The D-Day Landings

On 6^th June 1944, the invasion of Normandy by the Allies announced the beginning of the Battle of Normandy, a decisive episode of the Second World War. The Battle of Normandy took place in the three departments of Lower-Normandy and lasted for 10 weeks. It began with the landing of Allied soldiers and paratroopers on the beaches of Calvados and the Cotentin. The Allies chose the Baie de Seine for their invasion, between the east coast of the Cotentin and Ouistreham. The Baie de Seine was a strategic area, allowing Allied troops to take the harbour of Cherbourg and gain access to supplies.

On D-Day, on the night of 5^th-6^th June 1944, 150 000 men crossed the Channel aboard 9 000 ships, under the protection of 120 warships and more than 3 000 fighter and bomber aircraft. The Allies landed on several zones between Carentan, Sainte-Mère-Eglise and Utah Beach.

The Americans deployed remarkable logistics using enormous material resources. The primary objective of this operation was to reach the coast and establish a bridgehead between the Cotentin and the Orne.

The decision to attack on 6^th June 1944 had been difficult for General Eisenhower to take, given the risks and forecasts of casualties. Despite the weaknesses of some American units, the Allies crossed the famous “Atlantic Wall ” 24 hours after landing on the beaches.

Discover all the sites, museums and guided tours dedicated to the D-Day landings in the Bay of Cotentin .