Operation Overlord

From the beginning of 1944, plans were drawn up for the invasion of France. It was to be a remarkable project. It was vital that the Germans should not know where on the French coast the Allies planned to land. The Germans expected the landing to take place at Calais - it had a harbour big enough for the huge Allied supplies that would need to be landed and it was the closest point to the English coast. Eisenhower, the US general in overall command of 'Operation Overlord', encouraged the Germans to continue believing that Calais was the landing zone.

Three times as many bombs were dropped on Calais as were dropped on Normandy (where the attack did take place). Dummy military camps, complete with wooden tanks, were built in Kent, facing Calais. It was planned to put ashore six Allied divisions (three American, two British and one Canadian). Another three divisions would be dropped by parachute. The big problem would be keeping these men supplied and bringing on shore all the tanks, artillery and trucks which would be needed. The beaches of Normandy are too shallow to allow the supply ships to get close enough to the beach.

Neil Demarco: The era of the Second World War; Oxford University Press, 1993/2000, page 44