Eighth Air Force Report on Tactical Bombing Operations in Preparation for the Normandy Invasion (1944)

Date: June 2-17, 1944

Created By: Air Force

Original or Replica: Original

Era: D-Day and the Normandy Invasion, The General

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: Walter Bedell Smith Collection of World War II Documents, Box 48, Eight Air Force Tactical Operations in Support of Allied Landings in Normandy June 2-17 1944 (1); NAID #12005069

This secret Eighth Air Force operational report describes bombing missions conducted on June 2, 1944, as part of Allied preparations for the Normandy invasion. Originally planned for three days before D-Day, the operation targeted German coastal batteries, field artillery, radar installations, and fortified positions in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. These attacks were intended to deceive German forces about the location of the coming invasion while also supporting Allied landing operations. Poor visibility required extensive use of radar-assisted bombing techniques, including H2X Pathfinder aircraft.

The report details the participation of the Eighth Air Force’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bomb Divisions, supported by P-47, P-38, and P-51 fighters. A total of 862 heavy bombers were dispatched, with 776 carrying out their assigned attacks and dropping approximately 2,340 tons of bombs. Another 365 fighters provided escort and area protection. German aerial opposition was minimal, although antiaircraft fire damaged eleven bombers and one fighter; no American aircraft were lost. The report’s statistical tables document aircraft numbers, bomb tonnage, targets, and damage assessments. Overall, the document demonstrates the enormous scale of Allied air operations preceding D-Day and the Eighth Air Force’s role in weakening and deceiving German defenses before the Normandy landings.