RAF D-Day Brief

Allied air forces available for OVERLORD

Under RAF control there were 285 RAF sqns: 5,039 serviceable aircraft.

They included Allied/Commonwealth air force sqns under RAF posting strength – an additional 19 attached Fleet Air Arm/US Navy/Royal Canadian Air Force sqns with 213 serviceable aircraft. The total was thus 304 sqns; 5,252 serviceable aircraft.

The US Army Air Force operated 374 sqns with 5,294 serviceable aircraft.

The Allied total was thus: 678 Sqns: 10,546 serviceable aircraft

Allied air operations in support of OVERLORD extended over a long time period and across a huge geographical area:

• Reconnaissance aircraft photographed the construction of German coastal defences in France (the Atlantic Wall) from 1942 onwards.

• Bomber Command targeted the transportation systems of northern France and Belgium for three months before D-Day.

• In June 1944, Coastal Command operations to protect the invasion convoys from German U-boats extended far into the Atlantic and the North Sea.

RAF Bomber Command

Bomber Command’s ORBAT in June 1944: 82 sqns (1,681 serviceable aircraft).

During the period leading up to the invasion, virtually all of Bomber Command’s operations concentrated on supporting the assault/beachhead.

There were attacks on:

• Rail and road communications in order to isolate the invasion area (the Transportation Plan).
• Between 6/7 March and D-Day, Bomber Command flew 8,751 sorties against railway targets

• German troop/gun positions, ammunition and fuel dumps.

• French ports in which German Navy fast attack craft (E-Boats)/other coastal vessels had been concentrated to interdict Allied invasion fleet.

• Bomber Command aircraft also dropped personnel/supplies to support SOE/Resistance and SIS operations in connection with the invasion.

Operations, night 5/6 June:

Bomber Command flew over 1,300 sorties against targets in Normandy and 11 aircraft were lost.

1,136 sorties despatched (670 Lancaster, 412 Halifax, 54 Mosquito) to attack 10 coastal gun batteries in the invasion area.

1,058 attacked; 5,238 tons HE and 30 tons incendiaries dropped.

This represented the greatest total sorties flown/greatest tonnage dropped on 1 night to that point in the war.

6 aircraft (4 Lancasters, 2 Halifaxes) were lost.

Bomber Command also mounted deception and EW operations:

• Op TAXABLE: No 617 Sqn (16 Lancasters) dropped precise Window (chaff) patterns at low level, in conjunction with RN deception operation, to simulate invasion convoy approaching coast at Cap d’Antifer

• Op GLIMMER: No 218 Sqn (6 Stirlings) conducted similar operation to that of No 617 Sqn, to simulate invasion convoy approaching Boulogne.

• Op TITANIC: 36 Halifaxes/Stirlings dropped dummy parachutists, rifle fire simulators, Window, 2 SAS teams to simulate airborne landings away from invasion area; 2 Stirlings lost.

• No 101 Sqn (24 Lancasters), No 214 Sqn (5 Flying Fortresses) established ABC (ground-air radio jamming) and Window barrage along line of Somme Estuary to distract enemy nightfighters from transport aircraft carrying airborne troops; 1 Lancaster lost.

• No 199 Sqn (16 Stirlings) and 4 US Army AF aircraft established jamming screen using Mandrel EW radar jammers between Littlehampton and Portland Bill, to hide real invasion fleet from German EW radar.

• Mosquito nightfighers flew 48 intruder/bomber support sorties over Luftwaffe airfields in France/Low Countries.

38 Gp, Allied Expeditionary Air Force/46 Gp, RAF Transport Command

ORBAT as at 6 June 1944 amounted to 15 sqns (478 serviceable aircraft; 1,120 assault gliders).

Their primary role was to deliver and supply the British 6^th Airborne Division by parachute and glider to DZs/LZs in support of British and Canadian amphibious landings.

Operations, night 5/6 and day 6 June 1944

Op TONGA:

3^rd and 5^th Parachute Brigade Groups dropped on early hours of D-Day to seize and secure DZs for subsequent glider lift; seize high ground at Ranville; destroy batteries at Merville (with glider assault) and opposite Ouistreham; destroy bridges over River Dives; gliderborne troops to seize bridges over River Orne and Canal de Caen.

266 aircraft (Dakotas/Albemarles) detailed to carry paratroops, of which 264 took off; 255 reported successful drops; 7 lost.  4,310 of 4,512 paratroops carried were dropped.

98 glider/tug combinations detailed; all took off; 74 gliders successfully released; of which 57 landed on/near designated LZs.  611 troops carried by glider; 493 successfully released.

Op MALLARD:

Remainder of 6^th Airborne Division delivered by 256 gliders (246 of which landed on correct zones), evening 6 June, towed by aircraft from 14 sqns of No 38 and 46 Gps.

Op ROB ROY:

Resupply operations by parachute, from night 6/7 June.

2^nd Tactical Air Force, Allied Expeditionary Air Force

Front-line strength on 1 June 1944 was 80 sqns (1,348 serviceable aircraft).

33 fighter; 18 fighter-bomber; 12 light bomber; 5 tactical recce; 5 photographic recce; 7 artillery observation.

Additional RAF/Fleet Air Arm/US Navy sqns under 2^nd TAF control as Air Spotting Pool for RN/US Navy gunfire support.

Roles during first phase of landings:

• Air cover in battle area (except over Cotentin Peninsula).

• CAS for British assault troops.

• Tactical recce.

• Smoke cover for extreme E and W flanks of landing area.

• Spotting for naval gunfire.

Operations, night 5/6 June and day 6 June 1944:

On the night 5/6 June, 2 Gp light bomber sqns flew 150 interdiction/night recce sorties on the night of 5/6 June.

Day 6 June:

• Fighter sqns flew 1,226 low cover patrol sorties over the beachhead and 90 escort/convoy protection sorties during 6 June, encountering neglible resistance.

• Fighter-bomber sqns flew 400 CAS and armed recce sorties in support of the landings; 8 Typhoons lost.

• Recce sqns flew 87 tac recce and 23 photo recce sorties.

• 435 naval spotting sorties were flown over the British and US landing areas; 7 aircraft lost.

• During 48 hrs beginning night before landings, 2^nd TAF aircraft flew 4,386 sorties, of which 40% offensive and 60% defensive.

Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB)

On 6 June, ADGB had 45 sqns available to support invasion (809 serviceable aircraft).

An additional 12 sqns of 85 Gp 2^nd TAF were attached to ADGB for invasion period.

Roles:

• Day/night air defence (with AA Command) of troop concentration/marshalling areas, airfields, embarkation ports.

• Night air defence of battle area, inc beaches/shipping routes/embarkation ports.

• Air/sea rescue in Channel.

• Protection of Coastal Command aircraft during ASW/Anti-shipping operations near French coast.

• Operation of intruder aircraft over Continent.

• Fighter cover for bombing/airborne ops.

• Suppression of enemy air and sea activity in Brittany/Pas de Calais areas.

Operations, 6 June 1944:

ADGB flew 1,246 sorties on 6 June, almost 3,500 between last light 5 June and last light 8 June. Operating in conjunction with 2^nd TAF fighter sqns, ADGB Spitfire sqns, they flew 363 low cover sorties over landing area. They also assisted in escorting glider/tug combinations during Op MALLARD, evening 6 June.

ADGB also flew:

• 169 defensive patrol sorties; 134 offensive patrol sorties; 203 convoy patrol sorties; 152 naval spotting patrol sorties; 57 anti-shipping recce/strike sorties.

• RAF Air Sea Rescue Service aircraft flew 76 sorties on 6 June

• Aircraft and High Speed Launches (HSLs) rescued 60 aircrew, 44 soldiers/sailors.

16 Group and 19 Groups, Coastal Command

In June 1944, 63 sqns were available under Coastal Command control to support invasion.

51 RAF sqns (549 serviceable aircraft).

12 Fleet Air Arm/US Navy/Royal Canadian AF sqns (129 serviceable aircraft)

The primary Coastal Command participants were 19 Gp, based in SW England, to operate in SW Approaches, and 16 Gp, to protect Channel/Thames Estuary.

Roles:

• Op CORK: continuous day/night air patrols between S Ireland, Cornish Peninsula and Brest Peninsula with aim of preventing U-Boats from breaking into Channel and coastal waters around S of England.

• Assist Allied navies in protecting convoys against E-Boats/enemy light surface craft.

• Cut enemy coastal supply lines.

Operations, June 1944:

ASW:

Aircraft under Coastal Command control flew 2,197 sorties in Channel/W Approaches.

72 submarines sighted; 40 attacked.

Anti-shipping:

Coastal Command anti-shipping strike sqns flew 1,672 recce and 315 strike sorties.