D-Day | War History

D-Day In Color: A Look at the Largest Amphibious Invasion In History

Ships, aircraft and landing craft positioned near the shore of a beach

On June 6, 1944, the Allies conducted the largest amphibious invasion in history. Landing on five beaches, as well as at various landing zones behind…

Before Becoming a Big-Name Actor, Richard Todd was a Paratrooper Who Fought at Pegasus Bridge

Allied troops standing around Pegasus Bridge + Portrait of Richard Todd

A number of famed Vintage Hollywood actors served during the Second World War. While many enlisted prior to launching their careers, other opted to pause…

The British Army Took Over the Village of Tyneham to Prepare for D-Day

Geoff Moore
Allied soldiers standing among supplies

In December 1943, the British Army took over a village to prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy. On the south coast of the United…

Academy Award-Winning Actor David Niven Had to Fight to Serve In WWII

British soldiers walking on a beach during D-Day + David Niven dressed as a soldier

A famous Hollywood star of the 1940s, through to the ’80s, David Niven featured in numerous popular films, even taking on the role of James…

The USS Laffey (DD-724) Was Known As ‘The Ship That Would Not Die’

USS Laffey (DD-724) at sea

A number of US Navy vessels are named for veterans who served their country gallantly and with valor. That being said, few live up to…

Then and Now: Incredible Photos Show France During WWII and Today

M4 Sherman driving along a street in Avranches

There’s nothing that better showcases the true impact of the Second World War than photos of the locations where the fighting took place. While it…

The Residents of Graignes Saved the Lives of Over 100 American Paratroopers

Three American paratroopers standing among rubble

The Battle of Graignes was fought between American paratroopers who’d accidentally been dropped off-target during D-Day and German soldiers attempting to provide support for their…

High School Project Reunites Twin Brothers Seven Decades After WWII

Servicemen carrying a flag-draped coffin

On June 19, 2018, twin brothers Ludwig Julius Wilhelm “Louie” Pieper and Julius Heinrich Otto “Henry” Pieper were laid to rest side-by-side, some 74 years…

The Price of Freedom: The Forgotten Civilian Deaths of D-Day

American soldiers sitting in a landing craft at sea

Operation Overlord, better known as D-Day, is often remembered for being one of the most intense battles in military history. Films like 1998’s Saving Private…

Operation Tonga: 150 British Paratroopers Took the Merville Gun Battery Before D-Day

Four paratroopers standing in front of an aircraft

Then the largest seaborne invasion in history, the D-Day landings were planned down to the last detail. One of the most important parts of this…

USS Nevada (BB-36): The Battleship That Survived Pearl Harbor and An Atomic Bomb

USS Nevada (BB-36) at sea

The USS Nevada (BB-36) was the first of a class of two 27,500-ton battleships launched in 1914, rendering all first-generation vessels obsolete. She had a remarkable…

The USS Texas (BB-35) Was Intentionally Flooded During D-Day

USS Texas (BB-35) at sea

The USS Texas (BB-35) saw more combat action in her lifetime than most other US battleships, seeing service in both World War I and II,…