Operation Overlord (D-Day)

Executive Summary: by Itunu Sofidiya and Tamika Boyd

During a meeting in Casablanca steps toward the creation of Operation Overlord began. The positions of an allied staff and a Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (COSSAC) were created. It was decided Operation Overlord should become a lead priority for the allies during the Washington Conference. The allies agreed to May 1944 as a tentative date for the execution for Operation Overlord. During the May 1943 the allies met in Quebec where COSSAC produced a strategic outline. About three million troops were involved in Operation Overlord under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Operation overlord was set to be executed into two phases: Phase 1 assault, stage 2 enlargement. 

Players or Actors Making Strategic Choices

·    The United States & its allies (Britain, Canada) ; Germany

·    The United States & its allies (Britain, Canada): Canada had a very minimal leadership position in Project Overlord therefore they were just a minor player.   Dwight D Eisenhower was made supreme commander of the invasion force and Air Chief-Marshall Arthur Tedder was made his deputy. General Walter Bedell Smith was chosen as Eisenhower Chief of Staff. Two army groups were created: One American (commanded by General Omar Bradley) and a British one (commanded by Bernard onty Montgomery). Montgomery was also given command of all land forces during the assault phase in Normandy. Admiral Bertram Ramsey was to be in command of all naval forces. The naval forces were again split in two. The American one was commanded by Admiral Kirk and the British one by Admiral Vian. The Allied air forces were commanded by Air Chief Marshall Leigh Mallory; the British contingent was commanded by Air Marshall Coningham and the American by General Brereton.

·    Germany: Chancellor Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Army

Payoffs or Goals of the Players Involved

·    For the United States, Great Britain, and Canada the goal was to completely defeat Germany and remove Hitler from Germany

·    The United States, Great Britain, and Canada would be able to weaken the German defenses and eliminate Germany as a military threat.

·    Germany wanted to protect the land it had already invaded and dissuade any other countries from stopping them by any means necessary.

·    Germany would have more resources and also be able to create a ure Nazi race

Strategic Interaction between Players Involved  

·    The original date of Operation Overlord was pushed back to June 6, 1944 to create enough landing craft for the sea crossing to take place(code name Neptune).

·    Two American units Two British units and one Canadian unit were to each assault a different beach so that each group could attack a different beach.

Identify Opportunities for Communication and Strategic Intelligence and/ or deception between the players.

1.    The creation of a fictitious First United States Army Group (FUSAG) used to mislead the Germans into thinking that Norway would be the first point of attack was by far the most deceptive move by the Allied Troops.

2.    The British Double Cross system was used as a method of strategic intelligence and deception between the players.

3.    The allied troops also had the advantage of being able to decode the German Enigma-encoded radio communication with computers.

To What Extent Players made sequential or simultaneous decisions (and whether or not these decisions were secret.

·    The decisions that were made between both players were simultaneous in the sense that both were planning for an attack or defense at the same time.

·    The moves were sequential because the allied troops had their plan to invade Normandy while at the same time setting up false troops in Norway. The Germans sent their troops to Norway thinking that Normandy would be the last point of attack.

·    The allied troop decision to launch their most massive attack in Normandy was for all intents and purposes a secretive one.

Incentives and opportunities the players have to make credible commitments, threats, or promises.

·    There were no incentives and opportunities for the players to make credible commitments, threats or promise because the information being passed between them was on a secretive basis.

To what extent is the strategic interaction a one shot game or a part

Of a more extended interaction (i.e iterated or repeated game)

·    This strategic interaction on D-Day was a part of a more extended interaction because it was a part of the bigger challenge (World War II). The goal of the allied troops was to use D-Day as a way to weaken or annihilate the German troops.