The invasion of Normandy (D-Day) required air cover and fire support, tasks that were performed by the United States Army Air Force, the Royal Air Force, and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Fighters protected the invasion fleet from enemy air attacks. Tactical fighters supported the ground forces by attacking German armoured forces and fortified defensive positions. Bomber squadrons were responsible for destroying strategic targets: railway lines, bridges, and fuel and ammunition depots.
The RCAF deployed 15 fighter squadrons equipped with Spitfires. They provided air cover for the invasion fleet and escorts for RCAF bombers. Four RCAF tactical support squadrons flew Typhoons, heavily armed ground-attack planes that could carry a 2,000-pound (908-kilogram) bomb load or eight rockets. They played an important role in destroying German armoured forces during the Normandy landings. RCAF Bomber Group 6, composed of 14 RCAF squadrons, attacked several key strategic targets. With railways, bridges, and fuel and ammunition depots damaged or destroyed, the German forces were unable to launch an effective counterattack against the Allied forces on the beaches of Normandy.
