
An aerial photograph of US troops landing at Utah Beach. (Photo: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / US National Archives)
Airborne landings begin 0015
H-Hour, beach landings 0630
Lead Allied assault forces
Airborne landings: 82nd & 101st US Airborne Divisions
Beach landings: 4th US Infantry Division
German defenders
Troops from 709th Infantry Division, 91st Airlanding Division and 6th Parachute Regiment
Objectives
Only four causeways lead away from the beach through an area that has been flooded by the German defenders.
The US Airborne forces land early in the morning to take control of the inland ends of these causeways, as well as other key roads and bridges. They then have to hold these objectives until troops from the beach landings can reach them.