Some 24,000 airborne troops landed across Normandy shortly after midnight, passing over the main invasion force as it steamed towards the beach. The paratroopers were ordered to hold strategic locations, disrupt communications and prevent reinforcements from arriving at the beaches while the main invasion force came ashore. The C-130 used in today's practice over Le Mont-Saint-Michel in north-western France carried the marking W7. Whiskey Seven was a C-47 Dakota which was used during D-Day, dropping troops into battle. This US Air Force C-130 flying above Le Mont-Saint-Michel, north-western France is involved in a training sortie ahead of next month's 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Source: Daily Mail May 18, 2019 18:10 UTC