On June 6, 1944, D-Day - the largest amphibious assault in history - took place as more than 150,000 American, British, and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coast. This risky invasion of France’s Normandy region caused over 4,000 Allied casualties on the first day alone. Code-named Operation Overlord, the Normandy campaign led to the liberation of France and the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.
According to National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Curator Jeff Duford, the contribution of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) to the D-Day invasion was essential to its success and unprecedented in its concentration and size.