June 6, 1944 – D-Day

Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the largest amphibious invasion in history (code-named Operation Overlord).  It was the beginning of the end of World War II, which had been raging for almost 5 years.

Four years after the desperate rescue of British and some Allied troops trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk, the Allies returned to the continent, this time along several beaches in Normandy. Hitler’s Atlantic Wall was breached by approximately 160,000 Allied soldiers landing on French soil, supported by over 5,000 ships and thousands of aircraft.

Thirteen Polish Air Force squadrons, based in England, flew 250 sorties on the day of June 6 alone. Bomber squadrons struck ground targets to support the naval landings, while fighter squadrons flew escort for the thousands of paratroopers dropping into France.

The Polish Navy also participated in the Normandy landings. Cruiser ORP Dragon supported British troops landing on Sword Beach, and received several near misses from a German coastal battery. Destroyers ORP Ślązak, ORP Krakowiak, ORP Piorun and ORP Błyskawica protected vulnerable Allied transport ships from German attacks.

The 1st Polish Armored Division, under General Maczek, was deployed in subsequent landings at Normandy in late July and early August. There would be another year of hard fighting before Germany was finally defeated.

One of the best feature films about D-Day is The Longest Day, based on Cornelius Ryan’s book of the same title. It tells the story of D-Day from both the Allied and German sides — illuminating both the big picture and individual character story lines — and includes a host of famous actors, some of whom had served in World War II. Definitely worth watching!

Below is a British Pathé newsreel reporting on the D-Day landings: