5-445: A beachhead is the line created when a military unit reaches a beach by sea and begins to defend that area of beach. Beachhead or Beach Head may also refer to: Beachhead A beachhead is a temporary line created when a military unit reaches a landing beach by sea and begins to defend the area as other reinforcements arrive. Once a large enough unit is assembled, the invading force can begin advancing inland. The term
10-536: Is sometimes used interchangeably (both correctly and incorrectly) with bridgehead and lodgement . Beachheads were important in many military actions; examples include operations such as Operation Neptune during World War II , the Korean War (especially at Inchon ), and the Vietnam War . Although many references state that Operation Neptune refers to the naval operations in support of Operation Overlord ,
15-530: The most reliable references make it clear that Overlord referred to the establishment of a large-scale lodgement in Normandy, and that Neptune referred to the landing phase which created the beachhead; Neptune was therefore the first part of Overlord . According to the D-Day Museum: The armed forces use codenames to refer to the planning and execution of specific military operations. Operation Overlord
20-516: The side which can reinforce the beachhead most quickly. Occasionally, the amphibious forces do not expand their beachheads quickly enough to create a lodgement area before the defenders can reinforce their positions; in these cases, the defending forces tend to be victorious. This is exemplified by the landing at Suvla Bay in the Gallipoli Campaign during World War I and the amphibious landing at Anzio (during Operation Shingle ) as part of
25-616: Was the codename for the Allied invasion of north-west Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune. (...) Operation Neptune began on D-Day (6 June 1944) and ended on 30 June 1944. By this time, the Allies had established a firm foothold in Normandy. Operation Overlord also began on D-Day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944. Once an amphibious assault starts, victory tends to go to
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