Overlord

World War II with Tom Hanks

About the Episode

By the end of 1943, after years of debate over how to take the fight directly to Germany, the Allies agree that their fighting forces are finally ready to invade France. Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decide on a place and time for a cross-channel invasion: Normandy, spring of 1944.

But the road to Operation Overlord is no easy journey for Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower. He faces logistical challenges on a scale no one has ever encountered before and must bring a coalition of strong personalities and military factions together to work seamlessly as one. And Hitler is ready—even willing—to take on an Allied attack on France and tasks one of his most capable generals, Erwin Rommel, with shoring up defenses along the coast.  

For the Allies, it’s a race against the clock, and the elements, to pull off one of the largest, most complicated operations in military history. 

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The National WWII Museum was proud to support HISTORY's work on this series through historical research, educational outreach, and archival footage, as well as on-site interviews with WWII veterans that will be featured as part of the network’s “Save Our History” initiative.


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Bloody Omaha

Private Harold “Hal” Baumgarten of Company B, 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. Part of the first waves of the assault force, Baumgarten endured murderous enemy fire, was wounded five times in just 32 hours of fighting, and had to be evacuated by hospital ship.

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