1944 The Second World War at Sea in Photographs

The sixth year of the Second World War began positively for the Allies, with the successful landings at Anzio, codenamed Operation Shingle. The landings eventually led to the liberation of Rome, an important milestone in the war. The year 1944 was, however, dominated at sea by Operation Neptune, better known as the D-Day landings, on 6th June. From this point, the Allies continued to expand their foothold in Normandy, and throughout France. As the largest seaborne invasion in history, the Normandy landings were a turning point of the war. Later in the war, on the other side of the world, the Americans were launching the successful amphibious attacks on the Mariana Islands. Having captured Saipan, the American forces were in a much better strategic position in the war against Japan. Operation Dragoon was launched in the south of France in the middle of August, and continued for a month. This is the sixth in a series of books covering the major events of the Second World War at sea year by year.