D-Day: Planning and Execution, the Supply Chain of Overlord

Getting supplies to the Allied forces was a crucial part of the Normandy Landings and the breakout from Normandy. The supply chains from the USA to the beaches in France were changed drastically, numerous times during the campaign and in the end it was the Red Ball Express, an improvised system of truck convoys, that got the supplies to the fast-advancing troops on the frontlines.

By Martijn Lofvers

The Allied invasion of Normandy was not just about D-Day. Although that one day was a decisive part of the invasion as a whole, the gargantuan Operation Overlord actually comprised two different phases. The first phase consisted of the assembly of the troops in England that would be needed for the invasion. The second phase was all about the battle on the beaches and in the hinterlands, the vital breakout and the planned advance to Paris. The whole operation could be compared to an important product launch: first of all planning and assembling the goods, then winning market share post T product launch in different market areas along with the need to maintain supply to successful markets.

Download the full article in PDF here>>