Operation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the Allied code name for general operations in northern and western Europe in 1944. While it is commonly equated to the Normandy invasion proper, that was a subset of Overlord under the top security code name of Operation Neptune. Overlord was under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his headquarers organization, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF).

Predecessors

Overlord was the concluding part of a series of planned operations:

• Operation Bolero – preparation phase
• Operation Sledgehammer – 1942 contingency invasion
• Operation Roundup – proposed 1943 invasion

Strategic deception

Under the London Controlling Section, the complex Plan Bodyguard convinced Hitler that the main Allied invasion would come at the Pas de Calais. This was why Hitler refused to release counterattack forces until after the beachhead was established.