Cross-Channel Attack: United States Army in World War II: The European Theater of Operations

Cross-Channel Attack, first published 1951 as part of the U.S. Army in World War II series is the official history of the D-Day invasion (Operation Overlord), from the earliest planning, to the buildup of men and equipment in England, to the beach landings in Normandy, and closing with the capture of Cherbourg. The book also examines the history of the German occupation of France and German plans to counter the Allied invasion, including the extensive defensive measures constructed along the Normandy coastline. Allied landings are discussed in detail, with an emphasis on American actions; however stories by individual soldiers are not included in this higher-level look at the planning and execution of the invasion. Appendices include the Overlord plans, important documents, table of equivalent ranks, divisional comparison, German deployments, recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross, glossary of key names and code words, a bibliography and index. Illustrated throughout with photographs and maps.