Photographs

1. Leaving for the beaches

Aerial photograph of ships of the Royal Navy massing off the Isle of Wight before setting off for the Normandy beaches.
© IWM A 23720a
Image: IWM (A 23720A)

Aerial photograph of ships of the Royal Navy massing off the Isle of Wight before setting off for the Normandy beaches.

See object record
Photographs

2. Off the Normandy Coast

Consolidated B-24H Liberators of 486th Bombardment Group, US Eighth Air Force, flying over part of the Allied invasion fleet gathered off the Normandy coast, 6 June 1944. They were part of a force of 380 aircraft of 3rd Bombardment Division despatched on the morning of D-Day to bomb villages through which access roads ran to the beachheads.
© IWM EA 25713

Consolidated B-24H Liberators of 486th Bombardment Group, US Eighth Air Force, flying over part of the Allied invasion fleet gathered off the Normandy coast, 6 June 1944. They were part of a force despatched on the morning of D-Day to bomb villages which had access roads to the beachheads running through them.

See object record
Photographs

3. Gold Assault Area

Aerial oblique photo of Gold assault area during the landing of 50th Infantry Division, showing King Red (left), King Green and Jig Red (right) beaches, 6 June 1944. A German anti-tank ditch is visible on the left in front of the village of Ver-sur-Mer.
© IWM MH 24887
Image: IWM (MH 24887)

Aerial oblique photo of Gold assault area during the landing of 50th Infantry Division, showing King Red (left), King Green and Jig Red (right) beaches, 6 June 1944. A German anti-tank ditch is visible on the left in front of the village of Ver-sur-Mer.

See object record
Photographs

4. Omaha Assault Area

Aerial photo of the numerous Allied naval craft off Dog and Easy beaches, Omaha assault area, 6 June 1944. The photograph was taken from a Martin B-26 Marauder of the US Ninth Air Force while on a bombing mission to Avranches.
© IWM (EA 25992)

Aerial photograph of the numerous Allied naval craft off Dog and Easy beaches, Omaha assault area, 6 June 1944. The photograph was taken from a Martin B-26 Marauder of the US Ninth Air Force while on a bombing mission to Avranches.

See object record
Photographs

5. Drop Zone 'N'

Oblique aerial photograph of part of 6th Airborne Division's Drop Zone 'N' between Ranville and Amfreville, east of the Orne River, 6 June 1944. Airspeed Horsa gliders can be seen on the DZ, many with their fuselages separated for ease of unloading. The villages of Amfreville and Breville can be seen in the top left of the photograph.
© IWM MH 2076
Image: IWM (MH 2076)

Aerial photograph of part of 6th Airborne Division's Drop Zone 'N' between Ranville and Amfreville, east of the Orne River, 6 June 1944. Airspeed Horsa gliders can be seen on the Drop Zone, many with their fuselages separated for ease of unloading. The villages of Amfreville and Breville are visible in the top left of the photo.

See object record
Photographs

6. Juno Assault Area

Vertical aerial photograph of the landings on Mike beach, Juno area, to the west of Courselles-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944.
© IWM CL 41
Image: IWM (CL 41)

Aerial photo of the landings on Mike beach, Juno assault area, to the west of Courselles-sur-Mer, 6 June 1944.

See object record
Photographs

7. King Red and King Green Beaches

Aerial oblique photo of the junction of King Red and King Green beaches, Gold assault area, during the landing of 50th Infantry Division, 6 June 1944. The Mont Fleury battery (WN 35a) and an anti-tank ditch are visible in front of the village of Ver-sur-Mer.
© IWM CL 3947
Image: IWM (CL 3947)

Aerial photo of the junction of King Red and King Green beaches, Gold assault area, during the landing of 50th Infantry Division, 6 June 1944. The Mont Fleury battery are visible in front of the village of Ver-sur-Mer.

See object record

Related content

German General Erwin Rommel superimposed onto an image of a P-47 Thunderbolt destroying a target in a large explosion.
P-47 photographed by Roland Turner. CC-BY-SA 2.0
D-Day

D-Day in the air: How the Allies ruled the skies over Normandy

The Allies were certain that the Normandy landings would be an era-defining moment. Join IWM curator Hattie Hearn at IWM Duxford to explore how the Allies planned for D-Day, how their air power affected the advancement of fighting on the ground to enable ground forces to break into France.  

Troops storm ashore from LCAs (Landing Craft Assault) during Exercise 'Fabius', a major invasion rehearsal on the British coast, 5 May 1944. Nearest landing craft is LCA 798.
© IWM (H 38244)
D-Day

These Incredible Photos Show The Allies Preparing for D-Day

Discover IWM's fascinating collection of photography showing the Allies preparing for D-Day.

Photo of HMS Belfast's forward guns with the bridge in the background
©IWM
Second World War

8 Things you Didn't Know about HMS Belfast and D-Day

On 6 June 1944, HMS Belfast lead the opening bombardment of Operation Overlord - the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Discover 8 things you didn't know about the role HMS Belfast played in the largest naval, air and land operation in history.

British troops and US sailors manning 20mm gun positions on board USS LST-25 watch LCI(L) landing craft head towards the beaches of Gold assault area, 6 June 1944.
© IWM (A 23894)
D-Day

How D-Day Was Fought From The Sea

On 6 June 1944, two naval task forces landed over 132,000 ground troops on the beaches of Normandy as part of Operation 'Neptune', the seaborne invasion of northern France. The Western Task Force was responsible for the American beaches at Utah and Omaha, and the Eastern Task Force was assigned to the British at Gold, Juno and Sword.