Pathfinders jump to mark the drop zones for the airborne troops. In the east, The 6th British Airborne Division. Mission: Protect the left flank of the landing area and destroy the Merville Battery. In the West, the 82nd and the 101st U.S. Airborne Divisions. Mission: Protect the right flank, cut the South of the Cotentin Peninsula, seize the beach exits from Utah Beach and capture the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise.

A coup-de-main force, composed of 180 british soldiers under Major J. Howard aboard 6 Horsa gliders lands near the Caen Canal and Orne Bridges. Mission: capture both bridges and hold them until relieved near Benouville-Ranville. The first glider stopped only 40 meters from the Bénouville Bridge, while the second and third landed at about a hundred meters. Both bridges are captured in less than 15 minutes and the unit was able to send the “Ham & Jam” victory message.

The first pathfinders of the 82d Airborne jump over Normandy to mark the three DZs assigned to the division. The 369 C-47s carrying the units of the division will arrive 30 minutes after.

A german officer of the 716 Infanterie-Division phones General Marcks in St-Lô and reports that enemy paratroopers have landed east of the Orne river.

USS Ancon, flagship of the Omaha assault force, drops anchor 11 miles off the coast undetected.

Mission “Chicago”: 52 CG-4 (WACO) gliders towed by C-47s from the 434th Troop Carrier Group land on LZ “ E” north of Hiesville. They bring 158 men, 16x 57mm antitank guns of the 81st AA battalion, 1 baby bulldozer,1 advanced surgical unit, 1 radio jeep and 1 trailer carrying a SCR 199 for long-distance communications with England. All this materiel is for the 101st Airborne.

In front of Omaha Beach, assault units are transfered from transport ships to LCVPs and LCAs.

Midget Submarines HMS X-23 and X-20 surface a mile off the Normandy coast and 20 miles apart. These two ships mark the limits of the anglo-canadian sector. Their task is to raise a mast equiped with strobe lights and to set-up optical and radio-electrical guiding devices. They will then lead the way for the invasion fleet.

The Longues-sur-Mer battery opens fire for the first time, firing ten shots on the USS Emmons without result. The battery also fires on the USS Arkansas, but the battleship returns fire with 20 rounds of 305mm and 110 rounds of 127mm. The battery then turns its guns east as closer targets enter it’s fire zone.

American aviators relieve the R.A.F. 1,365 bombers drop 4,000 tons of bombs while the navy continues shooting.

At Utah Beach all bombardment stops. The strong currents have scattered the 4th American division during the first wave of assault. By mistake, they have deviated 1800 meters to the south — a lucky error because German defenses are less concentrated there and obstacles are less numerous. Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. decides to land the following convoys in the same place.

On the German side, there is consternation and exasperation. In the upper ranks, some officers believe what is happening, but others do not believe the landing has begun. General Alfred Jodl refuses to send in Panzer reinforcements before receiving Hitler’s approval. Yet he refuses to wake him for permission. Hitler went to bed at 0400 hrs and gave orders not to be awakened before 0900 hrs.

At Point Du Hoc 225 Rangers under Colonel Rudder attack the eastern face of the cliff at Pointe du Hoc, hoping to take out the German battery situated at its summit. It is necessary to take this 30-meter cliff because of the threat to troops on Omaha and Utah Beaches from the 155mm gun battery up on top. Twenty minutes after the beginning of the assault, the casemates are taken from the Germans, but unfortunately in vain: the artillery has already been moved.

The men of the 3rd Battalion 502 PIR (101st Airborne) under Lt Colonel Robert Cole occupy Exit 3 of Utah Beach near Audouville-la-Hubert.

At the headquarters of the 3/16th RCT at Omaha Beacn, the capture of WN60 is announced, the first strong point to fall to the Americans. Attacked on both flanks since 0830 hrs, the German 352nd Infantry Division feels the brunt of the attack, and 31 soldiers are captured.

Rommel, unaware of the landings, calls his Chief of Staff Lt. General Hans Speidel to get confirmation. He decides to drive immediately back to France,and cancels his meeting with Hitler.

At Omaha Beach strong point WN65 is destroyed. This German fortification point protected Exit E1 and access to the Ruquet valley.

Churchill speaks to the House of Commons: “I have to announce to the Chamber that the first series of mass landings on the European continent have begun; and most batteries along the coast have been taken. Everything is running according to plan.”

At Omaha Beach the Germans surrender the strategic fortification WN72. This German strong point situated in Dog Green sector protected the Exit D1 and gave access to the village of Vierville-sur-mer.

The first Titanic team made of 3 men jumps and lands in a field 8km west of Saint-Lô. Titanic teams install amplifiers to play combat noises, mortar explosions and the sound of soldiers cursing. 200 dummy paratropers are dropped from C-47 planes. The objective of the Titanic operations is to confuse the local german anti-paratrooper units and had them searching in vain while the real airborne landings were taking place.

60 pathfinders of the 22nd Independent Parachute Company jump over Normandy to mark the three drop zones that will be used for the 6th British Airborne Division paratroopers. The jump does not go as planned due to strong winds and german flak disorienting the Albermale crews scattering the pathfinders all over the countryside.

The first bombers of the 8th US Air Force are taking off from England to support the ground forces. 1,198 aircrafts head for the coast line and 163 for the city of Caen. The strikes will take place until 0529 hrs.

Colonel Hamann, officer in charge of the 709 Intanterie-Division phones St-Lô and reports that enemy paratroopers have landed around Ste-Mere-Eglise. Every german battalion, battery, and regimental headquarters is placed on full alert.

The 5,000 war ships and transports arrive to their lowering positions in front of Normandy. Protected by 2,000 aircrafts, they drop anchor 15 miles off the coast. Two midget submarines, which arrived two days earlier, are surfacing to mark the british assault sector.

Mission “Detroit”: 52 gliders land on LZ “O” north west of Ste-Mere-Eglise. They bring A and B batteries, 80th AA Battalion, and headquarters for 82d Airborne, artillery, and signals.

Field Marshall von Rundstedt orders the 12 SS Panzer Division and Panzer-Lehr to move immediately to Calvados. At OKW, Jodl, angered by the order, cancels it at 0630 and decides to wait for Hitler to wake up.

1,136 RAF aircrafts drop 6,000 tons of bombs of the coastal defenses.

Task Force 125 warships open fire on the Utah Beach batteries. A few minutes later, 276 B-26 Marauders of the 9th Air Force drop 4,404 250lbs bombs on seven targets from les Dunes-de-Varreville to Beauguillot.

B-24 Red Ass of the 446th Bomb Group drops it’s first bombs above Vierville. 480 B-24 bombers carrying 1,285 tons of ordnance are supposed to obliterate the strongpoints on the coast between Port-en-Bessin and the Pointe de la Percée, but because of the low ceiling and visibility the mission is a complete failure. Omaha Beach’s WNs are intact and 117 B-24s return England with full bays.

At Omaha Beach the 1st and the 29th American Divisions land over a 6.5 kilometer stretch of front. Out of 29 amphibian tanks put to sea, 27 sink. The German blockhouses resist bombardmenst and the landing troops are subject to heavy fire. The survivors shelter behind rock levies or other obstacles on the beach. Troops continue to stream onto the beach despite enemy fire, and are blocked on the beach or massacred.

The Supreme Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower, receives an emergency transmission from Sir Trafford Leigh Mallory, the Air Marshal. The message is brief: “Parachuting has gone well.”

At Gold Beach the 50th British Division under Major General Graham lands on a 5-kilometer front of beach east of the chosen site. The German artillery and machine guns slow down the offensive. Graham’s mission: establish a foothold in the cliffs at Arromanches and quickly take Bayeux.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division under General R.F.L. Keller lands in two waves, at 0745 hrs and 0755 hrs. They are running fifteen minutes behind schedule. Seven amphibian tanks out of 29 sink. The German resistance is relentless. Keller’s mission: direct troops to Caen and take the aerodrome at Carpiquet.

At Omaha Beach G Company of the 16th RCT reaches the summit dominating Easy Red sector.

Hitler awakes. He listens to the latest communiqués and then calls for Keitel and Jodl.

At Omaha Beach officers regroup units and move among obstacles and minefields, searching for an exit out of this hell. Colonel George A. Taylor pronounces his famous sentence: “Two sorts of people are going to stay on this beach, those who are dead and those who are going to die. Let’s get the hell out of here!” Two thousand dead and wounded are strewn upon the beach, mixed in with the drowning victims thrown up on beach by the tide. Two destroyers approach the coast to within 1100 meters in order to bomb key points to the east of Moulins. Men of the E/16th RCT seize WN64 situated to the east of Ruquet valley (Exit E1).

The four beach exits at Utah Beach are in the hands of the 101st Airborne paratroopers. The 12th RCT has begun landing on the beaches, while the 2/8th RCT has reached the outskirts of Pouppeville.

General O. Bradley receives a message from Omaha Beach: “Troops here blocked on the ground at Easy Red.” Advancing through the cliffs overlooking Easy Green and Easy Red, reinforcements are arriving and the injured being evacuated.”

The first pathfinders of the 101st Airborne jump over Normandy to mark their division’s drop zones. The C-47s carrying the division are supposed to arrive 45 minutes after the first pathfinders land.

On the east flank, thousands of britsh paratroopers land in the dark and regroup to accomplish their missions: clear and secure the glider landing zones, destroy the Merville battery, blow the 5 bridges on the Dives river and reinforce Major Howard’s party at Bénouville. To the west, 13,000 US paratroopers descend on Normandy, but units are scattered, men are drowning in the flooded areas and 70% of the heavy equipment is lost.

The successive air drops are now over. Firefights errupt everywhere. To the east, Ranville is captured. To the west, General Gavin regroups his scattered paratroopers and heads for Ste-Mere-Eglise.

USS Bayfield, flag ship of Rear Admiral Don P. MOON and carrying the commander of the Utah Beach assault force Major General Joseph L. Collins drops anchor 11,5 miles off the coast.

The HQ of the 91 Infanterie-Division near Picauville reports being under attack. The 716 Infanterie-Division reports ennemy paratroopers near Amfreville, Breville, Gonneville, and Herouvillette.

T3rd Battalion, 505th PIR under Lt.Col. Edward C. Krause capture the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, a main objective for the 101st Airbone Division.

The 9th Para Battalion, under Lt.Col. T. Otway captures the battery at Merville. Initially composed of 700 men, only 150 were able to regroup after a bad drop with a single heavy machinegun. The battery was assaulted at 0400 and 45 minutes later the german garrison surrendered, at the cost of 70 british paratroppers killed. Lt.Col. T. Otway can at last fire a yellow flare as a victory sign to HMS Arethusa only 15 minutes before the Light Cruiser was due to open fire on the battery.

As part of the 1st Division (The Big Red One) the 741st Tank Battalion is launched 6,000 meters from Omaha beach. Of the 32 DD tanks, 27 will sink in the rough sea and 3 can’t be launched from their transport. Despite the risks, the 743rd Tank Battalion decides to land their DDs directly on the beach.

Day breaks. It is grey, cold and rainy. The wind stirs up 2-meter waves on the sea. Warships open fire on the coastal batteries.

Rocket launcher barges approach the beaches, spraying them with salvoes of rockets: 20,000 in the British sector (Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches) and 18,000 in the American sector (Utah and Omaha Beaches).

The bombing over Gold Beach and to the west of Juno Beach begins. 385 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Division strike the coastal batteries and strong points between Longues-sur-Mer and Courseulles-sur-Mer. At the same time, 322 B-17s of the 3rd Bombardment Division operate in the east of Juno sector and over Sword Beach, striking the batteries and defences between Bernières and Ouistreham.

The second assault wave at Omaha Beach begins.

At Sword Beach the 3rd British Division under the command of General T.D. Rennie lands on time. The naval and aerial bombing on German defenses was effective, but heavy fighting slows down the soldiers’ progress. The 177 French soldiers under Commando Group Kieffer land on the Orne River at Colleville, the easternmost point of the invasion. Rennie’s mission: take the right bank of the Orne River, liaison with the 6th Airborne and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, take Caen and the Carpiquet aerodrome by nightfall.

At Utah Beach the offensive begins. Patrols advance behind the dunes to join forces with paratroopers from both American divisions. At Omaha Beach the Americans are still halted by German fire. The rising tide forces reinforcements to advance under fire. Destroyers and rocket launcher barges approach the beach to destroy the German blockhouses. Losses are enormous. At Gold, Juno and Sword, the British and Canadians clear the beaches and begin their progress inland.

Communiqué number 1 from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces is broadcast: “Under the command of General Eisenhower, allied naval forces supported by strong air forces, began landing allied armies, this morning, on the northern coast of France.”

Third platoon Company D of the 505th PIR (82nd Airborne), under orders of Lt Turner Turnbull engages in combat at Neuville-au-Plain, outnumbered by the enemy 5 to 1. Thanks to their firepower and determination, the paratroopers hold off the enemy for 8 hours.

After serious engagement with German troops, Lord Lovat, following his bagpipe player, Bill Millin, leads his commando troop of Green Berets to the bridge at Benouville, where they have come to relieve Major Howard and his troops. The beaches continue to be cleared. Except for small pockets of resistance, the Atlantic Wall no longer exists.

The city of Caen receives its first bombing of the day. 73 B-24 of the 2d Bombardment Division drop 155.75 tons of bombs over the town. The neighborhoods of Saint Jean, Saint Julien and the area around the castle are hit.

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All the above information was sourced from 6juin1944.com, a vast source of knowledge on the subject of D-Day.

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