TIMELINE OF THE
Years of debate, meticulous planning and technological development preceded the largest amphibious invasion in history
OPERATION BOLERO
April 1942
US Army troops first arrive in the UK in January 1942, and their numbers increase substantially with Operation Bolero. The US presence in England swells to 1.5 million in the month before D-Day. They are predominantly housed in camps in the southwest, while British and Canadian troops are further east.
EARLY INVASION PLANS
Spring 1942
Soon after joining the war effort, the US sends representatives to the UK to lobby for two landing plans. Operation Roundup proposes a landing between Boulogne and Le Havre, while Operation Sledgehammer plans to capture Brest or Cherbourg. Winston Churchill resists, preferring to target the Wehrmacht’s “soft underbelly” in the Mediterranean.
DIEPPE RAID 01
19 August 1942
The Allies launch Operation Jubilee, an unsuccessful amphibious assault in Dieppe intended to temporarily capture the port and test the feasibility of a beach landing. However, the operation becomes a fiasco when the landing forces are trapped on the beach and are forced to retreat after six hours. Allied command learns from its mistakes and future plans don’t focus on capturing a major port.
INVASION CONFERENCES
January, May and August 1943
Led by US and UK representatives, the Allies hold three conferences to plan an invasion of northern France: Casablanca, Washington and Quebec. They overcome disagreements, agreeing to only accept unconditional surrender from Germany and delay invasion plans until May 1944. In Quebec, Operation Overlord is finally conceived.
OPERATION POINTBLANK
June 1943
In preparation for an invasion of Northern Europe, the RAF and USAAF launch an operation to crush Germany’s fighter strength and aircraft manufacturing capabilities. Operation Pointblank secures Allied air superiority over Normandy, and when the Normandy Campaign begins its 4,029 Allied aircraft face just 570 Luftwaffe planes in France and the Low Countries.
OPERATION FORTITUDE 04
December 1943
The Allies make plans to deceive the Germans as to the date and location of the D-Day landings under Operation Bodyguard, which is adapted into Operation Fortitude by Colonel David Strangeways. The Allies use double agents, phantom army groups and even a double posin
