Preliminary operations for the Normandy landing – 1944

Preliminary missions for the Operation Overlord

As a prelude to the opening of a second front in western Europe, the Allies are preparing the ground and their overall strategy to increase their chances of success. The lessons learned and the consequences of these preliminary actions ensure the success of Operation Overlord.
This page presents all the operations preliminary to the landing of Normandy.

An inflatable tank representing a Sherman M4 tank and supposed to deceive the German air reconnaissance missions as part of Operation Fortitude. Photo: IWM

 Deception operations

• Operation Bigot.
• Operation Fortitude.
• «Phantom Divisions»: creation et history.
• US «Phantom Divisions»: list and objectives.
• British «Phantom Divisions»: list and objectives.

Strategic preparations

• Operation Postage Able.
• Sussex Plan.
• Boarding and waiting for departure.

 Amphibious operations

• Operation Biting – 27-28 February 1942.
• Plan Round-Up – April 1942.
• Operation Aquatint – September 1942.
• Operation Bolero – April 1943.
• Operation Hardtack 21 – 26-27 December 1943.
• Operation Tiger – Rehearsal – April 1944.
• Exercise Fabius – Rehearsal – May 1944.
• Exercise Cantab – Rehearsal – May 1944.

 Air operations

• Operation Pointblanck – 1943.
• Operation Crossbow – 1943-1944.
• Operation Rankin – Spring 1944.

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