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

By Ashley Strickland, CNN

Updated 1036 GMT (1836 HKT) June 6, 2019

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American troops storm the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.
Photos: In pictures: 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: In pictures: 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: In pictures: 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: In pictures: 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: In pictures: 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.