On 6 June 1944, some 156,000 allied troops landed on five Normandy beaches which eventually led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history with nearly 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. Before the D-Day invasion, the allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign to mislead the Germans about the date and location of the main Allied landings. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans.

Take a look at these stunning colored photographs that show before the launching and landing of allied forces on Normandy beaches.