The D-Day operation took place 80 years ago this morning.
It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and began the liberation of France, and the rest of Western Europe, during the Second World War.
Here is how D-Day unfolded on June 6, 1944:
Midnight: British RAF bombs German coastal batteries north of Caen.
Midnight to 2 a.m: The Ox & Bucks Light Infantry land by gliders east of Sword Beach and seize two bridges across the Caen Canal.
3 a.m: Allied minesweepers begin clearing waterways ahead of the invasion fleet.
5:35 a.m: German batteries begin firing on fleet. Allied ships return fire and bombard coastal defenses.
6:30 a.m: Troops begin landing on Utah and Omaha beaches.
7:26 a.m: Troops begin landing at Sword Beach.
7:30 a.m: 2nd Ranger Battalion scales 100-foot cliff at Pointe-du-Hoc and later captures German 155mm cannons.
7:35 a.m: Troops begin landing at Gold Beach.
8 a.m: Troops begin landing at Juno Beach.
9:50 a.m: U.S. destroyers move in close to Omaha Beach and begin shelling German targets.
10:15 a.m: Allied naval shells destroy vital German artillery at Colleville-sur-Mer and Pointe de la Percee..
11:10 a.m: 101st Airborne and 4th Infantry troops link up at Pouppeville.
12:03 p.m: British paratroopers and commandos from Sword Beach link up at Orne bridges.
12:30 p.m: Allied forces move inland. More than 18,000 U.S. soldiers have landed.
1 p.m: U.S. soldiers capture Vierville.
10:30 p.m: British troops liberate town of Arromanches-les-Bains.
Midnight: All five beaches at Normandy are declared secure.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
