D-DAY 1944 AND A FULL MOON.
D-Day June 6, 1944 was very carefully timed to coincide with the moment of June’s Full Moon. It was reaching the highest point in the sky at 1:19 a.m. and just as the American airborne operations began. There was a Full Moon shining all night long in Normandy.
Why D-Day required a Full Moon.
As well as moonlight throughout the night, the tides were crucial, and that’s where a Full Moon really comes in. The Allies were able to use a low tide at 5:23 a.m. on D-Day to destroy the Germans’ underwater defenses at Omaha Beach.
But they also wanted rising water so that they could beach a craft and not get stranded.
If you want to have an insight into the conditions of the Normandy landings, 76 years ago, you could visit the invasion beaches of Normandy, France on June 5 and 6, when June’s Full Moon will shine all night long.
For those not able to be at the Normandy Beaches, you could experience an eerie feeling tonight, June 6, 2020 on our own beaches, when JUNE’s FULL MOON will SHINE ALL NIGHT LONG…….. REMEMBER D-DAY.