Question

On D-Day, the 6th of June 1944, U.S. and other Allied forces attacked the shoreline of the nation at which location?

Answer 1

Operation Overlord -- the D-Day Landings of June 6th, 1944 -- was aimed directly at the Normandy Coast between Cherbourg and Le-Havre in the Bay of the Seine.

Explanation:

Preliminary planning for the D-Day landings began in May 1943, under the Chief-of-Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC). Of all the potential sites for a landing on the Continent, preference was for more sheltered waters away from the North Atlantic and within range of fighter-aircraft based in the UK.

It had been clear from commando raids and the abortive Dieppe operation in August 1942 that an attempt to seize a major port would be unlikely to succeed. From landings in Sicily, Salerno and Anzio in 1943-44, it was clear that the landing area needed to be easy to defend from the inevitable German counter-attack. Moreover, once the build-up inside the beach-head was advanced enough, the ground beyond had to be suitable for ease of movement.

While COSSAC engaged in all manner of diversionary exercises to threaten all of the coast-line of occupied Europe, they were also aware that the area around Calais seemed -- to German eyes -- to be more suitable as a potential invasion site.

As the British thoroughly understood, the English Channel is fickle at the best of times, and the Bay of the Seine offered more shelter from adverse wind and currents than anywhere else. Allied naval superiority could screen off both ends of the Channel against any incursions by the Kriegsmarine, and air superiority over the Normandy Coast could be guaranteed by the late Spring of 1944.

The many small rivers in the area could help protect flanks, and COSSAC accurately predicted the likeliest route for a German counter-attack (and the 3rd Canadian Division mauled it as per plan on June 9th).

The plan didn't work perfectly (few plans in war do), but it worked well enough. By day's end, 150,000 British, Americans, Canadians, Free French and Norwegians were ashore. After four days, the Germans gave up any hope of driving the invaders back into the sea and all five beaches from Ouistreham to Quineville were linked.