Video

Video by Kyle Davis

D-Day: Planning the Impossible

Army University Press

Oct. 5, 2023 | 50:11

There are already tons of films about 6 June 1944. That’s why our documentary is about what happened before the Normandy invasion. Allied planners spent years analyzing changing tides, perilous terrain, and German fortifications along the Atlantic Wall to figure out the best time and place to come ashore. Even basic logistics were a nightmare. Over a million soldiers had to be shipped to the United Kingdom, and then equipped and fed. Paying heed to Allied leadership from COSSAC to SHAEF, our film examines how the plan for one of the largest invasions in history was changing clear up to D-Day.

Created in collaboration with the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), the film outlines important Army doctrine such as the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), and the Sustainment Preparation of the Operational Environment.