I have always wondered what the D before Day stood for and I have heard many different variations. Which of these do you think it was or if you have your own please post it. 1 Day Day. Like Day of Days for liberating Europe. I think this is the one that is most likely what the D stood for 2 Deliverance Day. This one also makes sense but I am still not sure. 3 Doomsday. WTF this one is highly unlikely to be it in my opinion. 4 Debarkation Day. and lastly 5 Designated Day. I would really like to hear back so please reply if you can it is much appriciated.
D-Day and H-Hour What does the "D" signify in D-Day, and the "H" signify in H-Hour? The terms D-day and H-hour are used for the day and hour on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. They designate the day and hour of the operation when the day and hour have not yet been determined, or where secrecy is essential. The letters are derived from the words for which they stand, "D" for the day of the invasion and "H" for the hour operations actually begin. There is but one D-day and one H-hour for all units participating in a given operation. It is unnecessary to state that H-hour is on D-day. When used in combination with figures and plus or minus signs, these terms indicate the length of time preceding or following a specific action. Thus, H-3 means 3 hours before H-hour, and D+3 means 3 days after D-day. H+75 minutes means H-hour plus 1 hour and 15 minutes. Planning papers for large-scale operations are made up in detail long before specific dates are set. Thus, orders are issued for the various steps to be carried out on the D-day or H-hour minus or plus a certain number or days, hours, or minutes. At the appropriate time, a subsequent order is issued that states the actual day and times. The earliest use of these terms by the U.S. Army that the Center of Military History has been able to find was during World War I. In Field Order Number 9, First Army, American Expeditionary Forces, dated September 7, 1918: "The First Army will attack at H hour on D day with the object of forcing the evacuation of the St. Mihiel Salient." D-day for the invasion of Normandy was set for June 6, 1944, and that date has been popularly referred to by the short title "D-day." Source: The General Service Schools, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Combat Orders (Fort Leavenworth, Kansas: The General Service Schools Press, 1922). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day_(military_term) D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar terms. The initial D in D-Day has had various meanings in the past, while more recently it has obtained the connotation of "Day" itself, thereby creating the phrase "Day-Day", or "Day of Days".[1] On the same principle, the equivalent terms in French, Basque and Romanian are Jour J, E eguna and Ziua-Z.[citation needed] The best known D-Day is June 6, 1944 — the day of the Normandy Landings— initiating the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. However, many other invasions and operations had a designated D-Day, both before and after that operation.[2] The terms D-Day and H-Hour are used for the day and hour on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. They designate the day and hour of the operation when the day and hour have not yet been determined, or where secrecy is essential. For a given operation, the same D-Day and H-Hour apply for all units participating in it. When used in combination with numbers, and plus or minus signs, these terms indicate the point of time preceding or following a specific action. Thus, H−3 means 3 hours before H-Hour, and D+3 means 3 days after D-Day. (By extension, H+75 minutes is used for H-Hour plus 1 hour and 15 minutes.) ...... see the rest of the article
Michelle has nailed it I believe. I have never heard a better explaintion that the one wherein the D is substituted for a specific date/day so that the planning can continue without the actual date being a target time. This allows flexiblity on the date itself, while the planning for what will happen at that moment in time (when it occurs) can be explored and all the possible problems be worked on ahead of time. I also heard a use of the term D-Day which made another sort of sense, that was the the "D" stood for decision Day. This would make sense in that the day's date itself had yet to be decided upon, but the action had been agreed upon; and the planning for the action could proceed toward the as yet unknown "decision" day.
Yes, it was a surprise to myself as well as I had always (and still do) considered the D to mean no more than "Day". But, it made some sense as I thought about it. I was uttered by General LeMay in a book I just finished reading called; One Minute to Midnight; Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Cuba by Michael Dobbs. When the EXCON meeting is taking place Gen. LeMay turns to Macnamara and asks; which date should be designated our "decision day" in case we have to invade Cuba (paraphrasing). And since the book was using the declassified minutes of the meetings as well as diaries and journals of the main characters, it made me wonder. It made me think that it was possible that this "decision-day" nominclature wasn't by chance, and might be the root of the D-Day term.
Thanks for the posting salute, but I'm only a veteran of the Forum. My avatar is my parents. When you see a member whose name is in blue, they are our highly respected and valued WWII Veterans.
D-Day for Normandy was set for 4/5th June but severe weather in England meant it was postponed. Eisenhower's 'We go' on the 6th was a somewhat forced decision because of the phases of the Moon. If it hadn't been the 6th then the invasion couldn't have happened for another two/three weeks, I believe. When the writer(s) of the Wikipedia article say(s) many other invasions and operations had a designated D-Day they contradict themselves. The fact is that ALL invasions and operations had a D-Day, which changed according to circumstances. Steve W.
Thats what I always thought D-Day stood for was decision day. Macrusk post makes sense and does brndirt1 post does too. I guess U can go either way on this one.
Death plus one, death plus two, death plus three.........interviewed a couple of Normandie veterans from the other side some 25 years ago, this was their thoughts...though all three lived to tell their stories later, now all 3 are gone D = decision or day of determination
Bit of trivia. If the Germans had gone ahead with Operation Sealow the landing date would have been called S-Tag
