Source: Historical Section, COMNAVEU. "Administrative History of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, 1940-1946." vol. 5. (London, 1946) [This manuscript, identified as United States Naval Administrative History of World War II #147, is located in the Navy Department Library's Rare Book Room.]
Indexed at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I., in connection with the preparation of S.E. Morison's History of U.S. Naval Operations in World War II, Volume XI, by Roger F. Schofield, YN1, USN, 9 December 1954.

Table of Contents
Operation NEPTUNE

Section Title Pages
Chapter I     The Strategic Background of OVERLORD 1-50
Chapter II     Planning and Preparations for Cross-Channel (OVERLORD) Operations 51-169
  Part I   Early Plans for Cross-Channel Operations 51
  Part II   The OVERLORD Plan: COSSAC Appreciation and Outline, 1943 79
  Part III   OVERLORD and ANVIL: Planning the 1944 Grand Assault 98
  Part IV   Air Operations in Relation to OVERLORD 120
  Part V   OVERLORD Cover and Deception Operations 133
Chapter III     Command of OVERLORD Operation 170-232
  Part I   Formation of the OVERLORD System of Command. 171-192
  Part II   Developments of OVERLORD System of Naval Command. 193-212
  Part III   NEPTUNE Naval Command 213-225
    3.A Pre-NEPTUNE Phase (25 Oct 1943 - 27 May 1944) 213-216
    3.B NEPTUNE Phase (May 27 to July 10, 1944) 217-219
    3.C Post-NEPTUNE1 Phase (10 July 1944 - 14 July 1945) 220-221
    3.D Chronological Summary of Naval Command Developments -- OVERLORD Operation 222-225
Chapter IV     NEPTUNE Operations Plans 233-337
  Part I   The Enemy Situation 233-252
    1.A. German Land Forces 233-234
    1.B. The German Defense Plan 234-235
    1.C. Coastal Defenses, Fortifications and Obstacles 235-241
    1.D. German Coastal Batteries 241-243
    1.E. Disposition of Garrison Troops and Mobile Forces 243-246
    1.F. German Naval Forces 246-249
    1.G. German Air Forces 250-252
  Part II   The Assault Area: Allied Method for Assault 253-278
  Part III   General Plan for the Normandy Landings 279-286
  Part IV   Composition and Organization of Forces 287-300
  Part V   The Naval Plan 301-337
    5.A. Outline Review of NEPTUNE Operation 301-304
    5.B. Loading and Assembly 305-307
    5.C. Program of Assault and Follow-Up Forces 308-310
    5.D. The Build-Up for Offensive Land Operations 311-313
    5.E. Supporting Naval Operations 313-323
    5.F. Supporting Air Operations 323-325
    Ancillary Operations 325-331
    Chronological Order of Events 332-337
Chapter V   Naval Preparation for Cross-Channel Operations 338-380
  Part I   U.S. Naval Preparations 338-347
    1.A. ComNavEu Organization and Action 338-340
    1.B. Twelfth Fleet and Task Force 122 341-342
    1.C. Establishment of Eleventh Amphibious Forces 343-345
    1.D. Landing Craft and Bases (LanCrabEu) 346-347
  Part II   Preparations of Bases for Amphibious Forces 348-357
    2.A. Naval Bases and Training Areas in Southwest England: Relations with C-in-C Plymouth 348-351
    2.B. Repair and Port Facilities 351-355
    2.C. Arrival and Organization of Amphibious Forces 355-357
  Part III   Organization and Training of U.S. Naval Forces 358-366
    3.A. U.S. Naval Amphibious Force 358-359
    3.B. Coordination in Training with U.S.A. Army Formations 359-360
    3.C. Amphibious Training Exercises -- 1944 360-362
    3.D. Organization and Training of U.S. Naval Assault Forces 362-366
  Part IV Readiness of U.S. Naval NEPTUNE Forces 367-370
  Part V Brief Review of Royal Navy Preparations 371-374
  Part VI Loading and Assembly5: NEPTUNE Forces 375-380
Chapter VI   The Operation Begins 381-409
  Part I Developments During May 1944 381-391
    1.A. The Naval Assault Forces 381-381
    1.B. Enemy Reactions 382-383
    1.C. Promulgation of Operation Orders 384-386
    1.D. Security Problems and Measures 386-387
    1.E. Command Questions 387-387
    1.F. Questions of Air-Navy Coordination 388-389
    1.G. MULBERRY Problems: Tug Shortage 389-390
    1.H. Visits of Important Personages 390-391
  Part II   Designation and Postponement of D-Day 392-399
    2.A. 5 June Designated as D-Day 392-393
    2.B. NEPTUNE Forces in Movement 393-394
    2.C. Weather Intervenes: Postponement of Assault 394-396
    2.D. The Supreme Commanders' Dilemma: 6 June Fixed as D-Day 396-399
  Part III The Assault Movement of NEPTUNE Forces 400-409
    3.A. General Outline of the Movement 400-401
    3.B. Composition and Timing of Convoys 401-404
    3.C. Routing and Navigation 405-407
    3.D. The Assault Forces Reach the Beaches 407-409
Chapter VII   Defensive Measures -- NEPTUNE Operation 410-457
  Part I Enemy Naval Dispositions, 1944 410-411
  Part II Minelaying (Operation MAPLE)6 412-415
    2.A. A Plan for Minelaying 412-413
    2.B. Minelaying Operations 413-415
  Part III Naval Cover for NEPTUNE 416-424
    3.A. Countering the German Heavy Fleet 416-417
    3.B. Countering U-Boat Movements from the North 417-417
    3.C. Sealing the Western Channel 418-420
    3.A. Sealing the Straits of Dover 421-422
    3.E. Patrols Along the Convoy Flanks 422-424
  Part IV Assault Area: Screen and Escorts 425-432
    4.A. Allied Naval Dispositions 425-425
    4.B. Eastern Task Force 426-427
    4.C. Western Task Force 428-430
    4.D. Convoy Escort Forces 432-432
  Part V NEPTUNE Minesweeping Operations 433-446
    5.A. Plans for Sweeping German Minefields 433-435
    5.B. Minesweeping Arrangements in the Assault Area 435-437
    5.C. The Passage and False Start 433-438
    5.D. The Approach 438-442
    5.E. Sweeping Inshore Waters 442-442
    5.F. The Enemy's Minelaying Counter-Attack 443-444
    5.G. Minesweeping at Cherbourg 444-446
    5.H. The Score 446-446
Part VI Air Cover Forces for Neptune 449-457
    6.A. Coordination of Coastal Command and Naval Operations 449-454
    6.B. Air Defense by Combined Allied Air Forces 454-457
Chapter VIII Bombardment and other Defensive Operations against Enemy Land Forces 458-485
Part I General Bombardment Plans 458-463
    1.A. Coordination of Naval and Air Bombardment 458-463
Part II General Bombardment Plans 464-476
    2.A. Naval Bombarding Forces 464-467
    2.B. Pre-Arranged Bombardment Schedule 468-469
    2.C. Post H-Hour Aimed Bombardment 469-473
    2.D. Ammunition Supplies 473-474
    2.E. Results of Naval Bombardment 474-476
Part III General Bombardment Plans 477-478
    3.A. Bombardment of Cherbourg7 477-478
Part IV Radar Counter Measures8 479-482
Part V Naval Diversions 483-485
Chapter IX The NEPTUNE Assaults 487-562
Part I Conditions for the Assault 487-492
    1.A. Reasons for success of NEPTUNE Operation 487-488
    1.B. The Effect of Surprise 488-490
    1.C. The Normandy Landings 490-492
Part II Western Task Force Assault Force U 493-506
    2.A. General Situation: Western Task Force 493-493
    2.B. Assault Force U: Organization and Assembly 493-500
    2.D. The Assault on UTAH 500-506
Part III Western Task Force Assault Force O 507-532
    3.A Organization and Assembly 507-511
    3.B OMAHA Beach: Plan for the Assault 511-513
    3.C Assault Force O: Organization and Assembly 514-515
    3.D Assault Force O: The Channel Passage 515-518
    3.E The Assault on OMAHA Beach 518-525
    3.F The Battle on OMAHA Beach 526-532
Part IV Eastern Task Force: Forces G, J, S 534-558
    4.A. The Channel Passage 534-542
    4.B The Assaults: General Narrative 542-545
    4.C Force G9: GOLD Area 546-548
    4.D Force J10: JUNO Area 548-553
    4.E Force S11: SWORD Area 553-558
  Part V The Assault Ends: The Situation at H Plus 24 Hours 559-562
Chapter X     The Build-Up for the Battle of France 563-582
  Part I   The Post-NEPTUNE Naval Task 563-564
  Part II   Far Shore Organization 565-572
    2.A. Plans and Preparations for Naval Far Shore Service 565-567
    2.B. British Area Far Shore Naval Organization 567-570
    2.C. U.S. Area: American Far Shore Naval Organization 570-571
    2.D. Shore Parties: U.S. Area 571-572
  Part III   Naval Far Shore Activities After D-Day 573-582

Last updated: 11 January 2003

Compiled and formatted by Patrick Clancey and Charles Hall, HyperWar Foundation