How the moon played a crucial role during the D-Day invasion

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1036 GMT (1836 HKT) June 6, 2019

American troops storm the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
American troops storm the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
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The British Army's 50th Infantry Division lands on beaches in Normandy.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
The British Army's 50th Infantry Division lands on beaches in Normandy.
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Four Americans show off their shaved heads, which spell out the word "hell," a few hours before arriving on the beaches of France.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
Four Americans show off their shaved heads, which spell out the word "hell," a few hours before arriving on the beaches of France.
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US troops wait to disembark a landing craft on D-Day. The Allies went to elaborate lengths to maintain secrecy and mislead Adolf Hitler. They employed double agents and used decoy tanks and phony bases in England to hide actual troop movements.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
US troops wait to disembark a landing craft on D-Day. The Allies went to elaborate lengths to maintain secrecy and mislead Adolf Hitler. They employed double agents and used decoy tanks and phony bases in England to hide actual troop movements.
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US paratroopers fix their static lines before a jump over Normandy on D-Day.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
US paratroopers fix their static lines before a jump over Normandy on D-Day.
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US troops huddle behind the protective front of their landing craft as it nears a beachhead in France. Smoke in the background is naval gunfire giving cover to troops on land. 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
US troops huddle behind the protective front of their landing craft as it nears a beachhead in France. Smoke in the background is naval gunfire giving cover to troops on land. 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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Tank landing ships, each towing a protective barrage balloon, leave the English coast carrying supplies to the French beachhead.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
Tank landing ships, each towing a protective barrage balloon, leave the English coast carrying supplies to the French beachhead.
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US troops and vehicles are ready to disembark.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
US troops and vehicles are ready to disembark.
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Commandos with the British Royal Navy's 4th Special Service Brigade advance to Juno Beach.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
Commandos with the British Royal Navy's 4th Special Service Brigade advance to Juno Beach.
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US Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces, gives the order of the day to paratroopers in England. "Full victory — nothing else" was the command just before they boarded their planes to participate in the first wave. The invasion — code-named Operation Overlord — had been brewing for more than two years.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
US Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces, gives the order of the day to paratroopers in England. "Full victory — nothing else" was the command just before they boarded their planes to participate in the first wave. The invasion — code-named Operation Overlord — had been brewing for more than two years.
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Landing craft and a fleet of protection vessels approach Omaha Beach.
Photos: The Allied invasion of Normandy
Landing craft and a fleet of protection vessels approach Omaha Beach.
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