The Plan for Operation Overlord

15^th May 1944 – Montgomery’s final presentation of the plan for Overlord to Churchill, King George VI and senior officers of the Allied forces. 

The US 12^th Army Group, led by Lieutenant-General Omar Bradley were to take the western (right) flank of the invasion force.  Their US First Army, commanded by Lt-General Cortney Hodges would land on ‘Utah’ beach, near the base of the Cherbourg peninsula, and on ‘Omaha’ beach on the Normandy coast north-west of Bayeux.  Having captured Cherbourg and the peninsula they were to advance to St Lô and then Paris, moving in line with the British.  Lt. General George Patton’s US Third Army was to advance through the First Army Front to clear Brittany and take the south flank of the invasion force as it pivoted towards Germany and the east. 

The D day landing on ‘Utah’ of the US VII Corps was to be led by the 4^th Division while V Corps on ‘Omaha’ would be led by 1^st and 29^th Divisions, with the American Rangers taking Pointe du Hoc.  US 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions were to drop troops overnight before D Day at the base of the Cherbourg Peninsula to secure the beach exits from ‘Utah’ and capture the critical town of Sainte-Mère-Église while the British 6^th Airborne Division seized bridges over the Caen Canal and across the River Orme on the eastern flank of the invasion force.

21^st Army Group, led by General Bernard Montgomery (Monty) fielded part of Lt-General Crerar’s First Canadian Army under Lt-General Miles Dempsey’s Second Army.  They were to protect the eastern flank, advancing south, south-east and across the River Orne and taking Caen.

On D Day British I Corps would be led by the British 3^rd Division on the easternmost ‘Sword’ beach and by 3^rd Canadian Division on ‘Juno’ north-west of Caen.  The gap between ‘Sword’ and ‘Juno’ was to be taken by 41 and 48 Commando, landing at the edges of these beaches, respectively.

On ‘Gold’ beach, between the Canadians on ‘Juno’ and the US on Omaha, British XXX (30) Corps would be led ashore by Dick’s own 50^th Division.

(From ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition)

 

15^th May 1944 – beginning of the mass deportation of Hungarian Jews to forced labour camps and concentration camps, including Auschwitz.  Less than one third of Hungarian Jews survived the Holocaust and more than half a million were murdered or died of maltreatment during the German occupation. (See Hungary after the German occupation.)