A historic day in World War II
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces launched the greatest amphibious invasion the world has ever seen. The historic D-day invasion of Normandy, France, was a turning point in World War II, but it was just the initial assault in a massive operation that liberated Western Europe from the grip of Nazi Germany, on May 7, 1945.
Today, D-day is remembered by many as the beginning of the end of World War II, but in the predawn hours of that pivotal day, success was not assured. After years of fighting and strategic planning, the stakes were enormous for the supreme command of the Allied Expeditionary Force and the more than 160,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen who crossed the English Channel that day.
This collection of documents reveals the dogged determination and endurance of the Allied forces that made D-day the triumph we celebrate today.
On display in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Museum, May 23, 2019 - July 2, 2019.
"Photograph of American soldiers landing off the coast of France under heavy Nazi machine gun fire, June 6, 1944."
National Archives, Record of the U.S. Coast Guard
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D-Day Statement to Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
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"In Case of Failure" Message Drafted by General Dwight Eisenhower in Case the D-Day Invasion Failed
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
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“General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the order of the day, ’Full victory-nothing else‘ to paratroopers in England, just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe,” June 5, 1944
National Archives, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer
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Notes of D-Day Operations by Major Stanley Bach
National Archives, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-
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Exit Path Map for Omaha Beach
National Archives, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917-
View in the Online Catalog
Related:
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Special Film Screening: 75th Anniversary of D-day: "The True Glory"
Thursday, June 6, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
We will screen a digitally restored version of the the film "The True Glory," an epic filmed record of the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy. -
See the online exhibit "D-Day and the Normandy Invasion" from the National Archives on Google Arts & Culture.
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Research Records Related to D-Day at the National Archives.
