Interesting facts about D-Day

This June marks the eightieth anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, widely-referred to as D-Day, during World War II. On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France. The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history and marked the culmination of planning that began in 1943. D-Day is often characterized as a success that led to the liberation of Europe from the stranglehold of the Nazis, and rightfully so. But the Allied forces paid a heavy price for the victory, as more than 9,000 soldiers lost their lives within the first 24 hours of the landings.

The landings at Normandy have inspired countless books, documentaries and Hollywood productions, but there’s still much to be learned about this momentous occasion in world history. The following are some interesting facts about D-Day.

· The meaning behind the name “D-Day” remains open to debate and has sparked legions of curious individuals to ask what it signifies. In fact, the United States Department of Defense reports that, “What does D-Day stand for?” is the most frequently asked question at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Though a definitive answer may never materialize, the DoD quotes U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower saying all amphibious operations had what was known as a “departed date,” which was often shortened to D-Day. General Eisenhower reportedly noted there were several D-Days during World War II, even if one in particular is more renowned than any other.

· Deception plans played a notable role in the planning and ultimate success of the Normany landings. According to the Imperial War Museums, the D-Day deception plan was codenamed Operation Fortitude, which itself was part of a larger deception strategy known was Operation Bodyguard. Fortitude North aimed to trick the Germans into believing the Allies were planning to launch an attack on Norway, while Fortitude South was designed to deceive the Germans into thinking the invasion of France would occur northeast of Normandy. These deception plans included the usage of dummy tanks and the fictitious First US Army Group (FUSAG), among other efforts.

· Popular western depictions of the Normandy landings often portray largely American and British forces, but the D-Day invasion was a collective success that included troops from many additional countries as well. In addition to troops from the U.S. and Britain, the D-Day invasion involved naval, air and group support from Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Czech, French, Greek, New Zealand, Norwegian, Rhodesian (modern day Zimbabwean), and Polish forces.

· A lone meteorologist might have played as significant a role as anyone in ensuring that D-Day was a success. Though his fellow meteorologists did not recommend any delays, Group Captain James Martin Stagg of the United Kingdom advised General Eisenhower to delay the D-Day invasion, which was originally scheduled for June 5, 1944. Various storms plagued the Atlantic and affected the British Isles in the days before the landings at Normandy, and indeed a storm centered north of Scotland on June 5 would have made the invasion of Normandy far more difficult. Though conditions were not perfect on June 6, they were markedly better, confirming Stagg’s intuition that a delay was the best decision. That intuition left a lasting impression on General Eisenhower, who reportedly later credited his meteorologist when asked by President-Elect John F. Kennedy why the landings at Normandy had proven so successful.