On 6 June 1944, Allied forces undertook the largest air, land and sea invasion in history. On D-Day, more than 150,000 allied troops stormed five assault beaches in Normandy, attempting to break through Hitler's Atlantic Wall.
Whilst the remnants of the D-Day landings can be seen all around Normandy, the origins of 'Operation Overlord' are still visible across the Solent.
In our latest documentary commemorating the 77th anniversary of the invasion, Dan Snow travelled by land, sea and air along the south coast of England accompanied by the historian and D-Day expert, Stephen Fisher, in order to visit some of these incredible remains.
Up Next in Documentaries
-
D-Day Deception: Operation Bodyguard
British deception before D-Day was such that it tricked the Germans into concentrating their forces around the Pas-de-Calais, rather than near the beaches of Normandy. Blow up tanks, scarecrow paratroopers and dropping tin foil all contributed to creating a huge diversion and helped secure the be...
-
Behind the Photograph: Taxis to Hell ...
At c.7.40am 6 June 1944 Robert F Sargent took one of the most famous photographs from D-Day - and the whole of the Second World War - on a landing craft at Omaha Beach. This is the story behind the photograph.
-
Consolidating in Normandy
Once the beach heads were secure on 6 June 1944, the Allies faced a huge battle for the domination of northern France. Despite landing over 1 million men and having vast air superiority over the German defenders, the Battle for Normandy continued for two more months. In August, several German arm...