Corps army unit consisting of two or more divisions
CP command post
Division army unit of all arms, usually with a focus in either infantry or armour – the basic military unit by which size and scale of a force was judged in the Second World War
Fallschirmjäger German paratroopers
FOB forward observer, bombardment (naval)
Gefreiter corporal
Gooseberry row of Corncobs forming a breakwater
HE high explosive
Heeresgruppe Army Group
Leaguer night-time position of tanks out of the front line, usually in a circle with the guns pointing outwards
Maquis group of French resistance fighters
OB West Oberbefehl West: German Army Command in the West
Oberst colonel
Obersturmbannführer lieutenant-colonel
OKW Oberkommando der Wehrmacht: German Combined Operations Staff
OP observation post
Phoenix largest part of the Mulberry; a caisson, a block of the harbour wall
PIR Parachute Infantry Regiment
PSP pierced steel plating (for creating all-weather airfield runways)
RAMC Royal Army Medical Corps
RCN Royal Canadian Navy
RTR Royal Tank Regiment
Schwere Panzerabteilung Heavy Tank Battalion
Spud floating pier end that could rise and fall with the tide
Standartenführer Waffen-SS equivalent of Oberst
Sturmbannführer Waffen-SS equivalent of major
TI target indicator
TURCO Turn Around Control
VCP vehicle collecting point
Whale section of floating pier
WN Widerstandsnest – strongpoint
Constructing the caissons, or ‘Phoenixes’, that will make up the walls of the Mulberry harbours.
The Mulberry B Artificial Harbour at Arromanches
A sketch from the papers of Lieutenant Ambrose Lampen.
British Infantry Battal War strength: 36 officers, 809 men. Total 845.
Breakdown of 21st Army Group Personnel August 19441
1 Percentages based on 660,000 men.
2 The relative strength of the artillery resulted from doctrines evolved from First World War experience.
Royal Regiment of Artillery
A single corps that recruited, trained and instructed in the use of the various means of this arm. All the units were numbered and kept the traditional name of the regiment.
Composition
1. Regiments from the Regular Army or Territorial Army.
2. Regiments from the former mounted cavalry of the Territorial Army (Yeomanry), transferred to the Royal Artillery. Traditionally they kept their original name at the same time as having a number – e.g. 153rd (Leicestershire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, TA.
3. Regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery transferred to the armoured divisions, of which certain batteries preserved the traditions of the Honourable Artillery Company.
4. Regiments coming from converted infantry battalions.
5. Counter-mortar batteries. Groups for detecting mortars by radar or sonar. They were incorporated into the divisions from July 1944.
6. Searchlight batteries. Searchlight units attached to general reserve anti-aircraft regiments.
7. Air observation post squadrons. Light aircraft squadrons used for observation and artillery spotting, attached to the army or army corps. The pilots and the observers belonged to the Royal Artillery, whereas the aircraft and the ground staff were the responsibility of the RAF.
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division (Commander: Major-General G. I. Thomas)
Created: September 1939 (First-line Territorial division) NW Europe Campaign: 24 June 1944–31 August 1945 BATTLES: 1944 – 25 June–2 July: River Odon / 4–18 July: Caen / I8–23 July: Bourguébus Ridge / 30 July–9 August: Mont Pinçon / 17–27 September: Nederrijn 1945 – 8 February–10 March: Rhineland / 23 March–1 April: Rhine
Commanders of the 129th Brigade: Brigadier G. H. L. Luce (wounded; died 14 Nov. 1944); Brigadier J. O. E. Vandeleur (15 Nov. 1944)
Commanders of the 130th Brigade: Brigadier N. D. Leslie; Brigadier B. B. Walton (17 Aug. 1944); Brigadier B. A. Coad (7 Oct. 1944) Commander of the 214th Brigade: Brigadier H. Essame
German Order of Battle, 1–6 August
1 Kampfgruppe
2 En route to 5. Panzerarmee. Leading elements south of Rouen, 6 August.
3 En route to 7. Armee. Leading elements near Briouze, 6 August.
4 HQ LVIII Panzerkorps assumed command of 271. and 277. Divisions on Panzergruppe West front, 2 August. It was reassigned to 7. Armee, 6 August.
German Infantry Division 2-regiment type: total strength 9,859
Waffen-SS Panzer Division Total strength 17,262
General Montgomery (left) with the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (right).
Timeline: Normandy 1944
January
WEDNESDAY, 12
Meeting at Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery’s new HQ at St Paul’s School, London, of senior commanders, including Gen. Omar Bradley and Gen. Sir Kenneth Anderson (then slated to command Second Army).
SATURDAY, 15
Montgomery demands 5 x division landing. Adm. Sir Bertram Ramsay agrees subject to necessary lift and naval forces being available.
FM Erwin Rommel appointed commander of Heeresgruppe B.
MONDAY, 17
Eisenhower discusses with Ramsay need to move out of London. Ramsay suggests Portsmouth.
WEDNESDAY, 19
Eisenhower speaks to senior members of combined staffs about importance of unity and close cooperation.
FRIDAY, 21
Big meeting to finalize outline of OVERLORD plan. 5 x division assault agreed. Ramsay explains naval implications and requirements.
THURSDAY, 27
Gen. Miles Dempsey takes over command of British Second Army.
February
TUESDAY, 1
Photo session of senior commanders for OVERLORD.
SATURDAY, 19–THURSDAY, 24
Luftwaffe raids on London by day and night.
TUESDAY, 29
Ramsay holds meetings of senior generals and admirals.
March
WEDNESDAY, 15
Large naval meeting at Admiralty to discuss anti-U-boat measures for OVERLORD.
SUNDAY, 19
Rommel summoned to see Hitler at Berghof.
SATURDAY, 25
Allied bombing policy conference.
April
FRIDAY, 7
1st day of Ex. THUNDERCLAP at St Paul’s, including Chiefs of Staff, Sec. for War (Sir James Grigg) and all main generals, admirals and air marshals of higher command of forces for OVERLORD. Monty gives 1½ hour talk on army plan. Ramsay gives 1 hour talk on naval problems that would affect army and air plans.
SATURDAY, 8
2nd day Ex. THUNDERCLAP. Finishes 1.45 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, 19
Eisenhower agrees to give greater bombing priority to German V-1 and V-2 weapons sites.
SATURDAY, 29
Ramsay meeting with Eastern Task Force commanders. Discussions of H-Hour.
May
MONDAY, 1
Senior commanders meeting. Discussions about beach obstacles and H-Hour.
WEDNESDAY, 3
Op. FABIUS begins – D-Day dress rehearsal.
SUNDAY, 7
‘Appreciation on Possible Development of Operations to Secure a Lodgement Area’ distributed.
MONDAY, 8
Hitler divides up command of panzer divisions in the West.
MONDAY, 15
Big Presentation of Plans Day.
FRIDAY, 19
RAF Bomber Command hits Orléans.
SUNDAY, 21
CHATTANOOGA mission – Eighth Air Force fighters attack railway targets and destroy 91 locomotives.
MONDAY, 22
CHA
TTANOOGA mission Day 2.
Night: RAF Bomber Command hits marshalling yards at Orléans and Le Mans.
WEDNESDAY, 24
RAF Bomber Command hits marshalling yards at Aachen.
THURSDAY, 25
Eighth Air Force hits bridges along the Seine.
SATURDAY, 27
RAF Bomber Command hits marshalling yards at Aachen.
SUNDAY, 28
Gen. Galland learns Me262 will be used as a bomber not a fighter.
Huge aerial battles over Germany. 78 German fighter planes lost.
TUESDAY, 30
Rommel on inspection tour along Normandy coast.
June
FRIDAY, 2
10 a.m.: Commanders’ meeting. Weather is main point of discussion. Agree to stick to current plan and loading to proceed.
Montgomery gives final pep-talk to staff at 21st Army Group HQ.
SATURDAY, 3
Invasion troops embark.
Rommel visits FM Gerd von Rundstedt in Paris.
9.30 p.m.: Commanders’ meeting: agreed to stick to 5 June.
SUNDAY, 4
4.15 a.m.: Eisenhower decides provisional postponement discussed the previous evening should stand.
Gen. Charles de Gaulle arrives in London from Algiers.
9.30 p.m.: Group Capt. James Stagg announces a gap in weather is coming. Ike decides to go on Tuesday, 6 June.
Rommel leaves France to visit his wife in Germany, then goes on to visit Hitler.
MONDAY, 5
4.15 a.m.: Commanders’ meeting at Southwick House. Eisenhower confirms D-Day will go ahead on 6 June with airborne operations starting that night.
Intelligence summary from OB West HQ reports no imminent threat of Allied invasion.
TUESDAY, 6 – D-DAY
See separate timeline, p. 567.
WEDNESDAY, 7
12. Waffen-SS Panzer-Division counter-attack to west of Caen held up by Canadians. Vicious fighting along River Merderet west of Ste-Mère-Église.
101st Airborne capture St-Côme-du-Mont.
Rangers battling to hold Pointe du Hoc.
Fighting all along front.
Bayeux liberated.
THURSDAY, 8
4 a.m.: 45 Royal Marine Commando capture Port-en-Bessin.
82nd Airborne take Cauquigny.
352. Division falls back to second line of defence.
Sherwood Rangers reach Point 103 north of Tilly-sur-Seulles.
Maj.-Gen. Pete Quesada, commander IX Tactical Command, lands at ELS-1 near Utah Beach.
Construction of Mulberry harbours begins at Port-en-Bessin and Arromanches.
FRIDAY, 9
Poet Keith Douglas killed.
Americans capture Grandcamp and Maisy Battery.
Lead elements of Panzer-Lehr enter battle at Tilly-sur-Seulles.
SATURDAY, 10
British Second Army launches Op. PERCH.
Battle for Carentan reaches climax.
2. Waffen-SS ‘Das Reich’ murder 642 French civilians at Oradour-sur-Glâne near Limoges.
SUNDAY, 11
Last German troops pull out of Carentan.
US troops link up between Utah and Omaha Beaches.
MONDAY, 12
US troops from Utah and Omaha meet near Carentan.
Joint 6. Fallschirmjäger/17. Waffen-SS counter-attack on Carentan.
Carentan battle ends.
Gen. Marcks killed by RAF.
Troops from 51st Highland Division reinforce British Commandos and Paras on British eastern flank.
21. Panzer counter-attack east of River Orne.
Winston Churchill visits Normandy.
1 SAS blow up German fuel trains near Châtellerault.
TUESDAY, 13
First V-1s fall on England.
German counter-attack towards Carentan fails.
Lead elements of British 7th Armoured Division halted at Villers-Bocage.
WEDNESDAY, 14
Op. PERCH halted.
Ongoing fighting at Villers-Bocage.
More than 300 heavy bombers of Bomber Command hit Le Havre.
De Gaulle visits Normandy and makes speech in Bayeux.
THURSDAY, 15
In Pacific, Americans launch assault on Mariana Islands.
Five Allied airfields built within the bridgehead by this time.
Americans renew effort to sever Cotentin Peninsula.
FRIDAY, 16
King George VI visits assault beaches via HMS Amethyst accompanied by Ramsay. Visits Monty at Creully.
Americans attack high ground to north of St-Lô.
SATURDAY, 17
Rommel meets von Rundstedt and Hitler at Margival.
SUNDAY, 18
Montgomery issues new plans: priority is capture of Cherbourg and Caen.
Evening: Americans reach west coast of Cotentin, cutting off all German forces to the north in process.
Panzer-Lehr counter-attack around Tilly and Fontenay.
Night: Panzer-Lehr pull back to high ground around Rauray and south of Tilly.
MONDAY, 19
Great storm begins in Channel.
American drive on Cherbourg begins.
TUESDAY, 20
Great storm continues.
WEDNESDAY, 21
Great storm ends – Mulberry A has been largely destroyed.
THURSDAY, 22
Op. BAGRATION launched on Eastern Front.
Montgomery and Dempsey agree plans for MARTLET and EPSOM.
FRIDAY, 23
Ramsay crosses to Normandy to inspect Great Storm damage.
Due to weather and troop build-up, Dempsey delays EPSOM until 26 June.
SATURDAY, 24
More troops on both sides reaching front.
Battle for Cherbourg continuing.
SUNDAY, 25
British XXX Corps launches Op. MARTLET towards Rauray Ridge. Rauray village captured.
MONDAY, 26
British Second Army launches Op. EPSOM.
TUESDAY, 27
Cherbourg garrison surrenders to Americans.
12. SS counter-attack west of Caen halted.
British VIII Corps gets across River Odon at Buron – ‘Scottish Corridor’ created up towards Hill 112.
Evening: Rommel and von Rundstedt summoned to see Hitler at Berghof.
WEDNESDAY, 28
By morning British 11th Armoured Division bridgehead over River Odon.
Hill 112 captured by British.
Two more SS panzer divisions enter EPSOM battle.
Rommel and von Rundstedt at Berghof.
THURSDAY, 29
Gen. Dollmann dies and replaced by SS-Gen. Paul Hausser.
German panzer counter-attacks in EPSOM battle repulsed.
FRIDAY, 30
Last German forces in Cotentin Peninsula surrender.
Further German counter-attacks in EPSOM battle.
Gen. Dempsey and Gen. O’Connor agree to pull British troops back from Hill 112.
Rommel back at La Roche-Guyon.
July
SATURDAY, 1
End of EPSOM battle.
Geyr von Schweppenburg sacked as commander Panzergruppe West and replaced by Gen. Hans Eberbach.
Von Rundstedt also sacked as commander OB West and replaced by FM Günther von Kluge.
MONDAY, 3
Von Kluge reaches La Roche-Guyon and immediately argues with Rommel.
Americans launch attack towards La-Haye-du-Puits.
TUESDAY, 4
Op. WINDSOR launched: Canadian assault plus 79th Armoured Brigade on village of Carpiquet.
Americans attacking southwards.
WEDNESDAY, 5
Fighting around Carpiquet and St-Lô.
THURSDAY, 6
Fighting around Carpiquet and north of St-Lô.
Friday, 7
Eisenhower writes to Montgomery urging him to speed up operations.
Panzer-Lehr move to St-Lô sector.
Bomber
Command attacks northern edge of Caen with 467 heavy bombers.
SATURDAY, 8
Op. CHARNWOOD launched.
SUNDAY, 9
British and Canadian troops enter Caen.
Panzer-Lehr counter-attack north-west of St-Lô.
MONDAY, 10
British and Canadian troops occupy Caen.
Op. JUPITER launched by British to retake Hill 112.
Montgomery issues new directive.
TUESDAY, 11
Op. CHARNWOOD halted.
Op. JUPITER halted.
Vicious fighting at base of the Cotentin Peninsula.
Panzer-Lehr counter-attacks near St-Jean-de-Daye.
WEDNESDAY, 12
Montgomery signals Eisenhower about plans for Op. GOODWOOD.
Bradley briefs his generals about Op. COBRA.
Heavy fighting in western sector.
US 2nd Division launch attack north-east of St-Lô – Hill 192 captured.
THURSDAY, 13
Heavy fighting in western sector.
FRIDAY, 14
Americans still pressing southwards around St-Lô.
Op. ANVIL authorized.
SATURDAY, 15
Montgomery authorizes scaled-back version of Op. GOODWOOD due to launch 18 August.
SUNDAY, 16
German counter-attack around St-Lô ends.
MONDAY, 17
Rommel wounded by air attack. Von Kluge takes over.
Americans closing in on St-Lô.
TUESDAY, 18
Op. GOODWOOD launched.
US forces capture St-Lô.
WEDNESDAY, 19
Continued fighting in GOODWOOD battle.
Gen. Bradley to England to brief air commanders on COBRA.
THURSDAY, 20
Failed assassination attempt on Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair.
FRIDAY, 21
Op. GOODWOOD runs out of steam.
Op. COBRA postponed due to poor weather.
SATURDAY, 22
Op. EXPRESS – 43rd Wessex Division and 7th Royal Tank Regiment attack Hill 112 sector and capture Maltot.
SUNDAY, 23
First Canadian Army becomes operational under Gen. Harry Crerar.
COBRA postponed again due to poor weather.
MONDAY, 24
Op. COBRA postponed by 24 hours, although some Eighth Air Force heavies still bomb targets. 25 US troops killed.
TUESDAY, 25
Op. COBRA launched, preceded by carpet-bombing by 1,500 heavy bombers.
Normandy '44 Page 70
