[caption id="attachment_1122" align="alignright" width="201" caption="Gen. Eisenhower's D-Day Order. Click to Read."] [/caption] The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. The landings commenced on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 0630. In planning, D-Day was the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent on final approval. The assault was conducted in two phases: an air assault landing of American, British and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 0630. The operation was the largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time, with 160,000 troops landing on June 6, 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and materiel from the United Kingdom by troop-laden aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. The landings took place along a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Below is a documentary describing the D-Day invasion, and to your right is the original order from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. Never forget the sacrifices made by those brave soldiers on that fateful day. If you enjoyed this, then I can guarantee that you will enjoy Band of Brothers, a series that explores the lives of the men who took part in D-Day and the battles that followed.