Today the northern coastline of France is peaceful and serene. However, only 57 years ago this was not the case. In the 1940's the world powers of the day were engulfed in a global conflict, World War II. The battlefield was the European continent and the combatants were, and are today, known as the Axis and Allied powers. Not even the isolated nation of the United States of America was immune from the bloodshed. The USA sided with Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union, the Allies. Their foe, the Axis, consisting of the nations of Germany, Austria and Italy. Implementing their infamous blitzkrieg warfare the fascists dominated Europe with lightning attacks conquering nearly the whole of the continent, even seeping into northern Africa. Despite Hitler's wishes the Nazis could not penetrate into the island of Great Britain and instead turned their attention to the East, the USSR. This would be the Nazis downfall.
For in not defeating the Brits the Axis left open a spring broad for the fresh troops of the United States. The Nazis were spread thin, a trademark predicament of global domination, as well as concerned with the Reds of the USSR. The opportunity for a push into enemy territory had presented itself. The attack was named Operation Overlord and the date for deployment was originally set for the 5th of June 1944, however poor weather conditions forced a 24-hour delay. Thus, June 6th would become the date for the famous D-Day invasion.
The Germans, though spread out, realized the vulnerability of their situation and began fortifying the coast at possible penetration points with bombproof bunkers and mine fields. Such obstacles would prove to be somewhat effective measures of prevention, but they were not impermeable.
The Allies, in an effort to give themselves every advantage, set up decoys at the point the Germans believed to be the shortest and easiest area to cross from England to France.