Economy of Force

1
Economy of Force

• Cadet Bishop

2
COA

• COA One (Op Overload)
• Pro- Leaders
• Eisenhower, Air Marshall Leigh-Mallory, Air
  Marshall Tedder, Field Marshall Montgomery,
  Admiral Ramsey
  
• Invasion on One Front
• Normandy
• COA Two (Op Anvil)
• Pro- Leaders
• Eisenhower, American Chief of Staff Marshall,
  President Roosevelt, Anglo American Combined
  Chiefs of Staff
  
• Invasion on Two Fronts
• Normandy and Southern France

3
Three Issues

• ISSUE ONE Limited LSTs
• - What is an LST?
• description and carrying capacity
• Displacement 1490 tons (lite) 4,080 tons (full
  load of 2,100 tons)
  
• Length 327'
• Beam 50'
• Draft 8' fwd 14'4" aft (full load)
• Speed 10.8 knots (max) 9 knots (econ)
• Armament 1 3"/50 DP 1 40mm 6 20mm
• Complement 7 officers, 204 enlisted
• Diesel engines, twin screws
• LSTs carry smaller craft topside, a tunnel-like
  hold full of tanks, vehicles, guns or cargo.
  
• 1,152 ordered from Nov 41 to the end of the War

4
Three Issues

• Issue One Limited LSTs Cont.
• - How many did they need?
• 6,000 ships to carry troops and equipment
• 5,000 fighter planes to provide aerial cover

5
Three Issues

• ISSUE TWO 5 Divisions at Normandy
• - Why?
• To be successful, a much bigger target area had
  to be selected and many more men had to be
  involved from day one of the invasion.

6
Three Issues

• ISSUE THREE Italy
• - Troops still fighting
• Thing are not going as well as expected.
• Need to commit more forces or face defeat.
• - More forces are still needed for a retreat,
• These needs are already hurting the main effort.
• - Tax it even more?

7

• COA Overload
• LSTs Maxed
• LSTs None

• COA Anvil
• LSTs Limited
• LSTs Limited

Factors ME SE
8
Decision

• COA Overlord
• WHY
• Cant do both fully.
• Dont have LSTs
• Always max out ME.
• Scraps to SE
• What would be gained by dual invasion?