The Allies began to turn the tide of WWII in 1942. American troops first saw action in Operation Torch, the liberation of French colonies in North Africa. Next, a joint force invaded Italy. In 1943, Allied troops invade Sicily and slowly move north up the Italian peninsula, engaging in brutal battles with italian and Nazi forces. As progress is made in Italy, Allied leaders began planning the liberation of Europe, code-named Operation Overlord. It involved 2 million men from many different countries, thousands of ships and airplanes. The first wave of invaders landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, D-Day. The Allied assault was bloody but successful, and by August, they had liberated Paris. As they approached the Rhine River in December 1944, they were surprised by a Nazi counter-attack, known as the Battle of the Bulge. By January 1945, the Allies had reclaimed the territory lost; in February, Allied airstrikes, such as the fire-bombing of Dresden, helped to weaken German resistance. In March, Britain and the United States were invading from the west while the Soviets invaded from the east. Hitler committed suicide, and Germany surrendered. VE Day was May 8, 1945. To many, D-Day is revered as the day that saved the world in modern world history.