Military operations are thick with codenames, acronyms and nicknames that need explaining to the layman. Unfortunately, the written history of those events is no different. Every account of D-Day is littered with terms like LCI, PIAT; even 'D-Day' itself needs explaining! This glossary will help you translate any unknowns. AA: Anti-Aircraft. AEF: Allied Expeditionary Force; twelve countries contributed to Overlord: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the UK and the US. Allies: Refers to the nations who fought together against the Axis Powers. Atlantic Wall: Nickname for the German defences along the northern and eastern coasts of France. AVRE: Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers; on D-Day these were Churchill tanks fitted with a Petard mortar and other specialist equipment Axis: (or Axis Powers) Germany, Japan and the Italian Social Republic (the official Italian government now fought on the Allied side). BAR: The Browning Automatic Rifle, used by the Allies. Belgian Gate: A metal trap designed to be hidden under high tides and tear the bottoms away from boats or landing craft. Bazooka: US infantry anti-tank rocket launder. Bn: Battalion; An infantry Battalion ranged from 600 – 1000 men. CO: Commanding Officer Churchill, Winston: The British Prime Minister. Churchill Tank: A British Heavy Tank named after their Prime Minister. D-Day: Originally the term for the date when a mission or operation took place, but now associated with 6th June 1944, D-Day for Operation Overlord. DD: Duplex Drive, used on amphibious vehicles. DD Tank: A tank fitted with a Duplex Drive which allied amphibious use. Doughboy: A nickname for US soldiers more traditionally associated with the First World War. DUKW: Amphibious 2 ½ ton Truck; pronounced 'duck', the DUKW usually carried supplies. DZ: Drop Zone. Eisenhower, Dwight: Supreme Commander of the AEF. Fortitude: A long-term operation to conceal the true whereabouts of the D-Day landings. FUSAG: First U. S. Army Group; this was entirely fictional and created to conceal Allied intentions. GI: A nickname for US troops, derived from the acronym 'GI' (Government Issue) which was stamped on their uniforms. Gooseberries: Artificial harbours created by the deliberate sinking of ships. HE: High Explosive. Hedgehog: German beach defence created out of three metal poles welded in a sloping pyramid, designed to damage landing craft. Higgins Boat(s): Generic name for the flat-bottomed landing craft created specially for Overlord by Andrew Higgins; each type had a different codename (see L). Hobart's Funnies: Nickname for a range of tank adaptations and additions designed by Percy Hobart, including mine clearers and carpet layers. LBW: Landing Barge. LCA: Landing Craft, Assault. LCE: Landing Craft, Equipment. LCF: Landing Craft, Flak. LCI: Landing Craft, Infantry. LCI (L):Landing Craft, Infantry (Light). LCOCU: Landing Craft, Obstacle Clearance Unit. LCM: Landing Craft, Medium. LCR: Landing Craft, Rockets. LCT: Landing Craft, Tank. LCT (A): Landing Craft Transport, Assault. LCT (R): Landing Craft Transport, Rocket. LCV: Landing Craft, Vehicle. LCVP: Landing Craft, Vehicle and Personnel. LO: Liaison Officer. LSI: Landing Ship, Infantry. LST: Landing Ship, Tank. Luftwaffe: German air force, largely ineffective on D-Day thanks to Allied air superiority. LZ: Landing Zone. MG: Machine Gun. Moaning Minnie: The nickname given by Allied troops to the German multi-barrelled Nebelwerfer mortar. Mulberry/Mulberries: Artificial harbours constructed from prefabricated sections; towed across the channel and attached together, they were designed to speed up reinforcement and supply. Neptune: The naval section of Operation Overlord. Overlord: The codename for the D-Day landings. Panther: The German Mark V Tank. Panzer: German Tank. PIAT: British 'Projector Infantry Anti-Tank', a British Infantry anti-tank weapon. SHAEF: Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. Spandau: General British name given to German army machine guns. Stick: Paratroops dropped in one go from one plane. Stonk: British term for concentrated or intensive artillery fire. Teller Mine: German anti-tank mine; attached to the top of poles or hedgehogs along the Normandy beaches. Tiger: The German Mark VI Panzer tank, a heavily armoured vehicle with an adapted 88mm gun.