1942-1944—Preparations for Invasion of France
Preparations for Invasion of France
American military planners had intended from the moment of U.S. entry into the war that there would be an invasion across the English Channel into Nazi-occupied France. To this end the Allies launched Operation Bolero, a rapid buildup of American troops in England, which began early in 1942. However, the Allies soon concluded that it would be some time before sufficient forces would be available to ensure a reasonable chance of success, so the invasion was pushed back, first to 1943, then to 1944. In the meantime British and American troops would be engaged in fighting the Germans and Italians in North Africa and Italy, while Allied bombers would pound German cities from the air in the hope of disrupting Axis war production.

Given the slowness of the Allied advance in Italy, and the often-disappointing results of the bombing campaign, it was clear that these were no substitute for a cross-Channel invasion. The plan for Operation Overlord—the invasion of the coast of Normandy, in northern France—was formulated in the summer of 1943, and intended for the spring of the following year. At the same Allied intelligence services launched a campaign of their own, circulating false information to suggest to the Germans that the British and Americans were planning to land not at Normandy, but further north, at Pas-de-Calais.

In December 1943 General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had commanded Allied forces during the invasion of North Africa, was appointed Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord. Preparations continued through the winter and spring of 1944, and in mid-May Eisenhower chose June 5 as D-Day—the day on which the greatest amphibious operation in history was to take place.

Histories:
Final Preparations for the Invasion (D-Day)
Operation Overlord

Campaign Map:
Overlord Plan for Invasion of France, 6 June 1944

Personal Accounts:
Rutgers Oral History Archive: Interview with Albert Handaly
Rutgers Oral History Archive: Interview with Robert L. Hoen
Rutgers Oral History Archive: Interview with John G. Rosta
LT Eugene E. Eckstam, MC, USNR recollects his experience as medical officer on USS LST 507

Photographs:
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the order of the Day