The European Theater of Operations: Cross-Channel Attack

This book deals with the planning and the difficulties encountered incident to the mounting of the largest amphibious assault ever undertaken in military history. Much of the information it contains has not heretofore been a matter of public knowledge. For example, light is for the first time thrown upon the enemy's conflicting theories of defense against Allied air superiority and upon his paucity of first-class troops. This information is derived from the official records of the Wehrmacht and from signed statements of German participants. Many of the difficulties encountered in the planning, as well as in the execution stage of the operation, are here described to the public for the first time. Return to Cross Channel, pg 442......Page 0 Foreword......Page 8 Introductory Note on the History of the European Theater of Operations......Page 9 Preface......Page 10 Contents......Page 14 The Common Ground......Page 20 General Marshall's Project......Page 32 "Action in 1942–Not 1943"......Page 40 The Period of Indecision (July–December 1942)......Page 51 The Casablanca Conference......Page 57 Organizations and Planning......Page 65 Size and Shape of the Attack......Page 73 Landing Craft Requirements......Page 78 Allotment of Resources, May 1943......Page 82 The COSSAC Plans......Page 89 Strategy Reviewed: The Quebec Conference......Page 102 Landing Craft Again......Page 119 Questions of Command......Page 124 The Cairo-Tehran Conferences......Page 137 Organization of the West......Page 147 Impact of the Russian and Mediterranean Fronts......Page 159 Rebuilding the Western Defenses......Page 167 U.S. Organization and Training for the Assault, January 1944......Page 177 The ANVIL–OVERLORD Debate......Page 183 The NEPTUNE Plans......Page 192 The French Resistance......Page 217 The Combined Bomber Offensive......Page 226 The Bombing of French Railroads......Page 236 OKW Policy in 1944......Page 250 Organizatoin for Combat......Page 255 Command and Tactics......Page 261 The Defense on the Eve of Invasion......Page 277 The Invasion is Launched......Page 288 The Airborne Assault......Page 297 Hitting the Beaches......Page 319 The D-Day Beachhead......Page 340 Securing the Beachheads......Page 355 Junction Between V and VII Corps......Page 370 4. German Counterattack on Carentan, 13 June 1944......Page 385 Toward St. Lô......Page 396 Securing the North Flank......Page 405 Attack to Cut the Peninsula......Page 415 Hitler Intervenes......Page 427 Advance to the Cherbourg Landfront......Page 435 The Fall of Cherbourg......Page 441 End of a Phase......Page 457 A. Digest of Operation OVERLORD......Page 469 B. Directive to Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force......Page 476 C. Hitler Directive No. 40......Page 478 D. Hitler Directive No. 51......Page 483 E. Chronology of Main Planning Papers from 1 January 1944......Page 487 F. Comparative Fire Power of teh U.S. and German 1944-Type Infantry Divisions......Page 489 G. Divisions Available to Germany on 6 June 1944......Page 490 H. Table of Equivalent Ranks......Page 491 I. Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross......Page 492 J. Basic Miliary Map Symbols......Page 496 Glossary......Page 498 Code Names......Page 504 Bibliographical Note......Page 506 Index......Page 514 1. Simplified Command and Planning Organization for European Operations as of May 1942......Page 22 2. German Chain of Command in the West, May 1944......Page 263 4. German Naval command in the West......Page 264 1. Situation in Europe, 6 June 1944......Page 287 2. German Counterattack in the Cotentin......Page 315 3. 4th Infantry Division, 6 June 1944......Page 324 5. Caumont Gap, Morning, 10 June 1944......Page 389 6. The la Fière Bridgehead, 9 June 1944......Page 416 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill......Page 26 General Marshall......Page 33 U.S. Soldiers in Ireland......Page 39 Casablanca Conference......Page 58 General Morgan......Page 69 British Landing Craft on Beach at Dieppe......Page 74 German Submarine Under Aerial Attack......Page 104 Quebec Conference......Page 108 General Montgomery......Page 136 Tehran Conference......Page 143 Field Marshal von Rundstedt and General Jodl......Page 151 German High Command......Page 153 Enemy Coast Artillery......Page 158 Field Marshal Rommel......Page 169 General Eisenhower......Page 178 Invasion Training in England......Page 180 Assault Training......Page 182 Vauville Beach, Spring 1944......Page 197 Preinvasion Bombing......Page 214 Hitler Leaving Railway Carriage at Compiègne......Page 218 V-Bomb Over London, June 1944......Page 235 Bombardment of Marshaling Yards......Page 245 Results of Air Attacks......Page 248 Antilandng Obstacles......Page 270 German Mobile Infantry......Page 274 Captured German Armor......Page 275 Preinvasion Scenes......Page 290 Allied Invasion Chiefs......Page 292 German Field Commanders......Page 296 Parachute Troops......Page 298 Hedgerow Country......Page 304 Merderet River Crossing......Page 313 Crossing the Channel......Page 318 Troops on Utah Beach......Page 322 Aerial View of Utah Beach on D-Day Morning......Page 325 Aerial View of Omaha Beach on D Plus 1......Page 329 Terrain on Omaha Beach......Page 331 Assault Landings, Omaha Beach......Page 333 First Aid on the Beach......Page 335 Rangers Scaling the Cliffs at Pointe du Hoe......Page 342 Ninth Air Force B-26 Over British Beachhead......Page 350 Troops on Utah Beach Under Artillery Fire......Page 362 Planes and Gliders Circling Les Forges......Page 365 U.S. Commanders......Page 371 St. Côme-du-Mont Area......Page 373 Carentan Causeway......Page 377 Carentan and Hill 30 Area......Page 381 Tank Equipped with Hedgerow Cutter......Page 404 Crisbecq Fortification......Page 408 Azeville Forts......Page 410 Quinéville......Page 413 La Fière Causeway......Page 418 Tank Entering St. Sauveur-le Vicomte......Page 424 Ste. Colombe-Néhou Area......Page 426 Seine River Bridge at Mantes-Gassicourt Under Bombardment......Page 428 Utah Beach During the Build-up......Page 443 Omaha Beach During the Build-up......Page 444 Artificial Port at Omaha Beach......Page 446 American Artillery in Action Against Cherbourg......Page 452 Fort du Roule......Page 454 House-to-House Search in Cherbourg......Page 456 American Infantry Captain with Cherbourg Prisoners......Page 458 MapI......Page 539 MapII......Page 540 MapIII......Page 541 MapIV......Page 542 MapV......Page 543 MapVI......Page 544 MapVII......Page 545 MapVIII......Page 546 MapIX......Page 547 MapX......Page 548 MapXI......Page 549 MapXII......Page 550 MapXIII......Page 551 MapXIV......Page 552 MapXV......Page 553 MapXVI......Page 554 MapXVII......Page 555 MapXVIII......Page 556 MapXIX......Page 557 MapXX......Page 558 MapXXI......Page 559 MapXXII......Page 560 MapXXIII......Page 561 MapXXIV......Page 562