Freshly colorized photographs from the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 have breathed fresh life into D-Day on the 75th anniversary of the largest seaborne invasion in history.

The range of pictures show British and American troops preparing for the landings on the five French beaches, and General Dwight Eisenhower addressing soldiers ahead of the mission.

Other images capture paratroopers in the final moments before they leapt out of planes to attack German fortifications. Amazingly, the men are seen smiling and seem remarkably calm despite the horror they are set to witness.

The chaos that faced those who stormed the beach on landing crafts is also seen in all its glory, thanks to the colorizations which were carried out by digital artist Marina Amaral. Amaral previously worked with RT on its award winning #1917LIVE and #Romanovs100 projects.

D-Day is frequently cited in Western popular culture as the key turning point in WWII and, while the Allies failed to achieve any of their main goals on the day, they did establish important positions on the Western Front. Over the coming months this proved vital as Soviet forces swept across Europe, eventually trapping the Nazis in Berlin.

Many historians agree that the Battle of Stalingrad, the war’s largest confrontation, was the real key turning point as it saw the Soviet Union inflict the first major defeat on the Nazis, shattering their reputation for invincibility and delivering a crucial victory on the Eastern Front.

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