The Normandy landings commenced on D-Day, Tuesday, 6 June 1944, in two phases: an air assault landing of 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French airborne troops shortly after midnight, followed by an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6:30 AM. There were also decoy operations mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the German forces from the real landing areas.The operation was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, with over 160,000 troops. Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000 ships were involved. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and material 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.This essential guide, of use to both the visitor and the collector, chronicles all aspects of the Battle of Normandy. In addition to offering a historical overview, each phase of the battle, from the sandy beaches to the farmlands, is accompanied by amazing colour photos of the uniforms, equipment, and arms of the various participants involved in combat. Of note are the original uniforms selected from important collections found through Hermann Historica.