The Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 is commonly referred to by which operation name?

• A. Operation Neptune
• B. Operation Torch
• C. Operation Overlord
• D. Operation Sea Lion

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is recognizing how large WWII operations were named. The Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944 was planned and executed under the overall code name Operation Overlord. That name covers the whole campaign to liberate Western Europe, with the actual seaborne landings that began on D-Day handled as a part of that plan. The naval assault itself is specifically known as Operation Neptune, the sea component of Overlord. The other names refer to unrelated actions: Operation Torch was the 1942 Allied landings in North Africa, and Operation Sea Lion was a German plan to invade Britain that never came to fruition. So the Normandy invasion is commonly identified with Overlord because it’s the umbrella operation under which the landings were carried out.