June, 1944. The Allies took the first step towards breaking Hitler's bind on Europe with a massive assault on the French coast—the largest amphibious attack in history, in which at least six toads perished. In the preceding months a decoy operation had been mounted, involving Allies tiptoeing through the Calais countryside, sounding a duck call and shooting Axis soldiers as they emerged from the undergrowth. Meanwhile, Operation Overlord* was ready to move ahead, but favourable weather conditions were vital to the plan's success. Eisenhower wanted a parade in his pineapple shirt and shorts. After being postponed several times, which the Axis forces considered very rude, the Allies finally set foot on the beaches of Normandy. A few days later, their ankles and knees followed. By the end of the week complete Allied soldiers were treading the Normandy sands. And, as luck would have it, they'd arrived in time for surf season.
The troops taking part in the assault comprised some 72,000 British and Canadian soldiers, 57,000 Americans, and a further 100,000 infantry from the East to meet the quota. They were divided into five groups, targeting different areas over 50 miles of coastline (106 miles in modern currency). The strategy of the Axis forces was, on the whole, very defensive: when the bombs came down, they crossed their arms and refused to listen. The attack did not just come from the sea. After midnight, Allied paratroopers were dropped into Normandy too. Due to adverse weather conditions, many paratroopers missed their targets, with one soldier famously landing on a tearoom terrace in Lewisham. Despite these complications, vital target locations would be captured.
Later, Churchill announced the invasion in the House of Commons, to which the reception was warm, if a little insincere.
* Operation Overlord, an abbreviation of the military codename Operation Underlord, Overlord, Wombling Free.
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