The Administrative and Logistical History of the ETO

PART VI
NEPTUNE: Training, Mounting, The Artificial Ports

Historical Division

United States Army Forces, European Theater

Lt. Clifford L. Jones

March 1946

 

Table of Contents

Volume I
Chapter			Page
	Foreword		i
I	Background of Amphibious Operations		1
		The Beginnings of Invasions
		Training in the United States
		Early Developments in the United Kingdom
		Arrival of American Units in the United Kingdom
II	Amphibious Operations in the Mediterranean		12
		Planning for TORCH
		Operation TORCH
		Lessons From TORCH
		Training in North Africa
		Preparations for HUSKY
		Operation HUSKY
		Lessons From HUSKY
		Operation AVALANCHE
		Operation SHINGLE
		Summary
III	Early Training in the United Kingdom		53
		Contact with other Theaters
		Training Policy in the United Kingdom
		The American School Center
		The Joint Q Planning School
		The 29th Division in the United Kingdom
		Miscellaneous Training
		Development of Doctrine Through Exercises
IV	Planning for OVERLORD and NEPTUNE		95
		The Evolution of the Plan
		Planning by Engineers
		Plan NEPTUNE--General
		Plan NEPTUNE--Mounting
		Plan NEPTUNE--The Assault
		Plan NEPTUNE--Beach Operations
		Basic Agreements
V	Composition of the Forces		144
		Selection of Assault Units
		The Assault Units
		Composition of Shore Units
VI	The Assault Training Center		164
		The Background of the Center
		Activation of the Center
		Center Doctrine
		Setting up the Center
		Organization of Assault Troops
		Courses at the Center
		Development of Doctrine
		Center Chronology
VII	Exercises		211
		Exercise DUCK I
		Exercises DUCK II, DUCK III
		Exercise FOX
		Other Assault Exercises
		Miscellaneous Exercises
		Exercise TIGER
		TIGER--The E-Boat Attack
		Exercise FABIUS
VIII	Mounting		275
		The Base Sections
		Development of Marshalling Facilities
		Marshalling Facilities in Southern Base Section
		Marshalling Facilities in Western Base Section
		Control of Movement
		Equipping the Invasion Force
		Waterproofing
		Marshalling in Southern Base Section
		Marshalling in Western Base Section
		Composition of the Assault Convoys
		Briefing and Embarkation
Volume II
IX	D Day, OMAHA		1
		Introduction
		OMAHA Beach
		The Voyage of the Assault Convoy
		The Preliminary Bombardment
		H Hour--The Gap Assault Teams
		First Engineer Landings
		Mid-morning
		Mid-day
		Late Afternoon
		D Day Night
X	D Day UTAH		34
		Introduction
		UTAH Beac
		The Voyage of the Assault Convoy
		Paratroop Landings and Preliminary Bombardment
		H Hour--The Gap Assault Teams
		First Engineer Landings
		Development of UTAH Beach on D Day
XI	OMAHA Beach Development to the Storm		63
		The Tactical Situation
		Marking the Beaches
		Development of the Beach
		D plus 6--Opening the Inland Dumps
		Later Improvements
XII	UTAH Beach Development to the Storm		86
		The Tactical Situation
		Marking the Beaches
		Development of the Beach
		Unloading Operations
		Dump Activities
		Personnel and Vehicles
		Beach Development
XIII	The Storm Period		110
		Planning the Harbor
		Construction of the Harbor
		The Storm
		Damage caused by the Storm
		The Change in Plan, Arromanches
		Aftermath of the Storm
XIV	The Beaches After the Storm		135
		Settling down to Normal
		August Operations
		Fall Operations
		Movement of Personnel
		Movement of Supplies
Appendices
A	Tonnages of cargo unloaded at the beaches, 6 June to 19 Nov 44
B	Personnel crossing the beaches from 6 June to 14 Nov 44
C	Movement of vehicles across beaches, 6 June to 12 Nov 44
D	Casualties handled at the beaches, 6 June to 4 Sep 44
E	Prisoner evacuation via the beaches, 6 June to 4 Sep 44
F	Breakdown of tons discharged by DUKW, ferry-craft, barge, direct to truck, 31 Aug to 20 Nov 44
	Bibliography		193
Graphics
1	RATTLE Conference appreciation of beach capacities of Western France, July 1942
2	COSSAC final plan of November 1943, designating beaches, ports, future plans for lines of communications, etc, and including the changes of February 1944
3	The OVERLORD plan, including the naval plan, the SBS divisions, ports of debarkation etc.
4	Plan for the GOOSEBERRIES and MULBERRIES at OMAHA and UTAH
5	Assault Training Center map, with insert of map of England, showing location of training areas and schools mentioned in Chapter III
6	Schematic organization of an assault regiment, battalion, company, team, and their attachments etc.
7	The Mounting Plan for southern England, showing SBS and WBS, the ports, division of responsibility for mounting the assault forces, follow-up and buildup
8	OMAHA Beach, showing planned exits, dump areas, transit areas
9	UTAH Beach, showing the same plans as in Figure 8
10	UTAH Beach as it actually developed
11	Command and communications channels at the beaches, showing relationship of Navy and Army commands