Remembering D-Day

Code-named 'Operation Overlord,' the Allied invasion of Normandy was a massive logistical effort involving nearly 156,000 troops and more than 12,000 aircraft.

Wednesday, June 05, 2024 at 11:35 AM ET

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On D-Day, Douglas C-47 troop carrying plans of the 9th AF, towing gliders loaded with airborne infantry are on the way to the French coast to participate in the initial assault behind enemy lines. [Courtesy: National Archives and Records Administration]

Key Takeaways:

D-Day (Operation Overlord) on June 6, 1944, marked its 80th anniversary as a monumental logistical undertaking involving nearly 156,000 Allied troops, ships, and 13,000 aircraft, seen as the beginning of WWII's end.
The invasion required advanced engineering and coordination, unfolding in intricate phases from midnight paratrooper drops and feigned attacks to naval bombardments and the main beach landings.
Crucial Allied aircraft, like the C-47, were temporarily marked with distinctive black and white "invasion stripes" for identification; vintage warbirds now display these markings while participating in 80th-anniversary flyovers and airshows in France.

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June 6 marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, in 1944. Code-named Operation Overlord, it was a massive logistical effort involving nearly 156,000 American, British, Canadian, free French, and Polish troops landing on five beaches along the coast of France.

The invasion required advances in engineering and logistical planning as well as coordination of thousands of troops, ships, and aircraft to make it work.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.