Changes

D-Day was the greatest sea-born invasion in history but airborne forces played a crucial role in the invasion <ref> Keegan, p. 13</ref>. The Allied High Command ordered that British, American and other allied paratroopers be dropped behind the German positions to capture territory and to disrupt the Nazis supply lines and even to cut-off their units on the beaches in Normandy. The film accurately portrays the many paratroopers who landed in Normandy by gliders or by parachuting into the area. These men played a crucial role in the success of the allied landings and displayed incredible bravery. Many paratroopers were among the first into occupied France and the first to engage the Nazis. The film shows correctly how in the early morning of June 6, 1944, the airborne troops of the United States 82nd and 101st US divisions were dropped into Normandy and were parachuted into the wrong place and were dropped miles from their target. Many of these airborne troops were killed by German fire before they even landed. The movie shows the confusion of units of the 101st Airborne Division when they landed in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. One paratrooper is shown becoming entangled on the church steeple of the Normandy town and this in fact happened. While others are shown landing directly in the town. This did not happen and most of the paratroopers landed outside the towns or in gardens. The movie does over-dramatize the landings in Sainte-Mère-Eglise. The film also shows how dummies made to appear as paratroopers were dropped as part of an elaborate decoy strategy by the allies. This is historically correct and there was indeed a decoy parachute drop when dummies dressed in American jumpsuits were dropped to fool the Germans<ref> Ryan, p. 325</ref>.

[[File: Operation Overlord (the Normandy Landings)- D-day 6 June 1944 B5245.jpg|200px|thumb|left| Allied troops on D-Day]]

==French Involvement==

The D-Day landings were the first stage in the liberation of Western Europe after 4 years of Nazi rule. The French played a major role in the success of D-Day. The French Resistance is shown in the movie as playing a key role in the run-up to the landings. They are shown as gathering intelligence for the allies and relaying it back in secret to London. The intelligence that was secured by the French Resistance was very important and they identified the location of German lines of defense and troops movements. This was all a great help to the planners of D-Day. The movie also shows the incredible bravery of the many ordinary French people who risked their lives to secure vital information on the Nazis. The Longest Day also shows how French saboteurs helped to disrupt the Nazis preparations in the run-up to D-Day. The movie also accurately shows the role of Free French forces in the landings. On the beach head known as Sword Beach, a French commando unit are shown in the movie attacking a former casino that had been turned into a German fortress and capturing it and this is a historical fact. However, the movie does exaggerate the scale and size of the former casino but not the ferocity of the battle. It also shows how the timely arrival of an American tank helped the Free French forces to seize the casino when it seemed that they were on the brink of defeat <ref> Neillands, Robin. The Battle of Normandy, 1944 (London: Cassel, 1999), p. 113</ref>.