"The first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive. . . . [T]he fate of Germany depends on the outcome. For the Allies as well as Germany, it will be the longest day." -- German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, on April 22, 1944, more than 6 weeks before the June 6, 1944 D-Day assault on the Normandy beaches. Through ingenious deception and counterintelligence, the Allies convinced the Germans that the invasion would come across the English Channel at Calais. By the time the Germans realized their mistake, the Allies had established a foothold in Normandy with some 150,000 troops. Allied casualties that day were over 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. Rommel had one thing right: it was the longest day.
(photo: U.S. Army troops land on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944. U.S. Army photograph)
