The Allied invasion plan was (west to east): -
The US 82nd ‘All American’ Airborne Division was to be dropped by parachute and reinforced by gliders in the area of Sainte-Mère-Église to protect the right flank of the invasion area.
The US 101st ‘Screaming Eagles’ Airborne Division was to be dropped by parachute and reinforced by gliders in the area of Vierville to secure the four beach exits and support the US VII Corps landing at UTAH Beach.
The US VII Corps was to land one Division up on UTAH Beach in the area from Les Dunes de Varreville to Pouppeville, with the US 4th Infantry Division leading.
The US 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions were to assault the German Coastal Artillery Battery at Pointe du Hoc in order to silence the guns.
The US V Corps was to land with a reinforced Division up on OMAHA Beach between Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to Vierville-sur-Mer, with the US 1st Infantry Division and 116th Regimental Combat Team from the US 29th Infantry Division leading.
The British No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando was to come ashore to seize the small fishing village of Port-en-Bessin on the West flank of GOLD Beach.
The British XXX Corps and 8th Armoured Brigade were to come ashore on GOLD Beach between La Rivière to Arromanches, with the British 50th (Northumbrian) Division leading.
The British I Corps with the British 2nd Armoured Brigade and No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando were to come ashore at JUNO Beach between Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur, with the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division leading.
The British I Corps and the 27th Armoured Brigade were to come ashore at SWORD Beach between Ouistreham to Lion-sur-Mer, with the British 3rd Infantry Division leading.
The British 1 Special Service Brigade comprising No 3, No 4, No 6 and No 45 (Royal Marine) Commandos were to land at Ouistreham in Queen Red sector (leftmost) of SWORD Beach. No 4 Commando were to be augmented by 1 Troop and 8 Troop (both French) of No 10 (Inter Allied) Commando.
British 6th Airborne Division, comprising 3rd and 5th Parachute Brigades and the 6th Airlanding Brigade, was to be airlifted and delivered by parachute and glider to the east of the River Orne to protect the left flank.
Activities by the Maquis, French Resistance, helped disrupt German lines of communications.
The objectives for the first 40 days were to: -
Create a beachhead that would include the cities of Caen and Cherbourg (especially Cherbourg for its deep-water port).
Break out from the beachhead to liberate Brittany and its Atlantic ports and to advance to a line roughly 125 miles to the southwest of Paris, from Le Havre through Le Mans to Tours.
The three-month objective was to control a zone bounded by the River Loire in the south and River Seine in the northeast.
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In the footsteps of
The Allied 21st Army Group
D-Day, 6 June 1944
The Greatest Seaborne Invasion the World Has Ever Known
This book covers: -
The Build-up.
The Strategy of the German and Allied Forces.
An overview of the opposing forces, including the Chain of Command structures and the forces in the invasion area on D-Day.
Security and Deception.
The Allied build-up prior to the invasion.
The Invasion.
The Maquis.
The American Airborne.
UTAH Beach.
Pointe-du-Hoc.
OMAHA Beach.
GOLD Beach.
JUNO Beach.
SWORD Beach.
The British Airborne.
The Battle for Normandy.
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