D Day
“This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place. It involves tides, wind, waves, visibility, as well as the combined use of land, air and sea forces... We cannot yet measure its success. But all is proceeding according to plan. And what a plan!”
-Winston Churchill, Speech to the House of Commons on June 6, 1944
On June 6, 2025, we mark the 81st anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy,
known as D-Day, which was the largest amphibious assault in history and signaled the
beginning of the end of the European Theater in the Second World War. Amphibious invasions
are among the most daunting military operations, since they typically involve landing
thousands of soldiers from sea to land onto hostile territory, thus requiring sophisticated
planning and advanced logistics. They are also not a modern phenomenon, as there are
many ancient precedents, such as the Persian invasions of Greece during the Persian
Wars in the 5th century BCE, and the Roman invasions of Britain in the 1st century
BCE led by Julius Caesar. While amphibious invasions often have the potential to serve
as spectacular examples of military heroism and remarkable strategic success, they
can also end in utter disaster, such as occurred during the First World War during
the Gallipoli campaign from April 1915 to January 1916, when the British sought control
of the Turkish Strait to carve a direct pathway to capture Istanbul, the capital of
the Ottoman Empire. Yet, if Gallipoli is considered a famously disastrous amphibious
assault due to inadequate planning, poor intelligence, lack of coordination, and failed
leadership, D-Day in the Second World War contrasts as a glorious triumph, and not
only due to incredible military organization and capacity, but because of the righteous
cause that fueled the effort.
On D-Day, such a coordination of men, airpower, naval, and landing craft had never been attempted in the 3,000-year history of amphibious assaults, and the enormous success achieved in both the planning and execution makes it the singular most impressive and significant military event in world history. D-Day ultimately served as the first phase in a series of objectives codenamed Operation Overlord, which was the Allied plan to launch a second front in Europe and crush the Nazis in a two-front enclosure. The term “D-Day,” while forever associated with June 6, 1944, was a common military reference to a specific planned operation, such as “D-Day” or “H-Hour,” to maintain the secrecy of the actual time of the event. In the first phase of Overlord, approximately 156,200 troops landed along a stretch of beaches in northern France between Caen and Cherbourg, given Anglo-American code names like Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword, and while the vast majority of the troops who landed were from the United States, Britain, and Canada, nine other nations contributed as well, by offering equipment, aircraft, ships, or logistical support. The massive armada included over 12,000 planes, including 5,000 fighters, 2,000 bombers, 800 gliders, and 4,000 transport aircraft, coordinated with approximately 7,000 naval vessels, which included 1,200 warships, 4,100 pieces of landing craft, and hundreds more support and transport ships. The world had not seen such a lethal, well-coordinated, and swiftly moving amphibious invasion, which altered the trajectory of the war.
Yet, the brave warriors of D-Day sacrificed much on the long road to liberating Europe, since the allies sustained over 10,000 dead, wounded, or missing in action, and demonstrated that the freedom-loving nations of the world were willing and able to marshal their resources and manpower on an unrivaled scale to defeat fascism. The Allied forces at D-Day were not trying to expand an empire or settle a score, but rather, were fighting to liberate a continent from the menacing force of Nazi occupation, and it was these unprecedented conditions which required an unprecedented response. While military historians marvel at the stunning military success of D-Day as a strategic and tactical victory without equal, the overall significance of D-Day presents itself to be something larger and far more symbolic. In a broader context, D-Day ultimately represents the victory of freedom over fascism, liberty over oppression, and the impact of international cooperation and the collective will to defeat evil, and we remember these heroes 81 years later.
Dr. Angela L. Ash
Professor of History/History Coordinator
Dr. Angela Ash, a Professor of History, has been a full-time faculty member at OCTC for nearly 14 years. She is also the History Coordinator for OCTC, the Heritage Curriculum Chair for KCTCS, and the OCTC Hager Scholars Program Coordinator. In addition, Dr. Ash is president of a local non-profit, the Owensboro Area World Affairs Council, whose mission is to advance global understanding in our community. She is also a proud Veteran of the United States Navy.
