Overlord - the Commander - the Plan

World War II General WWII Discussion
#1

I wonder if anyone here can throw some light on the following discussions I am having elsewhere.

Basically the discussion has gone like this:

Montgomery only commanded the Allied forces on D-day, thereafter Ike was in direct command. No US general therefore had to be commanded by a Brit.

Montgomery and his staff didnt plan, or change the original plan for D-day.

I was under the impression that Monty arrived in his new post, saw the original COSSACK plan and expanded upon it. Then HE commanded all Allied forces until Sep 44.

Can anyone expand on the above with references? I would much appreciate evidence either way, but it has to be backed up.

Cheers

F-F

#2

I thought Monty had a good deal to do with the planning at least. I recall he and Ike’s deputy, Air Marshal Arthur Tedder, had several rows during the planning as Tedder took over planning much of the Transportation Plan. I don’t recall the intricacies of command though…

#3

I think your opponent should be satisfied with this impeccable American source.

The Normandy invasion began under an arrangement by which General Montgomery was to command the ground assault forces until such time as the Supreme Commander should take personal control of operations in the field. The date of change-over was to be determined in part by the build-up of U.S. forces on the Continent; no shift appeared necessary so long as only one U.S. army was ashore. When, however, a second U.S. army should be .required, the Supreme Commander proposed to bring forward a U.S. army group to co-ordinate the actions of the two U.S. armies. He would then decide the point at which he should take over the task of coordinating the British and U.S. army groups.1

The Third U.S. Army, brought from the United States and put under the command of General Patton in late 1943, remained in England during the first weeks of the invasion while some of its divisions were sent to the Continent for initial use in the First Army. The plan for the breakout from the Cotentin peninsula required the employment of some of these units. At the opening of the attack on 25 July, General Eisenhower announced that, on a date set by General Bradley, the U.S. forces on the Continent were to be regrouped under the 12th Army Group.2 An additional statement to the effect that U.S. assault forces were to remain under General Montgomery until General Eisenhower allocated a specific area of responsibility for

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CHART 5--OPERATIONAL CHAIN OF COMMAND, AEF, 1 SEPTEMBER 1944

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the U.S. army group immediately led to some confusion in the press.3 Although the 12th Army Group became active on the Continent on 1 August and Montgomery channeled his orders to the U.S. armies through it, the 21 Army Group commander retained over-all control until 1 September.

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-E-Supreme/USA-E-Supreme-15.html