almost all the amphibious tanks sank, and from one landing craft all 32 men were killed as they moved up the beach. The commander of American ground forces, General Omar Bradley, considered withdrawing the troops and diverting to Utah and the British beaches.
Slowly the situation stabilize, by the end of the day 34,000 troops had landed on Omaha, at a cost of 2,400 killed, wounded or missing.
Utah, the westernmost of the five Allied landing beaches was half the length of Omaha and had flat sandy dunes that made it harder to defend. This task fell to the US 4th Infantry Division. There was lighter resistance here partly because of the earlier airborne landings behind the beach, by the end of D - Day over 20,000 American troops had landed at Utah at a cost of 197 casualties.
© IWM (B 5218)
07:25
Landings at Sword and Gold Beaches. Sword Beach was taken by several Regiments, the East Yorkshire and South Lancashire, the Royal Engineers and the 22nd Dragoons. By the end of the day 3rd Division and 27th Armoured Brigade were ashore, amounting to 28,845 soldiers, with 630 casualties.
07:45-07:55
Landings at Juno Beach.
Juno beach stretched from La Riviere to St Aubin and H-Hour there was slightly later than Gold and Sword beaches so that the incoming tide gave a few more inches over the rocks on either side of the small fishing port of Courseulles. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles landed on Mike Beach from 07:45 hours, but as the supporting armour were delayed, they had no covering fire and suffered heavy casualties. The Regina Rifle Regiment landed on Nan Beach. Once they took the beach they were involved in house to house urban fighting for Courseulles. By early afternoon Courseulles had been taken and the Canadians were heading south towards Reviers.
Landing among partially submerged beach obstacles, the commanders of the landing craft bringing men to the beaches were forced to decide whether to try to avoid the obstacles or go forward and hope for the best. Amidst rough seas and effective incoming mortar fire, some 30% of the landing craft were either destroyed or damaged.
09:30
Allied Communication to the press
D-Day has come. Early this morning the Allies began the assault on the north-western face of Hitler's European Fortress.
© IWM (CHP 975)
An Act of Heroism
On 12 June, Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski of the Royal Canadian Air Force was serving as a gunner on board a Lancaster, flying a mission over France. His plane was hit by enemy fire and the crew were ordered to abandon it – but as Mynarski headed to the escape hatch, he saw the rear gunner had become trapped in his turret. He attempted to free his colleague, even as his clothes and parachute caught fire. The rear gunner told him to try to save himself.
‘Reluctantly P/O Mynarski moved to the escape hatch and there, as a last gesture, turned towards the trapped gunner, stood to attention in his flaming clothing, and saluted before jumping,’ the London Gazette reported.
Mynarski suffered severe burns and died from his injuries. The rear gunner survived, able to escape the aircraft after it crashed to the ground.
For his ‘conspicuous act of heroism’, Mynarski was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
The source for this post is the Imperial War Museum website.
Today we remember those who fought on the beaches, in the air, on the land and at sea this day, 80 years ago. D-Day.
00:00 - 04:00
Allied Airborne troops secure the flanks of the invasion area in Normandy in order to cut off access for the Germans. British 6th Airborne Division were successful in their operation.
Then the American Airborne drop began as aircraft carrying 13,000 Paratroopers flew to the Cotentin Peninsula in northwest Normandy. 101st Airborne were the first, preceded by elite pathfinder units, then an hour later 82nd Airborne jumped into Normandy.
They were met by heavy anti aircraft fire and bad weather but succeeded in achieving many of their objectives. There were high casualties, with 2,500 men killed, wounded or missing by the end of D-Day. Of this number 338 were killed.
04:15
The British 3rd Parachute Brigade’s 9th Parachute Battalion had a special mission to destroy the German Artillery battery at Merville to protect those landing at Sword Beach. Despite anti-aircraft fire they were successful at destroying the guns, but with a cost of 75 casualties.
© IWM (EA 26941)
05:26 - 06:30
The Naval bombardment of German defences began to protect the troops landing on Normandy Beaches. HMS Belfast and HMS Orion among the first at Gold sector beach. After 2 hours the landing craft surged up the beaches and troops from the 7th Battalion Green Howards found smashed German bunkers with shellshocked troops inside due to the bombardment.
06:30
American troops from the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, and units of elite Army Rangers began to land on Omaha Beach. Omaha was the largest of all five Allied landing beaches, stretching 6 miles in length. The objective was to secure 5 beach exits off the beach, but there was heavy defence with German machine guns, mortar and artillery strongpoints, as well as obstacles and mines on the beach.
As soon as the landings started there was chaos, many men forced to leave their boats in deep water with heavy equipment drowned, and units were landed far from their designated landing points. Almost all the amphibious tanks sank, and from one landing craft all 32 men were killed as they moved up the beach. The commander of American ground forces, General Omar Bradley, considered withdrawing the troops and diverting to Utah and the British beaches.
Slowly the situation stabilize, by the end of the day 34,000 troops had landed on Omaha, at a cost of 2,400 killed, wounded or missing.
Utah, the westernmost of the five Allied landing beaches was half the length of Omaha and had flat sandy dunes that made it harder to defend. This task fell to the US 4th Infantry Division. There was lighter resistance here partly because of the earlier airborne landings behind the beach, by the end of D - Day over 20,000 American troops had landed at Utah at a cost of 197 casualties.
© IWM (B 5218)
07:25
Landings at Sword and Gold Beaches. Sword Beach was taken by several Regiments, the East Yorkshire and South Lancashire, the Royal Engineers and the 22nd Dragoons. By the end of the day 3rd Division and 27th Armoured Brigade were ashore, amounting to 28,845 soldiers, with 630 casualties.
07:45-07:55
Landings at Juno Beach.
Juno beach stretched from La Riviere to St Aubin and H-Hour there was slightly later than Gold and Sword beaches so that the incoming tide gave a few more inches over the rocks on either side of the small fishing port of Courseulles. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles landed on Mike Beach from 07:45 hours, but as the supporting armour were delayed, they had no covering fire and suffered heavy casualties. The Regina Rifle Regiment landed on Nan Beach. Once they took the beach they were involved in house to house urban fighting for Courseulles. By early afternoon Courseulles had been taken and the Canadians were heading south towards Reviers.
Landing among partially submerged beach obstacles, the commanders of the landing craft bringing men to the beaches were forced to decide whether to try to avoid the obstacles or go forward and hope for the best. Amidst rough seas and effective incoming mortar fire, some 30% of the landing craft were either destroyed or damaged.
09:30
Allied Communication to the press
D-Day has come. Early this morning the Allies began the assault on the north-western face of Hitler's European Fortress.
© IWM (CHP 975)
An Act of Heroism
On 12 June, Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Mynarski of the Royal Canadian Air Force was serving as a gunner on board a Lancaster, flying a mission over France. His plane was hit by enemy fire and the crew were ordered to abandon it – but as Mynarski headed to the escape hatch, he saw the rear gunner had become trapped in his turret. He attempted to free his colleague, even as his clothes and parachute caught fire. The rear gunner told him to try to save himself.
‘Reluctantly P/O Mynarski moved to the escape hatch and there, as a last gesture, turned towards the trapped gunner, stood to attention in his flaming clothing, and saluted before jumping,’ the London Gazette reported.
Mynarski suffered severe burns and died from his injuries. The rear gunner survived, able to escape the aircraft after it crashed to the ground.
For his ‘conspicuous act of heroism’, Mynarski was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.
The source for this post is the Imperial War Museum website.
