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Since Britain and the United States had to combine forces, it posed another question on command and control. What country would have command and control? Because the bulk of supplies and resources came from the United States, command and control would come from the United States.
In January 1944 the Allies settled for a basic plan of attack on Normandy. The Americans would take the Western flank closest to Cherbourg while the British operated to the east on the approaches of Caen-Alencon, France. .
The logisticians had loaded ships in the United States for direct discharge on to the beaches of France. Prior to the invasion, the United States" own 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division would land by parachute and glider near the town of St. Mere-Eglise. By securing this bridge, the U.S. would secure one of two-river crossings that lead to the only two main supply routes down to the beach where U.S. and British forces would land.
To alleviate the need to capture a port in tact, a plan was devised to build landing zones and docks on the water. This plan was not a very popular plan. The planners had to convince the Generals of the U.S. Army and the rest of the planners. The landing zones would have to with stand the winds and the high waves coming in from the sea and it would have to facilitate an around the clock re-supply operation. Operations would also have to posses enough exits to allow the invading force to move inland and back out to the docks with little or no difficulty. .
Because the re-supply route would run all across France toward Germany, the invading force would have to have an adequate road network that would meet the demands of a rapidly moving force. When all planning was complete, the provisions made for the invasion took on a new momentum. Military force build up became a main priority from personnel to armor. A total of 39 Divisions were slated to participate in the invasion comprised of 20 American Divisions, 14 British Divisions, 3 Canadian Divisions, a French Division, and 1 Polish Division.
