WWII: number of Allied soldiers landing on D-Day 1944, by beach

The D-Day landings (Operation Neptune) of June 6. 1944 was the largest amphibious invasion in history, with over 155,000 Allied soldiers landing along five beaches in Normandy, France. Over 81,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers landed on the eastern beaches code-named Sword, Juno, and Gold (named after fish - 'Juno' was originally 'Jelly', but was renamed by Winston Churchill as he disapproved of soldiers dying on 'Jelly Beach'), while 73,000 American soldiers landed on the western beaches, code-named Omaha and Utah. The majority who landed disembarked from the sea via transport ships, barges, and other ships, although almost 22,000 men were also dropped from the air as paratroopers or in gliders.

The invasion followed a months-long deception campaign, where the Germans were expecting a larger landing further to the northeast, at Calais; therefore the Normandy beaches were less-heavily defended. In total, there were roughly 55,000 German troops defending the five beaches, with the heaviest fighting taking place at Omaha. Both sides suffered approximately 10,000 casualties on the day, which included 4,414 fatalities on the Allied side (German fatality figures are less clear). The Allies took control of the beaches within one day, although the Overlord Campaign to take the entire region of Normandy took several more weeks.