Operation Overlord

The words

1. Bodyguard

   Bodyguard was the wider deception plan intended to conceal the invasion’s timing and location. Fortitude South formed one part of this coordinated effort.

   D-Day’s Bodyguard section · English Heritage: Bodyguard and Fortitude (opens a new tab)

2. Calvados

   Omaha Beach lies in Calvados, a department of Normandy. Nearby Colleville-sur-Mer contains the American cemetery above the coast where troops landed.

   Catalogue summary and geographic subject headings · Calvados archives: Omaha and Colleville (opens a new tab)

3. Dempsey

   Dempsey commanded the Second British Army on the eastern side of the assault. Its forces landed on Gold, Juno and Sword, including Canadian troops.

   Printed p. 72; PDF p. 89, armies and assault sectors · Canadian Army history: invasion commanders (opens a new tab)

4. Exercise Tiger

   Exercise Tiger rehearsed the Utah landings. On April 28, torpedo boats attacked tank landing ships, killing hundreds of American soldiers and sailors.

   Ch. VII, pp. 251–258, Tiger plan and torpedo attack · U.S. Army history: invasion rehearsals (opens a new tab)

5. Floating Tanks

   DD stood for Duplex Drive, referring to propulsion on land and in water.

   DD tanks used canvas screens for buoyancy and propellers for movement through water. The screen could be lowered once the tank reached land.

   M4A2 Tank Medium Duplex Drive section, screen and propulsion · Tank Museum: how the DD tank floated (opens a new tab)

6. Fortitude

   Fortitude South encouraged German belief in a main invasion at the Pas-de-Calais. It also portrayed Normandy as a diversion, delaying German reinforcement decisions.

   Did you know?

   Dummy landing craft were built from scaffolding tubes, wood, canvas and empty barrels.

   Operation Fortitude South and Success sections · English Heritage: Bodyguard and Fortitude (opens a new tab)

7. Glider Assault

   Operation Deadstick sent glider-borne troops against the Orne River and Caen Canal bridges. Securing these crossings was vital to defending the landing area and drop zones.

   Operation Deadstick plaque, bridge objectives and purpose · IWM: the bridge-assault memorial (opens a new tab)

8. Glider Force

   At Brize Norton, Albemarle aircraft towed gliders carrying troops and Royal Engineers. Operation Mallard sent additional glider-borne reinforcements before dusk on June 6.

   Operation Tonga phase 3 and Operation Mallard · RAF: glider tugs and reinforcements (opens a new tab)

9. Higgins Boat

   LCVP meant Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel: a craft for troops and light vehicles.

   Higgins’ LCVP let troops and jeeps move from ships directly onto beaches. Its bow ramp replaced the rounded bow of earlier Higgins craft.

   LCVP evolution and the retractable bow ramp · WWII Museum: Higgins landing craft (opens a new tab)

10. Leigh-Mallory

    Trafford Leigh-Mallory was appointed to head the Allied Expeditionary Air Force. Planning required coordination between British and American tactical air forces.

    Ch. III, pp. 107–108, AEAF appointment and combined planning · U.S. Army history: air command planning (opens a new tab)

11. Mine Clearer

    The Sherman Crab cleared routes by rotating chains against the ground to detonate mines. Crews advanced slowly through dust that restricted their view.

    Opening explanation of the flail mechanism and crew risks · Tank Museum: the Crab mine flail (opens a new tab)

12. Sixth of June

    Eisenhower postponed the planned June 5 assault because of bad weather. A forecast improvement opened the way for landings on June 6, 1944.

    Ch. VIII, pp. 271–274, postponement and launch decision · U.S. Army history: the weather decision (opens a new tab)

13. Slapton

    Slapton Sands in Devon hosted invasion rehearsals. For Exercise Tiger, Utah assault units practised embarkation, the sea crossing and beach landings.

    Ch. VII, pp. 213 and 251–255, location and rehearsal phases · U.S. Army history: invasion rehearsals (opens a new tab)

14. Stagg

    James Stagg was the senior meteorologist at Eisenhower’s headquarters. He reported the expected break in the weather that helped shape the decision to proceed.

    Ch. VIII, pp. 271–273, Stagg’s forecasts · U.S. Army history: the weather decision (opens a new tab)

15. Tedder

    Arthur Tedder served as Eisenhower’s deputy. Eisenhower also delegated general supervision of the Allied air forces to him, linking air planning to the overall invasion.

    Printed pp. 20 and 23; PDF pp. 34 and 37, deputy and air supervision · Canadian Army history: invasion commanders (opens a new tab)