BF2S Forums D-Day Landings.

Wikipedia wrote:

The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), beginning at 6:30 British Double Summer Time (H-Hour). In planning, D-Day was the term used for the day of actual landing, which was dependent on final approval. The assault was conducted in two phases: an air assault landing of American, British and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armoured divisions on the coast of France commencing at 6:30. The invasion required the transport of soldiers and materiel from the United Kingdom by troop carrying aircraft and ships, the assault landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support. There were also subsidiary 'attacks' mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer and Operation Taxable to distract the Kriegsmarine and the German army from the real landing areas.[3] The operation was the largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time, with 160,000[4] troops landing on June 6, 1944. 195,700[5] Allied naval and merchant navy personnel in over 5,000[4] ships were involved. The landings took place along a 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

h2g2 wrote:

The aim of D-Day was to establish a base in Normandy, France, by building and holding a beachhead, from were it would be possible to secure other parts of France and, eventually, Germany.
The 101st and 82nd American airborne divisions, as well as the British 6th airborne division, would land behind enemy lines in an area stretching as far as 80km from the sea, to isolate the German coastal defences and cut off the supply lines by destroying bridges and roads leading to the beaches.

Then two American, two British and one Canadian division were going to land on a 96km coastline between Caen and Cherbourg with Merville on the eastern flank and St-Mere-Eglise to the west. Altogether, 107,000 soldiers would be placed in Normandy during the invasion's first 48 hours.
The coastal line had been divided into five beaches. Omaha was assigned to the 1st and 29th divisions; Utah beach was assigned 4th divisions of the American 5th and 7th army corps; Gold and Sword beach were assigned to the British 3rd division, 50th infantry division and 1st army corps; and Juno beach assigned to the Canadian 3rd division.
After that, the towns behind the established beachhead would be captured by the airborne divisions after being relieved by the 7th army corps in order to maintain a firm grip on the coast.