Invasion of Normandy, D-Day In December 1943, the Allied chiefs of staff chose American General Dwight D. Eisenhower as supreme Allied commander in Europe. British General Sir Frederick Morgan developed a series of plans for the Allies, the most extraordinary being Operation Overlord, a full-scale cross-Channel invasion of France. This was the code name for the most secret command of the war. The invasion force was to cross the Channel, land in France and push into Germany. The invasion was set for the spring of 1944. British and American troops, already assembled in England for the invasion, numbered more than 50 divisions (more than 150,000 soldiers), with thousands of bombers, fighter planes and ships. The Allies decided that the beaches of Cotentin would be the landing site for Operation Overlord. The day of the invasion, called D-Day by the military, was set for June 5th. On the 4th, a storm hit the English Channel and Eisenhower had to postpone the invasion. In the early morning hours of June 5 he met with his officers. The storm's heavy rain and winds were expected to end by the afternoon, and the weather on June 6 was expected to be acceptable for the amphibious assault. Nearly 175,000 soldiers were waiting for their orders. Either they would go out that night, or they would stay and wait for June 19, the first date when the tides would again be suitable for a landing. After waiting a few moments, Eisenhower stopped, jutted out his chin and said, "OK, let's go!" The first step of the invasion began a day late, on June 6 at around 12:15 am. The D-Day invasion began with a dangerous attack by American paratroopers. Having dropped behind enemy lines to weaken German troops and protect objectives, the paratroopers knew that if the seaborne assault failed, there would be no relief. Starting from Portland Bill on the English coast, the US 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions were dropped on the Cherbourg Peninsula. From then on, the 101st was supposed to protect the western edge behind the UTAH and prevent an East German advance. The 82nd, landing further inland, was to seize the bridges and halt the advance from the west. The thick fog and German weapons caused many challenges. The pilots were unable to drop the paratroopers as accurately as expected. The 101st Division suffered greatly