D-Day: When the Tide Turned
Eighty years ago today, U.S., British, and Canadian forces simultaneously landed on five beachheads in western Europe—code-named Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword, and Utah—in a mission that marked a turning point in World War II. By the end of August all of Nazi-occupied northern France was liberated, and the invading forces reorganized for the drive into Germany, where they would eventually meet with Soviet forces advancing from the east to bring an end to the Nazi Reich.
Explore the Normandy Invasion in this Comprehensive Portal
U.S. Coast Guard
D-Day in Pictures
U.S. Army photograph
Explaining WWII in Five Questions
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Phantom Armada
In the run-up to the Normandy Invasion, Allied forces employed a classic wartime deception: amass a fake army. Operation Fortitude—one of many interlocking deception operations and suboperations—used a variety of tactics to direct Nazi Germany’s attention away from Normandy. Here’s more on this often unsung operation.
Misdirection
The goal of Operation Fortitude was to make Nazi Germany believe that the Allies were poised to attack Norway and the Pas-de-Calais region of France. To sell the deception, the Allies employed a fictitious army known as the First U.S. Army Group, made up of thousands of fake tanks and airplanes as well as decoy buildings and other infrastructure on England’s southeast coast.
Disinformation
The U.S. command then announced that Gen. George S. Patton—the most feared and respected general by the German high command—would lead this fictitious army. The Allies generated fake radio transmissions to deceive the Germans into thinking that an invasion would take place at Calais in mid-July. And they used double-agents to feed this information to Nazi Germany.
Seeing is believing
The Allies also allowed German reconnaissance aircraft to photograph the site of their ghost army. By this point in the war, the Allies had cracked the Enigma code as well as another German encryption system, which meant they could monitor the false info they were pushing, and assess its effects.
Popular on Britannica
Features
- Why Was Nazi Germany Called the Third Reich?
- Why Is Pride Month Celebrated in June?
- Why Is the Indy 500 Held on Memorial Day Weekend?
- Why New York Is Called "The Big Apple" and How 8 Other Famous Cities Got Their Nicknames
- How Did the Rainbow Flag Become a Symbol of LGBTQ Pride?
- Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?
- Does Ball Lightning Exist?
- Estimated Battle Casualties During the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944
- Why Do Bananas Turn Brown?
- What’s the Difference Between Asian and African Elephants?
Lists
- 10 Best Hockey Players of All Time
- The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online
- 7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers
- 7 Deadliest Weapons in History
- 6 of the First Women to Become Heads of State
- 12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
- Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs
- Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
- 9 American Political Scandals
- 6 Animals That Eat Their Mates
A tour through the body
The intricacy of the body’s systems have fascinated people throughout history. Here they are, up close and personal.
Dog sports
These organized contests provide exercise and mental stimulation for dogs, and plenty of entertainment for the rest of us.
Featured Videos
See All Videos
What is the history of same-sex marriage?
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Britannica Premium Subscription
Unlock Exclusive Content!
Britannica's content is among the most trusted in the world. Every article is written, and continually fact-checked, by our experts. Subscribe to Britannica Premium and unlock our entire database of trusted content today.
Subscribe Now!Explore Britannica
More From Britannica
ProCon.org
Award-winning ProCon.org promotes critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting the pro and con arguments to controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.
Britannica Money
Discover all you need to know about retirement, investing, and household finance, without the jargon or agenda. Get reliable guidance, insight, and easy-to-understand explanations, written, edited, and verified to Britannica’s exacting standards.
Advocacy for Animals
Presenting Advocacy for Animals, a blog focused primarily on animal rights, wildlife conservation, environmental health and safety, and the legal and cultural issues related to these topics. This blog is a source of information and a call to action. It is meant to be a provocation and a stimulus to thought regarding humanity’s relationship with nonhuman animals.
Alain Elkann Interviews
Alain has been writing a weekly interview column for the Italian newspaper La Stampa since 1989. His interviews celebrate some of the best known and successful personalities of the present day.