Operation Overlord plans found in abandoned landing craft?
Operation Overlord plans found in abandoned landing craft?
I read about this a while ago on a website but couldn't find anything to confirm it so dismissed it as probably bogus information. However, while reading Paul Carell's "Invasion! They’re Coming!", a couple days ago, the same thing was mentioned about the plans for the Normandy invasion being found in an abandoned landing craft at the mouth of the Vire near Gefosse-Fontenay. The author mentions how there were a half-dozen dead American naval officers with a case containing papers that were obviously secret documents which turned out to be pretty detailed plans about how the invasion of Normandy was to unfold including code words. I'm just curious if anybody else has heard or read about this incident?
Re: Operation Overlord plans found in abandoned landing craft?
I assume 'Carell' based his story on information from the actual intelligence officer of LXXXIV.A.K. who wrote about this before Carell did. The plans found (on 8 June) were those of the US VII Corps. I do not doubt the story itself is true. The officer wrote it with less detail than Carell though. The difference may be due to Carell's style and agenda (sensationalist, revisionist writings). You never know how much Carell makes up......mako88sb wrote:I read about this a while ago on a website but couldn't find anything to confirm it so dismissed it as probably bogus information. However, while reading Paul Carell's "Invasion! They’re Coming!", a couple days ago, the same thing was mentioned about the plans for the Normandy invasion being found in an abandoned landing craft at the mouth of the Vire near Gefosse-Fontenay. The author mentions how there were a half-dozen dead American naval officers with a case containing papers that were obviously secret documents which turned out to be pretty detailed plans about how the invasion of Normandy was to unfold including code words. I'm just curious if anybody else has heard or read about this incident?
Re: Operation Overlord plans found in abandoned landing craft?
What ever information was in the documents it did not seem to have done the Germans much good.
"Army Group B report dated 11June includes an estimate of the Allied intentions to cut of the Cotentin Peninsular, which may have been garnered from a captured map, butwasalso pretty obvious from the landings at Utah and carpet of airborne troops.
The biggest secrets can't have been on the map. The Germans were unaware of the Mulberry harbours until August and underestimated the rate at which the allied forces could be built up.
"Army Group B report dated 11June includes an estimate of the Allied intentions to cut of the Cotentin Peninsular, which may have been garnered from a captured map, butwasalso pretty obvious from the landings at Utah and carpet of airborne troops.
The biggest secrets can't have been on the map. The Germans were unaware of the Mulberry harbours until August and underestimated the rate at which the allied forces could be built up.