Isle of Man D-Day June 6 1944 – 50th Anniversary
of Normandy 1994 Proof Silver Crown 38.5mm (28.28 grams) 0.925 Silver (0.841 oz. ASW)
Reference: KM# 702a | engraver: Raphael
David Maklouf
ELIZABETH II ISLE OF MAN 1994, Elizabeth
facing right.
D-DAY JUNE 6 1944 1 CROWN, General
Montgomery facing left, port in background.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity..
The Normandy landings were the landing operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of German-occupied France (and later Europe) from Nazi control, and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.
<pplanning for="" the="" operation="" began="" in="" 1943.="" months="" leading="" up="" to="" invasion,="" allies="" conducted="" a="" substantial="" military="" deception,="" codenamed="" bodyguard,="" mislead="" germans="" as="" date="" and="" location="" of="" main="" allied="" landings.="" weather="" on="" d-day="" was="" far="" from="" ideal="" had="" be="" delayed="" 24="" hours;="" further="" postponement="" would="" have="" meant="" delay="" at="" least="" two="" weeks="" invasion="" planners="" requirements="" phase="" moon,="" tides,="" time="" day="" that="" only="" few="" days="" each="" month="" were="" deemed="" suitable.="" adolf="" hitler="" placed="" german="" field="" marshal="" erwin="" rommel="" command="" forces="" developing="" fortifications="" along="" atlantic="" wall="" anticipation="" an="" invasion.=""
The amphibious landings were preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and an airborne assault-the landing of 24,000 American, British, and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight. Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach-clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs. At Gold, Juno, and Sword, several fortified towns were cleared in house-to-house fighting, and two major gun emplacements at Gold were disabled, using specialised tanks.
The Allies failed to achieve any of their goals on the first day. Carentan, St. Lô, and Bayeux remained in German hands, and Caen, a major objective, was not captured until 21 July. Only two of the beaches (Juno and Gold) were linked on the first day, and all five beachheads were not connected until 12 June; however, the operation gained a foothold which the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.
Museums, memorials, and war cemeteries in the area now host many visitors each year.
The Isle of Man, also known simply as Mann
The island has been inhabited since before 6500 BC. Gaelic cultural influence began in the 5th century and the Manx language, a branch of the Gaelic languages, emerged. In 627, Edwin of Northumbria conquered the Isle of Man along with most of Mercia. In the 9th century, Norsemen established the Kingdom of the Isles. Magnus III, King of Norway, was also known as King of Mann and the Isles between 1099 and 1103.
In 1266, the island became part of Scotland under the Treaty of Perth, after being ruled by Norway. After a period of alternating rule by the kings of Scotland and England, the island came under the feudal lordship of the English Crown in 1399. The lordship revested into the British Crown in 1765, but the island never became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain or its successor the United Kingdom: it retained its status as an internally self-governing Crown dependency.
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