Minute by Minute D-Day Timeline
By Shane Sohnle

Published Sunday, June 06, 2004  | 0 comments  | Print  | E-mail

Armchair General is proud to present you with a minute by minute account of the major events of D-Day, June 6th, 1944.

In preparation for the invasion, artillery equipment is loaded aboard LCTs at an English port. Brixham, England. 1 June 1944. Photo by Nehez. SC206438 (Click to enlarge)

00:15 hrs
17,000 British and American glider and paratroopers drop behind enemy lines into Normandy.

00:35 hrs
Orne Canal and River bridges secured by British Airborne troops.

01:00 hrs
Man battle stations order given to first Navy hands. The process of lowering the landing craft into the water begins; Airborne troops on shore disrupt communications by knocking down telephone poles and severing phone lines.

02:00 hrs
In England, the first wave of bombers are launched to attack targets in the vicinity of the beachheads.

03:00 hrs
Airborne troops are reinforced by additional glider troops.

03:09 hrs
Allied invasion fleet detected by German radar. German shore batteries ordered to prepare for invasion by Admiral Krancke.

03:30 hrs
Assault troops begin boarding the landing craft.

04:30 hrs
Merville battery captured by the British, clearing the path for the landing on Sword Beach.

05:30 hrs
Allies begin bombardment of the beaches; American troops land at St. Marcouf, an island off Utah Beach held by the Germans.

06:00 hrs
German 7th Army HQ learns of heavy bombardment by the Allied forces.

06:30 hrs
H-Hour on Omaha and Utah Beaches.

07:00 hrs
The first landing wave on Omaha Beach becomes pinned down; U.S. Rangers begin to scale Pointe-du-Hoc.

07:30 hrs
H-Hour on and Sword and Gold Beaches.

07:45 hrs
On Utah Beach, American forces begin advancing inland from the beachhead. H-Hour on Juno Beach.

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