What were the five beaches on D-Day during World War II?

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Allies launched a massive invasion of Nazi-occupied France on the Normandy coast. There were five beaches that were targeted for landings, and each was code-named for ease of communication and planning. These beaches were:

1. Utah Beach - Located on the Cotentin Peninsula, Utah was the westernmost beach and was primarily targeted by the United States Army, specifically the 4th Infantry Division with airborne landings by the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

2. Omaha Beach - Also an American landing site, Omaha was infamous for its strong German defenses and rough terrain, leading to significant American casualties. It was the bloodiest of all the D-Day beaches.

3. Gold Beach - The central beach of the five, Gold was attacked by the British 50th Infantry Division and the 8th Armoured Brigade, with the objectives of capturing the town of Bayeux and securing a link between Omaha and the British beachhead over at Juno.

4. Juno Beach - The Canadian forces were the main contingents landing at Juno, with the goal of cutting the Caen-Bayeux road, linking up with the British forces from Gold Beach, and capturing the Carpiquet airfield west of Caen.

5. Sword Beach - The easternmost of all five, Sword was primarily the responsibility of the British 3rd Infantry Division with commando and airborne units assigned to capture key bridges and towns, including Caen.

The success of the landings on these five beaches was crucial to Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy, which ultimately contributed significantly to the defeat of Nazi Germany.