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Photo # 26-G-2349:  Troops and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard manned LCVP as it approaches a beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- EVENTS -- World War II in Europe --

Normandy Invasion, June 1944
-- The "D-Day" Landings, 6 June 1944

The following first draft text will be considerably revised:
The Normandy invasion took place in the Bay of the Seine, on the south side of the English Channel between the Cotentin Peninsula and the port of Le Havre. Some fifty-five miles broad and twenty deep, its waters were shallow, had a considerable tidal range, and, when the wind blew from the northward, could be very choppy. The planned landing beaches covered about forty-five miles of the Bay's shoreline. Westernmost was "Utah" Area, stretching eight miles southward along the low-lying southeastern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula. Directly to the east was "Omaha" Area, covering twelve miles of generally hilly terrain. United States forces were assigned to take both of those areas, with important assistance from the navies of Great Britain and other Allies. British and Canadian troops would assault the areas code-named "Gold", "Juno", and "Sword", which ran twenty miles eastward from "Omaha". This sector ended at the mouth of the Orne River, some fifteen miles west of Le Havre, where the German Navy based a group of potentially very dangerous torpedo boats.

The actual landing beaches occupied a fraction of the width of each area, but were intended to provide sufficient initial footholds to allow rapid reinforcement and expansion inland, with the attacking soldiers joining their flanks to create a continuous beachhead perimeter before the enemy could mount a major counterattack. Each area would be assaulted by approximately one army division, with initial landings being made by much smaller units at 6:30AM in the American areas and about an hour later in the British. Their arrival on the shore was to follow a bombardment by ships' guns and aircraft ordnance, kept relatively brief to maintain as much as possible of the element of surprise. As a result, German shore defenses frequently remained intact, and would prove troublesome to both the landing forces and ships offshore.

To protect the invasion zone's western extremity, and to facilitate the "Utah" landing force's movement into the Cotentin Peninsula, the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions descended by parachute and glider in the small hours of "D-Day", 6 June 1944. Though badly scattered and lacking much of their equipment, these brave paratroopers kept the Germans occupied and helped ensure that the "Utah" Beach assault went relatively easily. The British and Canadian attacks, assisted by an air-dropped division on their eastern flank and a longer naval bombardment, generally also went well.

Not so in the "Omaha" area, where deep beaches backed by steep hills meant that the U.S. troops landing there were exposed to withering fire from enemy small arms, machine guns and artillery. Casualties were very heavy and the assult only succeeded after a day of brutal fighting, with warships coming in close to provide direct gunfire in support of the hard-pressed soldiers.

By nightfall on the sixth of June, the situation was favorable, even on Omaha. Entered the popular culture as THE "D-Day", a name it has retained ever since.

Note: This page, and those linked from it, are overwhelmingly concerned with amphibious landings in the American sector of the Normandy invasion area. Only a few views may show operations in the British and Canadian sectors, and there is virtually nothing on the airborne assaults. This reflects the nature of the images available in our collection and is in no way intended to deemphasize very significant British, Canadian and paratrooper contributions to the Normandy invasion. For pictorial coverage of non-U.S. participation in Operation "Overlord", we recommend contacting British and Canadian institutions. The U.S. Army photo collection in the U.S. National Archives should contain whatever coverage exists of the airborne assaults.

This page features, and provides links to, views of 6 June 1944 operations on, and off, miscellaneous and unidentified beaches. It also has links to coverage of the 6 June landings on "Omaha" and "Utah" Beaches.

For further images of the "D-Day" landings, see:

  • The "D-Day" Landings, 6 June 1944 -- Part II;
  • "D-Day" Landings on "Omaha" Beach;
  • "D-Day" Landings at the Pointe du Hoc; and
  • "D-Day" Landings on "Utah" Beach.

    For other pictures related to the invasion of Normandy, see:

  • Normandy Invasion, June 1944 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: USAF 52406 A.C.

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    "D-Day" beach traffic, photographed from a Ninth Air Force bomber on 6 June 1944.
    Note vehicle lanes leading away from the landing areas, and landing craft left aground by the tide.

    Official U.S. Air Force Photograph.

    Online Image: 154KB; 590 x 765 pixels

     
    Photo #: 26-G-2349

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    Troops and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard manned LCVP as it approaches a Normandy beach on "D-Day", 6 June 1944.

    Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 127KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 26-G-2370

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    Coast Guard manned USS LST-21 unloads British Army tanks and trucks onto a "Rhino" barge during the early hours of the invasion, 6 June 1944.
    Note the nickname "Virgin" on the "Sherman" tank at left.

    Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 94KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 26-G-2335

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    A loaded "Rhino" ferry approaches the invasion beaches on "D-Day", 6 June 1944. This ferry is RHF-3, with "Rhino" tug RHT-3 assisting.
    Note the name "Hell's Angels" on the RHT-3's conning station shields.
    A U.S. Coast Guard 83-foot rescue boat is in the distance.

    Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

    Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-252367

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    LCM landing craft pass USS LCI(L)-323 (at right, with a barrage balloon overhead) and an LCT off the invasion beaches, 6 June 1944.
    Taken by Combat Photo Unit Eight (CPU-8).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 79KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-59406

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    Convoy of attack transports (APA) and LSTs anchored off shore in preparation for the invasion of France.
    Photograph filed 10 June 1944.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 610 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     

    For further images of the "D-Day" landings, see:

  • The "D-Day" Landings, 6 June 1944 -- Part II;
  • "D-Day" Landings on "Omaha" Beach;
  • "D-Day" Landings at the Pointe du Hoc; and
  • "D-Day" Landings on "Utah" Beach.

    For other pictures related to the invasion of Normandy, see:

  • Normandy Invasion, June 1944 -- Overview and Special Image Selection.


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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    Page made 19 January 2004