Why were the Normandy Landings such a remarkable achievement for the Allies?

The Normandy Landings of 6 June 1944 (D-Day) formed the opening phase of Operation Overlord, the Allied plan for the invasion of Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. This immense undertaking involved forces from twelve Allied nations, deploying over 155,000 troops by sea and air on D-Day alone, supported by thousands of ships and aircraft. It is often seen as a turning point in the conflict and one of the greatest successes in military history. However, knowing now that it succeeded can make it easy to overlook just how risky and complex the operation was at the time, and how easily it could have failed. This investigation will explore why, because of these immense challenges, the Normandy Landings were such a remarkable achievement for the Allies.

Your challenge

We have a box of sources from the Churchill Archive for you to investigate.

• Your challenge is to study the sources in the Source Box, decide why the Normandy Landings were such a remarkable achievement and then present your case.
• Your teacher will be able to help you with a recording framework and suggestions on how to present your work.

➜ Background information

➜ The sources

➜ Notes for teachers

Map of the D-day landings, 6 June 1944 (CC 4.0 Wikimedia Commons).

Above: "Into the Jaws of Death — U.S. Troops wading through water and Nazi gunfire”, circa 1944-06-06.