Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill13 August 1941
13 Aug-23 August, the Allies agree to mount an invasion called "Overlord" in May 44
Great Britain · Warfare / World War, 2nd. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.
13 Aug-23 August, the Allies agree to mount an invasion called "Overlord" in May 44
Studies plans written by the British & USA Combined-Chiefs of Staff
Churchill unofficially informs the Soviets in a memorandum handed to Soviet Foreign Secretary Vyacheslav Molotov that the resources necessary for an invasion were lacking in 1942
In a joint statement with Soviet Union Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin and United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Churchill had announces a "full understanding" with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a Second Front in Europe.
The planning process was started in earnest after the Casablanca and Tehran Conferences with the appointment of British Lieutenant General Frederick E. Morgan as Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander.
Two preliminary proposals were drawn up: Operation Sledgehammer, for an invasion in 1942, and Operation Roundup, for a larger attack in 1943, which was adopted and became Operation Overlord, although it was delayed until 1944.
The planning process was started in earnest after the Casablanca and Tehran Conferences with the appointment of British Lieutenant General Frederick E. Morgan as Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander
Churchill & Roosevelt meet in Washington where they agree a cross-Channel invasion (Operation Overlord) to be provisionally be launched on 1 May 1944
The German radio intercept station is bombed & "wiped off the map"
The RAF bombs a German Air Force base about to bomb the Overlord Channel fleet
Churchill & Roosevelt meet in Quebec, Canada to further discuss Overlord timetable, planning
The initial draft of the COSSAC plan for Operation Overlord is accepted at the Quebec Conference in August 1943, but no supreme commander was appointed for several months
Confirms British committment to Overlord at the Cairo Conference
Agrees to mount Overlord & send a diversionary force to the south of France in May 1944
Given command of the assault phase for Overlord on the ground
Churchill & Roosevelt agree Gen Eisenhower will command Allied forces for the planned invasion of Europe, Eisenhowers appointment as Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, publicly announced by Roosevelt
Eisenhower & Montgomerry insist that the scale of the invasion be expanded, to prevent the invaders being restricted to a narrow beachhead, with insufficient room to land follow-up formations, delaying Overlord to June. Eisenhower & Montgomerry both first see the COSSAC plan on 31 December 1943 at Marrakech in Morroco, in a conference with Winston Churchill
47 divisions are committed to the Battle of Normandy: 19 British, 5 Canadian, 21 US & 1 Free French
Gets some LCTs from Burma against the Japanese for use in Operation Overlord
Appointed to plan British & US tactical air forces for Operation Overlord
Montgomerys plans for D-Day are approved by the Allies
Succesfully argues the case for more troops & a broader landing area
Montgomery presents his strategy for the invasion at St Pauls School, a ninety day battle, ending when all the forces reach the Seine, pivoting on an Allied-held Caen, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder & US armies wheeling right
Montgomerry presents Overlord plans to senior commanders, the King, Smuts & Churchill
The Americans are assigned Utah and Omaha, the British Gold and Sword, and the Canadians Juno Beach.
Presents the final plan to senior commanders, the King, Smuts & Churchill at St Pauls. Expresses his belief that that Allied tanks will reach Falaise on D-Day
Final conference at Montgomerys HQ in St Pauls School
Subordinate commanders are informed D-Day will be 5th June
Announces an imminent Allied assault on the coast of France in the Commons
The highest tonnage of bombs in one night during the war is dropped by Britain. Dummy parachutists are dropped just east of the intended landing area. 176,000 men & 20,000 vehicles are to be landed in 2 days. 1,000 British bombers strike 10 German gun batteries, 5,000 tons of bombs are dropped
Commands infantryman who land by glider & capture 2 bridges codenamed Pegasus & Horsa
Leads the infantry capture of 2 bridges codenamed Pegasus & Horsa. 1st Allied death in Normandy
Commands the British 30th Corps on Gold beach
1st day of the bombing of Caen
To the east, Rommels nightmare had been realised, a continuous British-Canadian beachhead, 20km (12 miles) across and up to 10km (six miles) deep. By midnight neither Bayeux nor Port-en-Bessin had been taken, the depleted American force was several kilometres short of Port-en-Bessin but the French Resistance had taken over Bayeux
Crocker's I Corps directed the British and Canadian assault formations advancing toward Caen.
Dempsey commanded the British Second Army landing east of Bayeux and advancing toward Caen.
Captures the Islands of St Marcouf off Utah beach
Parachutes behind enemy lines & captures Benouville, including Pegasus Bridge
At about 9:30 Hermanville is captured
Sets up an HQ at Ranville
Parachutes behind enemy lines & helps disable gun emplacements at Merville
Montgomery directed the Allied ground campaign and treated Caen as the principal objective of the British Second Army.
Royal Marine Commandos land on Gold Beach & capture Arromanches
The British capture Bayeaux
The British 3rd Division fails to capture Caen
A major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the battle for Caen, 8 August
Caen. Commander of all ground forces for Operation Overlord. By the end of the day the Allies land 130,000 men & 22,000 parachutists.
On Sword Beach the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties they advance about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) by the end of the day but failed to make some of the deliberately ambitious targets set by Montgomery in particular
The Allies lose 9,500 killed or wounded.
Parachutes behind enemy lines disabling gun emplacements threatening Sword Beach
Parachutes behind enemy lines & helps secure Pegasus Bridge
Commands 137 warships, 4,000 landing craft & 2,000 support ships
Rennie's division landed on Sword Beach with orders to advance rapidly toward Caen.
Manages to land 16 Divisions ashore facing 14 enemy Divisions
The Allies gain a bridgehead over the River Odon near Caen
The Allies capture Hill 112 but Dempsey withdraws & the Germans recapture it
Commands the 1st Airbourne Division during the Normandy landings
Wants Eisenhower to transfer "D-Day" from Marsailles to Brest, Eisenhower refuses
Endorses Bradleys order for Patton to clear Brittany with "minimum forces"
Fails to persuade Eisenhower to transfer D-Day from Marsailles to Brest
Watches the D-Day landings & wires Eisenhower saying how succesful they are
Appointed Commander of the 2nd Tactical Airforce
Commands the British Second Army during Operation Overlord
Given the responsibility of developing ampibious armoured support, "Hobarts funnies"
Commander in Chief of the Allied airforces for Operation Overlord
Commands the Tactical Forces East during Operation Overlord
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