The Invasion of France and Germany 1944 - 1945

by Morison, Samuel Eliot

• ISBN13: 9780785813125
• ISBN10: 0785813128
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: Book Sales

Summary

The present volume recounts the part played by the United States and Allied naval forces in the final victorious offensive against Germany.

Author Biography

Samuel Eliot Morison, Professor Emeritus of American History at Harvard, retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral and died in 1976 in his 89th year

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Abbreviations	p. xxvii
Normandy (Operation neptune-overlord)
Grand Strategy and High Politics, 1941-1943	p. 3
Strategic Concepts	p. 3
Sledgehammer and roundup	p. 7
Torch Substituted	p. 14
Plans and Preparations, March 1943-May 1944	p. 18
The "Cossac" Planning Group	p. 18
Choice of a Supreme Commander	p. 22
"Mulberry," "Pluto" and "Buco"	p. 24
Cossac Plan Becomes neptune-overlord	p. 27
Preliminary Operations	p. 34
German Plans to Meet the Invasion, 1942-1944	p. 39
Coiling the Spring, January 1942-May 1944	p. 50
The Americans in Britain	p. 50
The Battle of the Beaching Craft	p. 52
United States Naval Bases in Britain	p. 57
Final Training and Rehearsal	p. 64
The "Fast-anchored Isle"	p. 67
Misleading the Enemy	p. 74
Crossing the Channel, 3-6 June 1944	p. 77
First Starters	p. 77
Weather and the Great Decision	p. 79
The Crossing	p. 83
The Air Drop	p. 88
Utah Beach, 6 June 1944	p. 93
Before H-hour	p. 93
The Landings	p. 97
Naval Gunfire Support	p. 104
Situation at End of D-day	p. 107
Approach to Omaha, 6 June 1944	p. 110
Terrain and Defenses	p. 110
The Approach	p. 116
Break of Day	p. 120
The Rangers at Pointe du Hoc	p. 125
Landings at Omaha, 6 June 1944	p. 130
Bloody Morning	p. 130
Naval Gunfire Support	p. 142
D-day Afternoon	p. 149
Supporting the American Beachhead, 7-18 June 1944	p. 155
Events in the American Sector, 7-9 June	p. 155
Follow-up and Unloading	p. 162
Naval Gunfire Support, 10-18 June	p. 166
Counterattacks by Air, Sea and Weather, 8-22 June 1944	p. 170
Mines and Air Raids	p. 170
E-boats and Destroyers	p. 174
The Great Storm	p. 176
The British Sector, 6 June-8 September 1944	p. 180
D-day on Gold, Juno, and Sword	p. 180
The Build-up	p. 187
Small Craft and Secret Weapons	p. 190
Cherbourg, June-September 1944	p. 195
The Bombardment Is Laid On	p. 195
Duel with Battery "Hamburg," 25 June	p. 205
Cherbourg Liberated, 26 June-1 July	p. 212
Cherbourg Cleared, July-September	p. 216
Southern France (Operation dragoon)
High-level Wrangling, October 1943-August 1944	p. 221
Planning and Training, January-August 1944	p. 233
The Plan, Forces and Defenses	p. 233
Training and Rehearsal	p. 240
Aerial Bombing; Mounting and Approach	p. 243
Night Landings in Provence, 14-15 August 1944	p. 248
The Main Landings, 15-17 August 1944	p. 255
Minesweeping, Bombing and Bombardment	p. 255
Alpha Area	p. 258
Delta Area	p. 264
Camel Area	p. 267
Objectives Won, 16 August-15 September 1944	p. 275
Follow-up Convoys	p. 275
Eastern Flank and Escort Carriers	p. 276
Toulon, Port de Bouc and Marseilles	p. 281
The Navy's Part in the Final Campaigns August 1944-May 1945
The French Out-ports, September 1944-May 1945	p. 295
The War Continues	p. 295
Liberation of Brittany, August-September 1944	p. 297
Collier Convoys and Granville Raids, December 1944-May 1945	p. 303
Mop-up in the Mediterranean, September 1944-April 1945	p. 310
Plunging into Germany, October 1944-May 1945	p. 317
Crossing the Rhine, March 1945	p. 317
The Navy in Germany	p. 323
Abbreviations in Appendices	p. 332
The Western Naval Task Force in the Invasion of Normandy	p. 333
Naval Forces Engaged in Operation dragoon	p. 338
Number of Lend-Lease Naval Vessels and Craft Built for the Royal Navy in the United States During World War II	p. 344
Index	p. 347
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