6th
Airborne Division Plan on D-Day night
(a) Primary
tasks:
(i)
The capture of the bridges(intact if possible) at
Bénouville and Ranville and the establishment of a bridgehead sufficiently deep
to enable them to be held.
(ii)
The destruction or neutralization of the coastal
battery at Franceville Plage (later known as the Merville battery) by dawn
minus 30 minutes, before the sea-borne assault craft come within its range.
(iii)
The destruction of the bridges over the River Dives
at Varaville, Robehomme, Bures and Troarn in order to impose the maximum delay
on any enemy movements from the east.
(b) Secondary
tasks:
(i)
Mop up and secure the area between the River Orne
and Dives, north of the road Colombelle-Sannerville-Troarn. This was to include
the capture of the towns of Sallenelles and Franceville Plage, and the clearing
as much as possible of the coastal strip between these places and Cabourg, at
the mouth of the River Dives.
(ii)
Having secured a firm base east of the river Orne,
to operate offensively against any reserve attempting to move towards the
covering position from the east and south-east
3rd Para Brigade Initial Plan
The tasks given to the 3rd
Brigade Commander were:
(a)
To silence the
Merville Battery and destroy its equipment one and a half hour before the first
landing crafts were to touch down on beaches.
(b)
To demolish
the bridges over the River Dives at Varaville, Robehomme, Bures (2) and Troarn
(c)
On completion
of the above tasks, to deny the enemy the use of the roads leading into the Ranville
bridgehead area from the east, by establishing the brigade on the high ground
from North of Troarn toLe Plein
5th
Para Brigade Initial Plan
The tasks given to the 5th
Brigade Commander were:
(d)
By a coup de
main with glider-borne troops to seize the crossings over the River Orne and
the canal at Bénouville and Ranville.
(e)
To secure and
hold the area Bénouville-Ranville-Le Bas de Ranville
(f)
To clear the
landing zones north of Ranville of obstructions sufficiently to allow 68
gliders to land by two hours before daylight on ‘D’ day and 146 gliders to land
by the evening of ‘D’ day.
The brigade was also responsible for the
protection of the landing zone ‘N’
