EOA 11: OPERATION COBRA & GOODWOOD from SHAEF’s Point of view
End state: breakthrough of German lines in
Normandy IOT allow CF to continue the attack on
German forces and recapture France.
How do I: Penetrate German front lines in
Normandy, Break the stalemate and realize proper
lodgement area with seaport.
IOT: Allow CF to continue the attack east and
secure Paris/France defeating Germans
Given: US Armies 1st US, 2nd K, and 1st Canadian, 9th
and 8th Air Force for bombing, Naval Gun fire.
Against: German Army group B in DEF positions
Duration: 2-3 weeks after D-day
Conditions: Allied forces must maintain local Air
superiority, generate enough mass to exploit
breakthrough, and leave bocage areas
Military and political subltlties of coaliton, weather,
loss of mulberry, delayed build up of CBT power.
COG: German Army (Operational) their leadership
OP Approach: Indirect approach (saturation
bombing & huge artillery barrage) followed by a
ground attack to achieve penetration and breakout
of German defenses.
Basing: Norman Ports, England
SHAEF will conduct a 4 phase operation IO penetrate German lines in NW France IOT enable Maneuver and allow 12 th and 21st army groups to defeat German Forces.
After CF builds sufficient combat power, Bombing and ARTY will Saturate areas around CAEN IOT allow 21st Army group to conduct a deliberate attack on CAEN IOT fix
German forces in that area. Then After another Heavy bombing and ARTY Barrage, 12 th Army Group will attack to penetrate and secure ports in brittany. * Branch to
surround Germans. This OP Ends with CF breaking out of Bocage country, enabling CF maneuver and securing of ports IOT Allow follow on OPS to defeat Germany and
liberate France.
PH1: Reinforce foothold and Basing – prep troops, armor, ammo and LOG. PH2A: Bombard and ARTY prep of CAEN PH2B: Deliberate Attack of CAEN IOT contain/Fix German
Armor. PH3A: Bombardment and ARTY prep to S/West PH3B: Penetration of German lines to the S/W PH4: Breakout of US Armor from Bocage to establish maneuver and
secure ports to west in Brittany.
DO: 12th Army Group attack to penetrate
SO1: 21st Army Group attack to fix IOT enable 12th Army
SO2: Air Force bombing and Arty prep strike/fire IOT enable 12th Army
SUST: Build CMBT Power and SUST forces (750 tonnes a day per Division)
EOA 11: OPERATION COBRA & GOODWOOD from SHAEF’s Point of view
LOO: Operate on interior lines
Risk: Exhaustion of CMBT power to exploitiontion.
Strat Bombing for Tactical gains – loss of use for
strat OBJ, - loss of US forces – massive resources for
small gains.
Opportunities: Prohibit Germany Army for
reinforcing and massing on US army.
Synch: Goodwhoo and Atlantic then
Cobra and Spring
Depth, Strat bombing, Medium bombers – tactical
and operational level OBJ, fighter bombers CAS and
tactical targets.
Bradley briefed his subordinate commanders on the Cobra plan, which consisted of three phases. The main effort would be under the control of Collins' VII Corps.
Phase1, Bombardment in depth and artillery barrage, Fighter-bombers concentrated on hitting forward German defenses in a 230 m belt immediately south of the SaintLô–Periers road, while heavy bombers would bomb to a depth of 2,300 m behind German lines. In addition to divisional artillery, Army- and Corps-level units provided
support, including nine heavy, five medium, and seven light artillery battalions. Over 1,000 tubes of divisional and corps artillery were committed to the offensive, and
approximately 140,000 artillery rounds were allocated to the operation in VII Corps alone, with another 27,000 for VIII Corps.
Phase2, the breakthrough attack would be conducted by Major General Eddy's 9th and Major General Hobbs' 30th infantry divisions, which would punch a hole in the
German tactical zone and then hold the flanks of the penetration.
Phase3A 1st Infantry & 2nd Armored divisions would attack into the depth of the position until resistance collapsed. Then 1st Infantry Division "was to take Marigny, with this
objective exploited by a stream of 3rd Armored Division armor that would move south toward Coutances.“ The 2nd Armored Division—part of "Collins' exploitation force" of
the 2nd Armored Division in the east of the VII Corps sector and the "1st Infantry Division reinforced by Combat Command B (CCB) of the 3rd Armored division in the west“
would "pass through the 30th Infantry Division sector ... and guard the overall American left flank.
Phase3B, when the VII Corps' efforts are successful, the western German position would become untenable, permitting a relatively easy advance to the southwest end of
the bocage to cut off and seize the Brittany peninsula.
EOA 11: OPERATION COBRA
End state: breakthrough of German lines in
Normandy IOT allow CF to continue the attack on
German forces and recapture France.
How do I: Establish a decisive breakthrough in 1st
Army sector.
IOT: Secure a starting point for 3rd Army Operations
IVO Avaranche and Pountaubault
Given: 4 US Corps(V, VII, VIII, XIX), Allied Air forces
Against: German 7th Army 35K in DEF positions
Duration: July to August
In Regards to: Restrictive terrain (Bocage), avenues
of advance, well defended German troops.
COG: Contance (X-roads) that forces the turning of
German defesive positions
RISK: Heavy bombing coordinated with ground
attack. Use of Patton
Opp: Smash GER ring of containment Patton’s
aggressive nature an need for redemption.
LOO: DP1: Penetrate German DEF Positions, DP2
Seize Constances, DP3 Crossing points VIC
Avaranche. DP4 Crossing points at Pountaubault.
OP Approach: 3 Phase operation with the overall OBJ of Avaranches-Pontauboult and the Vive-Mortain-Forugeres line IOT posture 3rd army for the seizure of Brittany
peninsula and join with MONTY brits, and attack toward seine & Paris. This is a DO/SO/SU framework operation with the initial Arial bombardment to create and Infantry to
hold a gap as the SO and allow the DO to exploit the Gap. Then utilize the road network for the SU to allow 3 rd Army to move forward and continue the offensive. Indirect
approach ( saturation bombing & huge artillery barrage) followed by a ground attack to achieve penetration and breakout of German defenses.
DO: penetration of GAP IOT achieve a breakthrough allowing 3rd Army to secure the ports in Brittany. SO1: Saturation bombing of narrow sector of German defensive
positions IOT neutralize German capabilities. SO2: Seizure of gap through flank security IOT facilitate breakthrough. SUST: secure key road networks for follow on ops.
PHASING: PH1: Shaping Ops – Bombing, then ARTY, then LD of SO2 to seize gap with 7th CORPS. PH2:Penetration, 7th CORPS breaks through and seizes Constances. PH3:
Exploitation by 8th corps to Avaranch and Porutablaut, 7th corps protects flanks, Ends with 1st Army facing east along Vivre-Mortain line and 3rd Army attacking toward
Brittany
EOA 11: OPERATION COBRA
End state: breakthrough of German lines in
Normandy IOT allow CF to continue the attack on
German forces and recapture France.
How do I: Penetrate German front lines in
Normandy
IOT: Allow CF to continue the attack east and
secure Paris/France defeating Germans
Given: US Armies, 8th Air Force for bombing
Against: German Armies in DEF positions
Duration: 2-3 weeks after D-day
Conditions: Allied forces must maintain local Air
superiority, generate enough mass to exploit
breakthrough, and leave bocage areas
COG: German Army (Operational) their leadership
OP Approach: Indirect approach (saturation
bombing & huge artillery barrage) followed by a
ground attack to achieve penetration and breakout
of German defenses.
Decisive Points:
Basing: Norman Ports, England
LOO/LOE: OP Reach: Tempo:
Simultaneity and Depth: Air Phasing/Transitions:
Culmination.
Risk: Theorist Synthesis:
Bradley briefed his subordinate commanders on the Cobra plan, which consisted of three phases. The main effort would be under the control of Collins' VII Corps.
Phase1, Bombardment in depth and artillery barrage, Fighter-bombers concentrated on hitting forward German defenses in a 230 m belt immediately south of the SaintLô–Periers road, while heavy bombers would bomb to a depth of 2,300 m behind German lines. In addition to divisional artillery, Army- and Corps-level units provided
support, including nine heavy, five medium, and seven light artillery battalions. Over 1,000 tubes of divisional and corps artillery were committed to the offensive, and
approximately 140,000 artillery rounds were allocated to the operation in VII Corps alone, with another 27,000 for VIII Corps.
Phase2, the breakthrough attack would be conducted by Major General Eddy's 9th and Major General Hobbs' 30th infantry divisions, which would punch a hole in the
German tactical zone and then hold the flanks of the penetration.
Phase3A 1st Infantry & 2nd Armored divisions would attack into the depth of the position until resistance collapsed. Then 1st Infantry Division "was to take Marigny, with this
objective exploited by a stream of 3rd Armored Division armor that would move south toward Coutances.“ The 2nd Armored Division—part of "Collins' exploitation force" of
the 2nd Armored Division in the east of the VII Corps sector and the "1st Infantry Division reinforced by Combat Command B (CCB) of the 3rd Armored division in the west“
would "pass through the 30th Infantry Division sector ... and guard the overall American left flank.
Phase3B, when the VII Corps' efforts are successful, the western German position would become untenable, permitting a relatively easy advance to the southwest end of
the bocage to cut off and seize the Brittany peninsula.
First Army's intelligence estimated that no German counterattack would occur in the first few days after Cobra's launch, and that if attacks
materialized after that date, they would consist of no more than battalion-sized operations.
Cobra was to be a concentrated attack on a 7,000 yd (6,400 m) front, unlike previous American 'broad front' offensives, and would have heavy
air support. In an attempt to overcome the mobility constraints of the bocage that had made offensive operations so difficult and costly for both
sides, "Rhino" modifications were made to some M4 Sherman and M5A1 Stuart tanks, and M10 tank destroyers, by fitting them with hedgebreaching 'tusks' that were capable of forcing a path through the Norman hedgerows. While German tanks remained restricted to the roads, U.S.
armor would now be able to maneuver more freely, although in practice these devices were not as effective as often believed.
However, by the eve of Cobra, 60% of First Army's tanks were so equipped and to preserve operational security, Bradley forbade their use until
Cobra was launched. In all, 1,269 M4 medium tanks, 694 M5A1 light tanks, and 288 M10 tank destroyers were available.
Supporting operations: Operation Goodwood, Operation Atlantic, and Operation Spring
On 18 July, the British VIII and I Corps—to the east of Caen—launched Operation Goodwood. The offensive began with the largest air
bombardment in support of ground forces yet, with more than 1,000 aircraft dropping 6,000 short tons (5,400 t) of high explosive and
fragmentation bombs from low altitude. German positions to the east of Caen were shelled by 400 artillery pieces and many villages were
reduced to rubble, but German artillery further to the south, on the Bourguébus Ridge, was outside the range of the British artillery, and the
defenders of Cagny and Émiéville were largely unscathed by the bombardment. This contributed to the losses suffered by Second Army, which
sustained over 4,800 casualties. Principally an armored offensive, between 250 and 400 British tanks were put out of action, although recent
examination suggests that only 140 were completely destroyed with an additional 174 damaged. The operation remains the largest tank battle
ever fought by the British Army,[66] and resulted in the expansion of the Orne bridgehead and the final capture of Caen.
Simultaneously, the II Canadian Corps on Goodwood's western flank launched Operation Atlantic. Intended to strengthen the Allied foothold
along the banks of the Orne River and take Verrières Ridge to the south of Caen,[67] Atlantic made initial gains but ran out of steam as casualties
mounted.[5] Having cost the Canadians 1,349 men and with the heavily-defended ridge firmly in German hands,[68] Atlantic was closed down on
20 July. However, at Montgomery's urging, "strongly underlined in the Supreme Commander's communications to Montgomery", II Canadian
Corps's commander, Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, launched a second offensive a few days later, codenamed Operation Spring. This had the
limited but important aim of tying down German units that might otherwise be transferred to the American sector.
GERMANS: Only two Panzer divisions with 190 tanks now faced Bradley's First Army. Seven Panzer divisions with 750 tanks were positioned in
the Caen area, far away from where Operation Cobra would be launched, as were all the heavy Tiger tank battalions and three brigades in
Normandy.
Logistics: Each division consumed 750 short tons (680 t) of supplies daily.
EOA 11: OPERATION GOODWOOD
General Demsey’s
Elements of Operational Art
Timeline:
17 July 1944: Movement and preparation beings for Operation GOODWOOD
18 July 1944: Operation GOODWOOD commences
19 July 1944: VIII Corps secures and controls Four, Soliers, Bras, Hubert-Folie, Le Poirier
24 July 1944: Operation COBRA air bombardment begins
25 July 1944: Operation COBRA commences
28 July 1944: Soviet troops take Brest-Litovsk. U.S. troops take Coutances
30 July 1944: German forces retreat; breakout successful
End state: Capture of Caen and set to conditions for a
breakout from the beachhead.
Conditions: Allied forces must must fix German forces
ISO the conditions for a breakout (Operation COBRA);
destruction of German lines of communication
COG: German Panzer Group-West (Operational)
OP Approach: Indirect approach (saturation bombing
and artillery barrage) followed by a ground assault,
IOT breakthrough German defenses.
Decisive Points: Key terrain connecting the lines of
operations
Basing: England; Normandy ports
LOO: Allied forces operated on interior lines of
operations until they achieve a breakout and expand
the beachhead.
OP Reach: Limited to the beachhead and ports taken.
Tempo:
Simultaneity and Depth: Air bombardment,
supporting operations: Operation ATLANTIC and
Operation SPRING
Phasing/Transitions: Phase I-Bombardment in depth
and artillery barrage; Phase II- breakthrough attack;
Phase III-attack into the depth of the position until
resistance collapsed
Culmination:
Risk (strategic, operational, tactical):
Theorist Synthesis: Modern Theory (Biddle), Air
Power (Douhet, Mitchell) and the Usual Suspects
(Clausewitz, Jomini, Naveh, etc.)