SZ/AEAF/3/1/1 - Employment of Allied Air Forces in Support of "Overlord", 24/3/44

SZ/AEAF/3/1/1

Item

Employment of Allied Air Forces in Support of "Overlord", 24/3/44

1944

3 leaves

Operation Pointblank

Tedder, Arthur William,

DAC/MS/100

The paper opens by stating that "The primary role of the Air Forces is to secure and maintain air superiority during the assault and subsequent land operations, and that the Army's view of the role of air forces prior to D-Day is to destroy the enemy air forces and destroy and disrupt communications so as to delay movement towards the lodgment area". It then considers the contribution of operations under the Pointblank directive and states that "What is now required is an adjustment of POINTBLANK" to which end "two plans have been formulated, one by the U.S. Strategic Air Forces, and one by the A.E.A.F., the former may be termed the 'Oil Plan' and the latter the 'Transportation Plan'". The paper goes on to describe the two plans and refers to other alternatives which have been considered and dismissed. Tedder recommends the replacement of the Pointblank Directive with a new "POINTBLANK/OVERLORD Directive" incorporating the Transportation Plan - "the only plan offering a reasonable prospect of disorganising enemy movement and supply in the time available, and of preparing the ground for imposing the tactical delays which can be vital once land battle is joined.

Paper prepared for meeting on 25/3/44 chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff?