D-Day: Debunking the myths of the Normandy landings

James Holland

Updated 1323 GMT (2123 HKT) June 6, 2016

American troops storm the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in history. More than 160,000 Allied troops -- about half of them Americans -- invaded Western Europe, overwhelming German forces in an operation that proved to be a turning point in World War II.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
American troops storm the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in history. More than 160,000 Allied troops -- about half of them Americans -- invaded Western Europe, overwhelming German forces in an operation that proved to be a turning point in World War II.
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U.S. troops wait to disembark a landing craft on D-Day.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
U.S. troops wait to disembark a landing craft on D-Day.
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American troops help their injured comrades after their landing craft was fired upon. Allied forces secured the beaches at a cost of about 10,000 casualties.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
American troops help their injured comrades after their landing craft was fired upon. Allied forces secured the beaches at a cost of about 10,000 casualties.
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French commandos equipped with bicycles disembark from their landing craft after Allied forces stormed the Normandy beaches. Germans rained mortars and artillery down on Allied troops, killing many before they could even get out of their boats. Fighting was especially fierce at Omaha Beach, where Nazi fighters nearly wiped out the first wave of invading forces and left the survivors struggling for cover.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
French commandos equipped with bicycles disembark from their landing craft after Allied forces stormed the Normandy beaches. Germans rained mortars and artillery down on Allied troops, killing many before they could even get out of their boats. Fighting was especially fierce at Omaha Beach, where Nazi fighters nearly wiped out the first wave of invading forces and left the survivors struggling for cover.
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The British Army's 50th Infantry Division lands on beaches in Normandy. This photograph is part of an exhibit in London at the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/history/d-day" target="_blank">Imperial War Museum</a>.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
The British Army's 50th Infantry Division lands on beaches in Normandy. This photograph is part of an exhibit in London at the Imperial War Museum.
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