[Brett]

Hello:

I was wondering if anybody had any knowledge of
plans for an invasion of S. France in ’43 or ’44 before
D-day. I understand that the historic invasion was originally planned for the same day as D-day but had to be postponed due to LST shortages.

However, at least as an amateur strategist it seems that an invasion much earlier than D-day would have put Germany in a huge dilemma. Fight hard against the S. France invasion and risk being cut off by the cross channel invasion. Or withdraw to a defensible line, and abandon valuable territory, plus give the Allies maneuvering room that would aid a breakthrough. In
addition, I’m assuming that weather in the Med would allow an invasion much earlier & later in the year than the channel.

From all my reading of the strategic debates at this time, a S. France invasion is not even mentioned. The Americans were gung ho for the cross channel assault, while the British wanted to invade Italy and press on into the Balkans.

My question is: Was there an explicit decision to reject a S. France invasion in ’43 or ’44 before D-Day? Or were the British and Americans so fixated on their respective strategies that a pre D-Day S. France invasion was not even considered?

Also, I’ve seen one map indicating Allied landings in Sardinia in Sept. ’43 & Corsica in Oct. ’43. Was there fighting on these islands? Or had they been occupied by the Italians, and so after
the Italian surrender there was no opposition?


(One story I have read about the Anglo-American strategic debates occurred at the August ’43 Quebec conference. A break from bitter arguments between the British & Americans happened when scientists demonstrated strengthened ice for a proposed
iceberg carrier.

Americans grumbled that this was a typical
Churchill hare-brained scheme to avoid committing to D-day, as the heavily guarded special ice was rolled in.

General Arnold, the AAF CO was given a sledgehammer and asked to hit the ice – which would have shattered ordinarily. Instead, Arnold howled in pain without damaging the ice at all.Whereupon a scientist whipped out a pistol & shot at the ice. The bullet ricocheted off, without even scratching the ice.

Guards outside the room, who had been hearing the angry voices of the dispute all day, looked at each other in deep concern when they heard Arnold’s yell. Then when the shot rang out they shouted, “Oh my God, now the Americans and British are shooting each other!”)