From the early morning hours, the Allies used air support to bomb the German troops stationed there.
The offensive actually delivered five naval assault divisions to five beaches along the shores of Normandy, France. The force included 7,000 ships and landing craft from eight Allied countries with nearly 133,000 troops from England, Canada and the United States. From the early morning hours, the Allies used air support to bomb the German troops stationed there. Although it was meant to be a surprise, German forces were prepared for an invasion and didn't go down without a fight. The fiercest fighting occurred on Omaha Beach. There the Germans were positioned on steep cliffs; as Allied troops leapt from their landing boats, they were immediately pinned down by machine-gun fire. More than 4,700 were killed or wounded on Omaha Beach that day alone. According to the National D-Day Foundation, there were nearly 10,000 Allied casualties that day, and more than 4,000 deaths.