June 6, 1944, saw the largest amphibious assault landing in military history. The allies, who were stalled in Italy, needed to land on mainland Europe and open another front against the Germans. Normandy, on the French Coast, was chosen as the location to begin. Many things contributed to the success of the landing. First, the allies initiated a bombing campaign against German targets in France--a campaign that started months before the actual invasion. Second, a deception campaign convinced the Germans that U. S. General George S. Patton would lead the invasion of Europe at the Pas-de-Calais; thus, the Germans reinforced that area with valuable troops that might otherwise have been used in Normandy.
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