Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
Saturday, April 1st - June 5th, 1944
Allied bombers increase their sorties across Northern and Western France in preparations of the D-Day landings. Targets include the vital railways, railyards, bridges and roads dotting the French landscape. These facilities will prove crucial to the German response to the invasion.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
This date became one of the two best weather options for the Allied invasion of France.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
Weather on May 17th cancels the D-Day operation. Leaving the next best weather window of opportunity to be June 5th.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
June 5th is selected as the next official launch date for D-Day.
Sunday, June 4th, 1944
Official word comes down that the June 5th landings will be postponed due to inclement weather across the North Sea.
Monday, June 5th, 1944
Some 6,000 naval vessels depart from the south of England towards France.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
In preparation for the arrival of the regular armies by way of amphibious landing, British and American airborne paratroopers arrive in France just after midnight.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Elements of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions land across the Cotentin Peninsula. Despite all of the planning, their dropzones are widely scattered.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Brigade land near Benouville.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British paratroopers take the bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British paratroopers destroy the coastal fortifications at Merville.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
No less than five key bridges over the Dives River are blown up by British paratroopers.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Despite the confusion on the part of the misdropped Allied paratroopers, the defending Germans are thrown into an equal level of confusion, noting Allied airdrops all around them.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Allied naval warships open up with their guns on German defensive positions along the French coast.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 6:30AM, American Army forces begin landing at two key beaches, codenamed Utah and Omaha.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
US Army forces arriving at Utah beach find themselves some 2,000 yards away from where they should be. The result is the force finds little German opposition at Utah. Their original landing zone was to be centered around Les-Dunes-de-Varreville. Total casualties from the landing are 300 personnel.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The US Army forces arriving at Omaha beach face a prepared, stout and veteran defense made possible by the German 352nd Division. After 2,400 casualties, the 1st US Infantry Division holds a beachhead.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 7:25AM, forces of the British and Canadian armies wade ashore at beaches codenamed Gold and Juno.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The combined British and Canadian forces at Gold face little opposition and claim their objectives with little incident.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British 50th Division pushed some 6 miles inland.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British 3rd Division arriving at Sword beach face a stouter German defense but are able to overwhelm the enemy and establish a foothold.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
By 8:00AM, most of the German defenders at or near Gold and Sword beaches have been cleared or are on the run.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division makes its way towards Juno beach. The German defenses, heavy seas and underwater obstacles cause a loss of 30 percent of the landing craft. The onshore result is equally grim as the Canadians are assaulted by the prepared Germans.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 10:00AM, British forces out of Gold beach take La Riviere.
Sunday, June 6th, 1943
The Allied D-Day landings in the North of France eventually render the French-German U-boat bases inoperable.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The Canadians out of Juno beach take Bernieres at about 11:00AM.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Near the town of Pouppeville, the US 4th Infantry Division at Utah beach connects with the 101st Airborne Division paratroopers.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British and French special forces elements out of Sword beach connect with the British paratroopers holding the key bridges over the Orne River.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At 4:00PM, the mobilized German 21st Panzer Division launches a counter-attack.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The German counter-attack reaches the beachhead at Sword.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The German 21st Panzer Division is repelled by a combined Allied armor and air assault, saving further actions at Sword.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
By 8:00PM, the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division out of Juno beach connects with the British 50th Division out of Gold beach. This union becomes the largest Allied-held pocket in the north of France to this point.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The first town in France - Ste Mere Eglise - is liberated by the Allies, this honor falling to the American forces from Utah beach and paratroopers from the previous day's drops.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
By midnight, D-Day is more or less over. Not all objectives are captured but progress is made nonetheless.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British and Canadian forces out of Gold and Juno beaches enjoy the largest footholds in France, encompassing land holdings some 9 miles wide and 6.2 miles inland.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The Allied elements at Sword beach hold onto a 6-by-6 mile piece of land though they are still cut off from the Allies at Juno.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Omaha statistics are grim and the group holds the least amount of real estate at just 4.3 miles across and 1.2 miles inland. However, they do hold positions in Vierville sur Mer, Colleville and St-Laurent sur Mer.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
American forces at Utah beach hold pockets of land totaling just over 6 miles.