United States Army in World War II: European Theater of Operations
The Supreme Command
By Forrest C. Pogue
1954
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Note on the History of the European Theater of Operations
Chapter 1: The Supreme Commander
The Selection of the Supreme Commander—The New Commander
Chapter 2: The Coalition Command
Heads of Governments—Combined Chiefs of Staff—The Supreme Commander and His Subordinates—The Organization of the Subordinate Commands—The Supreme Commander’s Directive
Chapter 3: The Nature of SHAEF
Contributions of AFHQ—Contributions of COSSAC—The Chief Deputies
Chapter 4: The Machinery of SHAEF
The Powers Reserved to SHAEF—The Operations Division—The Intelligence Division—Administration—Civil Affairs—Publicity and Psychological Warfare—The Special Staff Divisions—Political Officers—Committees—Locations of SHAEF
Chapter 5: Planning Before SHAEF
Early Background—Allied Planning and Preparation in 1943—The COSSAC Plans
Chapter 6: SHAEF Revises Plans for the Attack
Strengthening and Widening the Assault and the Postponement of ANVIL—Increase of Airborne Units in the Assault—The Revised Plan
Chapter 7: SHAEF’s Air Problems, January–June 1944
Problems of Command—Railway Bombing Plan—CROSSBOW—Effect of the Air Program
Chapter 8: Relations With the Occupied Countries
Allied Liaison Machinery—Civil Affairs Agreements—Troubled Relations With the French Committee
Chapter 9: Final Preparations for the Invasion
Intensified Air Efforts Against the Enemy—Propaganda Efforts Against the Enemy—Security for the Operation—The Patton Episode—Exercises and Maneuvers—The Decision To Go
Chapter 10: D Day to the Breakout
Unfolding of the Grand Design—The Enemy—Allied Command—The Battle for Caen
Chapter 11: The Breakout and Pursuit to the Seine
The Allied Situation in Late July—The German Situation—Plans for the Breakout—The COBRA Operation—Hitler Outlines His Plan—Eisenhower Prepares for Action—The Mortain Counterattack—Closing the Falaise Gap—Withdrawal to the Seine
Chapter 12: The Campaign in Southern France
The Second Phase of the ANVIL Controversy—The Landings and the Advance
Chapter 13: Relations With the French, June–September 1944
Civil Affairs—Command of the French Resistance Forces—Activities of French Resistance, June–August 1944—The Liberation of Paris
Chapter 14: The Pursuit Stops Short of the Rhine
The Situation at the End of August—Allied Plans for an Advance to the Rhine—Logistical Reasons for the Halt
Chapter 15: Command Reorganization, June–October 1944
The Ground Forces—The Air and Naval Forces—Shifts in Locations of Supreme Headquarters
Chapter 16: Fighting In the North
Background of Operations in the Netherlands—The MARKET-GARDEN Operation—Discussion of Future Operations—The Battle for Antwerp
Chapter 17: The Battles of Attrition, September–December 1944
The Enemy Regroups—October Battles—Plans To End the War Quickly—The November Offensive—Allied Strategy Re-examined—Action in December
Chapter 18: Relations With Liberated Countries
Relations With France—Relations With Belgium—Relations With the Netherlands—Allied Public Information Activities in the Liberated Countries—Other Aid to Liberated Peoples
Chapter 19: Program For Germany
Efforts To Induce German Surrender—Military Government of Germany
Chapter 20: The Winter Counteroffensives
The German Plan—Allied Estimate of Enemy Intentions—The Attack—Preparations for an Allied Attack—The Allies Take the Initiative—The Attack in Northern Alsace—The Question of Strasbourg—6th Army Group Counterattack—Effects of the German Counteroffensive
Chapter 21: The Battle for the Rhineland
Russian Plans—Formulation of Allied Strategy—General Eisenhower’s Replies—Discussion of Strategy by the Combined Chiefs—Looking Toward the Rhine—German Difficulties—SHAEF Establishes a Forward Headquarters—Allied Operations, January–February 1945—The Crossing of the Rhine in the North
Chapter 22: The Battle for the Ruhr
A Change of Plans—Encircling the Ruhr—The Ruhr Pocket
Chapter 23: The Drive to the Elbe
Shall It Be Berlin?—The Area and the Enemy—The Nature of the Pursuit—Operations in the North—The Main Thrust to the Elbe—6th Army Group Operations
Chapter 24: The Drive to the Elbe (Continued)
Aid for the Netherlands—The Stuttgart Incident—Avoiding Clashes With the Russians—The End of Hitler
Chapter 25: The German Surrender
Early Peace Feelers—Dönitz Appraises the Situation—Piecemeal Surrenders—Preliminary Talks with SHAEF—Surrender at Reims—Ceremony at Berlin
Initial Measures—Disarming the German Forces—The Final German Surrenders—Disarming the Enemy in Denmark and Norway—Closing Out Supreme Headquarters
Appendix A. SHAEF and the Press, June 1944–May 1945
Appendix C. Roster of Key Officers, SHAEF
Appendix D. Forces Under SHAEF, 1944–45
Appendix E. Strength and Casualty Figures
Appendix F. The Supreme Commander’s Orders of the Day
Appendix G. Table of Equivalent Ranks
Glossary
Code names
Tables
1. Casualties Caused by Flying Bomb and Rocket Attacks on the United Kingdom, 1944–45
2. Estimated Casualties in the Ardennes
3. U.S. Battle Casualties, Ardennes–Alsace, 16 December 1944–25 January 1945
4. Authorized Strength of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, 12 July 1944
5. Authorized Strength of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, 1 February 1945
6. Authorized Strength of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, 1 April 1945
7. Assigned Strength of U.S. Army Forces in European Theater of Operations, July 1944–June 1945
8. Battle Casualties of U.S. Army in European Theater of Operations, June 1944–May 1945
9. British and Canadian Strengths, Northwest Europe, 1944–45
10. Battle Casualties of the British 21 Army Group, D Day to V-E Day
11. Battle Casualties of French Army, 8 November 1942–8 May 1945
Charts
1. Allied Organization for Combined Operations, 24 May 1944
2. Chain of Command, Allied Expeditionary Force, 13 February 1944
3. Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, 6 June 1944
4. Operational Chain of Command, AEF, 1 April 1944
5. Operational Chain of Command, AEF, 1 September 1944
6. Operational Channels, First Allied Airborne Army, 28 November 1944
7. Operational Chain of Command, AEF, 18 December 1944
8. Operational Chain of Command, AEF, 27 March 1945
9. Operational Chain of Command, AEF, 1 May 1945
Maps
1. D Day to Breakout, 6 June–24 July 1944
2. Campaign in Southern France, 15 August–15 September 1944
3. The Arnhem Operation, 17–26 September 1944
4. Clearing the Schelde Estuary, 2 October–8 November 1944
5. Battle of the Ardennes, 16–26 December 1944
6. Battle of the Ardennes, 26 December 1944–28 January 1945
7. The Battle of Alsace, 1 January–9 February 1945
8. Situation in Europe, 15 January 1945
9. Battle of the Ruhr, 28 March–18 April 1945
Maps I-VI Are in the Maps chapter at the end
I. Order of Battle OB WEST, 6 June 1944
II. Breakout and Advance to the Seine, 25 July–25 August 1944
III. Pursuit to the German Border, 26 August–15 September 1944
IV. Battle of Attrition, 16 September–15 December 1944
V. Battle of the Rhineland and Crossing of the Rhine, 8 February–28 March 1945
VI. Drive to the Elbe, 4 April–7 May 1945
Illustrations
General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower—General Morgan—General Marshall and Secretary Stimson—Conference at Quebec—Air Chief Marshal Leigh-Mallory—Admiral Ramsay—General Brereton—General Spaatz—General Bradley—General Montgomery—General Crerar—General Dempsey—General Devers—General Barker—Air Chief Marshal Tedder—General Smith—Air Vice Marshal Robb—General Gale—General Bull—General Whiteley—General Nevins—Brigadier McLean—General Strong—General Crawford—General Lee—General Grasett—General Davis—General McClure—General Cameron—General Vulliamy—General Kenner—General Hughes—High-Level Conference—Air Attack—Air Attack—General de Gaulle—General Koenig—Aerial Reconnaissance—U.S. MULBERRY—Adolf Hitler—Field Marshal Keitel—Field Marshal von Rundstedt—General Blaskowitz—Field Marshal Rommel—Field Marshal von Kluge—General Patton—General Hodges—Field Marshal Kesselring—Field Marshal Model—General Patch—General de Lattre de Tassigny—General Simpson—General Gerow—Air Chief Marshal Harris—General Vandenberg—Trianon Palace Hotel—General Doolittle—General Juin—SHAEF at Reims—Admiral Burrough—Meeting at the Elbe—Surrender at Reims—Surrender at Berlin—Victory Speech—I. G. Farbenindustrie Building
Illustrations are from the following sources
J. C. A. Redhead, FRPS, London: page 46 (Leigh-Mallory).
Bassano Ltd., London: page 46 (Ramsay).
British Information Services: page 50 (Montgomery).
Canadian Army: page 51 (Crerar).
Fayer Camera Portraits, London: page 148.
Service Cinéma des Armées, France: page 398.
Walter Stoneman, London: pages 94 (Cameron, Vulliamy, Hughes), 430.
Captured German Photographs: pages 176, 178, 195, 212.
All other photographs are from Department of Defense files.