D-Day plans go on sale

Derbyshire auctioneer, Charles Hanson, announces that a full set of plans for D-Day are to go on sale with an estimated sale price of £80,000 to £100,000.

The full description that appears in the Auction Catalogue is as follows:

Likely one of only a few hundred produced during the lead up to D-Day, the archive is noted as ‘Copy 186’, and ‘Most Secret’.

Printed for the War Cabinet Chiefs of Staff Committee in July 1943, the string tied archive contains 10 operational maps, together with an Operation Overlord Report and Appreciation with Appendices soft bound book containing fold out maps and outline plans for mounting the operation to establish a lodgement on the continent.

The target date noted is 1st May 1944, which was the original date proposed for the Allied Normandy Invasion (agreed at the Quebec Conference in August 1943).

The first phase amphibious landings would be codenamed Operation Neptune, with the allied bombing campaign codenamed Operation Pointblank, and the deception strategy named Operation Bodyguard.

It was proposed that three divisions would mount the amphibious assault along a 25 mile front, with two divisions in support roles.

After being reviewed by Einsenhower (sic) and Montgomery in December 1943, they were insistent that more manpower was required, with the allies needing to commit five divisions, and airborne assaults by a further three.

This presented a logistical problem, with more beach landing craft required to carry out the assault, hence the operation was delayed until 6th June 1944 to allow for production time.

The Appreciation and Appendices goes on to specify that the initial landings should be effected in the Caen area, including the port of Cherbourg.

The outline plan for the opening phase mention the destruction of quay faces in both major and minor ports by German forces, which naturally would hinder any allied landings due to the demolition of facilities, and potential blocking of the port entrances.

Other considerations mentioned are the Air Cover provided the assault phase, German Coastal Defences (deemed to be very strong in Coastal and Anti-Aircraft Artillery), Reserves of German troops, the available Allied strength, and potential alternative lodgement areas (Pas de Calais and the Cotentin-Caen area).

The plans refer to specific loose maps within the archive (letter coded from MA through to MK, with MI deliberately omitted) with other fold out ‘Most Secret’ maps bound into the document.

The ten loose map are individually hand numbered as Copy 186, with each also being marked as ‘U.S. Secret’ and ‘British Most Secret’, and cover the France and the Low Countries Beaches and Theoretical Beach Capacities, Topographical Airfield Map, and several situation maps showing divisional positions.

Provenance: the archive has been held by vendor’s family since the close of WW2, with his father having served as a senior officer in the army.

Each document contained within the archive is original and complete, with each marked with matching numbers, indicating that they have always remained together as a set.

The archive is exceptional in its rarity and completeness, with examples seldom seen outside of institutions.

Important note: only a very small selection of the document pages are shown within the picture pack, and further images of additional pages can be provided upon request.

Images of all of the maps within the archive are provided in the picture pack.Approximately 35.5cm x 22.5cm.

Condition: good.

Some normal age and service wear, with minor cover browning / soiling, plus some minor splitting to the fabric binding.

The internal soft bound book is in clean condition, with normal signs of light use and handling.

The ten loose maps are in exceptional condition, with strong printed colours and no foxing to the paper.