After capturing and occupying most of Western Europe, the Third Reich began to solidify its gains. It built the Atlantic Wall, a series of fortresses along the coast at likely Allied invasion points. Everywhere, machine gun nests bristled, waiting for an attack that people around the world knew was coming. Allied commander Dwight Eisenhower finally settled on Normandy, in northern France, as the place where his troops would begin their liberation of Europe. How much do you know about the beach landings of D-Day in this hard-fighting quiz?

For years, the Germans watched and waited for an Allied invasion that never came. In the meantime, the Allied bided their time, built their forces and used a campaign of misinformation to confuse the Germans.

Then, with a fleet of ships so vast it stretched beyond the horizon, the Allies struck. Infantry units waded into the waters off Normandy and found their blood mixing with the salty sea. Americans made up the majority of troops, along with British, French and other nations looking to counter the Third Reich.

At places like Sword and Juno, many Allied troops saw their last sunrise. What do you really know about the valor and horror of World War II’s Normandy beach landings?