The Battle for Western Europe, Fall 1944: An Operational Assessment

3 SHAEF’s Plan

55 3 SHAEF’s Plan You will enter the continent of Europe and, in conjunction with other nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces. Combined Chiefs of Staff Instructions to Eisenhower, Supreme Commander Even before D-Day, the SHAEF plan envisioned a main effort north of the Ruhr and a secondary effort to the south aimed at the Saar.1 (Map 3.1 displays the Allied position as of 10 September and shows key geographical points.) The initial strategy for advance beyond the Rhine was codified in a SHAEF G3 planning document dated 3 May 1944, entitled “Post Neptune Courses of Action After Capture of the Lodgement Area,”2 attributed to a group of three British staff officers headed by Brigadier Kenneth McLean. McLean had been a member of Morgan’s planning staff from the beginning of invasion planning. In this document, four options for eastward advance were outlined. The two potential objectives were the war industries in the Ruhr Valley or Berlin. Ike rejected Berlin as the primary objective.3 Instead he focused on the Ruhr. An official British history uses this nomenclature: primary thrust north of the Ardennes and a “secondary thrust through the Saar.”4 But Ike’s primary target was not the productive capacity. As we shall see, Ike had the German Army itself squarely in his sights. Sixth Army Group, advancing up the Rhone valley from landings in the south of France, would come even with Third Army’s attack toward the Saar and protect that army’s flank. As a result, a continuous front would be established from the North Sea to the Swiss border. While this attack plan had a primary and a secondary effort, it became tagged the “broad front.” After reviewing the weakened state of German resistance in some detail, a SHAEF G3 planning study at the beginning of September recommended 56 · The Battle for Western Europe, Fall 1944 that Bradley be given the option of moving one of the corps of first Army south of the Ardennes to reinforce Patton’s drive on the secondary axis toward the Saar. The staff estimated this could be done without removing the priority of logistical support in the north. Clearly SHAEF staff remained committed to the two-pronged strategy. So did Eisenhower. Montgomery recognized that limited ability to deliver supply tonnage to frontline units would hobble further Allied advance. In order to advance further, the Allies must carefully pick only the most important advance and push all support to that one effort. Monty demanded that the Allies concentrate most of their divisions (about forty) into a single “full-blooded” concentrated thrust into the heart of Nazi Germany. This concentrated mass would cross the Rhine on a narrow front, move north of the Ruhr on the north German plain, and head straight toward Berlin. A grouping of forty divisions “need fear nothing,” including German counter-efforts. At least three field armies, Canadian First, British Second, and a reinforced American First, Map 3.1. Situation 10 September and Key Geography N MünchenGladbach Koblenz Duren Liège Aachen Mézières Trier Hasselt Namur Sedan Longwy Luxembourg Thionville Briey Metz Nancy Troyes Commercy Verdun Châlons-surMorne Reims Cambrai Toul Neufchâteau Mons Tournai Brussels Ghent MünchenGladbach Koblenz Duren Stolberg Liège Aachen Mézières Marche Trier Hasselt Namur Sedan Longwy Luxembourg Thionville Briey Metz Nancy Troyes Commercy Verdun Châlons-surMorne Reims Cambrai Toul Neufchâteau Mons Tournai Brussels Ghent Albert Canal Nijmegen Grave Düsseldorf St. Omer Amiens Roermond Cologne (Köln) Bonn Frankfurt Mainz Darmstadt Mannheim Kaiserstautern Saarbrücken Karlsruhe Saverné Strasbourg Freiburg Charmes Epinal Chaumont Mulhouse Belfort Basel Langres Montbard Châtillon Sens Montargis Paris Chartres Orléans Ruhr Industrial Region Saar Industrial Region Ruhr Industrial Region Saar Industrial Region BLACK FOREST HAROT MTS. BLACK FOREST HAROT MTS. R h i n e M o s e l l e Sambre E s c o u t Oise Marne M e u s e S a r r e Somme Lys Schelde Seine Loire R h i n e M o s e l l e Sambre E s c o u t Oise Marne M e u s e S a r r e Somme Lys Schelde Seine Loire Nijmegen Grave Ostend Antwerp Antwerp Dunkerque Calais Dover Düsseldorf St. Omer Amiens Roermond Cologne (Köln) Bonn Frankfurt Mainz Darmstadt Mannheim Kaiserstautern Saarbrücken Karlsruhe Saverné Strasbourg Freiburg Charmes...