J.C.S. Files

Memorandum by the United States Chiefs of Staff

secret
C.C.S. 286/2

Formation by U.S. Assault Forces for Operation Overlord

Reference: C.C.S. 286/11

1.
In C.C.S. 286/1 the British Chiefs of Staff advise that, in order to meet the manning stringency in Overlord , they find it necessary to ask that the American Navy take over and man the following British assault, support, and special craft designated by the Allied Naval Commander in Chief to Assault Force “O,” the American Naval Assault Forces based in Plymouth Command:—
  • 16 L.C.S. (M)
  • 15 Hedgerow fitted L.C.A.
  • 12 L.C.T. (2)
  • 5 L.C.G. (L)
  • 11 L.C.F. (L)
  • 48 L.C.P. (L) fitted for smoke laying
  • 60 L.C.A.
2.
The personnel required to man the above craft, including flotilla and squadron staff, and reserve to scale, is 215 officers and 2283 ratings, of which 192 are communication ratings and 227 tradesmen (artificers).
3.
It is presumed that the ship-borne types of the British landing craft listed above, namely, 16 L.C.S.(M)’s, 60 L.C.A.’s, and 48 L.C.P. (L)’s, will be carried on British combat loaders during assaults. If this is correct, the admixture of American boat crews on British ships would bring about a situation more undesirable than the one to be corrected.
4.
The landing craft in question, British designed and fitted with British equipment, should be manned by crews trained with that type of craft. There is none of these types in this country available [Page 453] for training purposes. It would, therefore, be necessary to send personnel to the United Kingdom for training. At the same time the British are bringing officers and crews to the United States to man and train themselves in the use of United States built landing craft.
5.
110 LST’s, U.S. manned, are allocated to Overlord ,—83 are assigned to U.S. troop lift—, the remaining 27 to allow for casualties and, it now appears, to assist in British troop lift. From 20 to 24 of these should be available for the assault and, if assigned to British troop lift, this will result in about 168 officers and 1512 men of the U.S. Navy participating in the operation with British Assault Forces.
6.
In C.C.S. 244/12 the British have indicated the need of additional L.C.I. (L)’s (the number dependent upon the losses in Husky ) to be furnished from United States’ production for British use in Overlord . In furtherance of this need, the British have submitted a lend-lease requisition for 18 L.C.I. (L)’s from United States’ production.
7.
In addition to delivery of the above-mentioned landing craft (as well as other landing craft), there are being delivered from United States’ production 20 merchant ships per month up to 150 to 200, to be manned by British personnel.
8.
It would appear that the need of personnel for British produced landing craft should take precedence over the manning of craft requested from United States’ production.
9.
In view of the above consideration, the U.S. Chiefs of Staff feel that subject landing craft should be manned and operated by British personnel.
  1. “Formation by U.S. Assault Forces for Operation ‘ Overlord ’” August 4, 1943; not printed.
  2. Ante, p. 233.