The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is tweeting a fascinating blow-by-blow account of the D-Day invasion that took place 70 years ago tomorrow.
The D-Day invasion, code named Operation Overlord, was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Almost 5,000 landing and assault craft, accompanied by 289 escort vessels and 277 minesweepers, from Canada, the U.S., Britain, and Australia took part in the operation. The Allies suffered a total of 226,386 casualties, but it proved a decisive moment in the war.
The successful landing of Allied forces at Normandy opened up a second front which split Nazi forces throughout Europe. This allowed the Soviets to more quickly march on Berlin, hastening the end of the war.
To honor D-Day, CBC is "live-tweeting" the war with an emphasis on Canadian contributions to the operation. Visit the official CBC Twitter feed to see the entire stream.
2100 1/2 Meteorologists confirm good visibility expected for bombing the night of June 5 to the morning of June 6 pic.twitter.com/FpXzibePja
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 4, 20142/2 Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Forces, gives conditional instruction for D-Day to proceed
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 4, 20140415 1/3 Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the official go-ahead for the June 6 invasion #dday70
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 20142/3 Its mission: "To drive the enemy from and occupy a lodgement area sufficient in size and containing sufficient large ports to enable…
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 20143/3 … the building up of a powerful force — a force strong enough to defeat the German Armies in the field and to drive on to Germany."
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 2014READ: At some point early in the day, Eisenhower writes an 'In Case of Failure' memo https://t.co/XoZVrL4HXIpic.twitter.com/UyiavaollX
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 2014Members of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion are ordered to rest during morning and afternoon pic.twitter.com/vdWUSCBHra
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 2014With the invasion now on, British paratroopers with the 6th Airborne Div. are briefed about the mission pic.twitter.com/7wwVu3Fz1N
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 20141400 3-ship flotilla carrying the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and Highland Light Infantry lifts anchor in Calshot pic.twitter.com/GWb6hOH3z5
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 20141600 1/2 Commanders in 9th Infantry Brigade unseal invasion maps and share them with section leaders pic.twitter.com/6aC9rkv07T
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 20142/2 It is the first time troops learn the true target of their invasion: Caen, Normandy. Bogus maps had shown the target as Poland
— CBC D-Day Live (@CBCDDayLive) June 5, 2014SEE ALSO: 10 little-known facts about D-Day