D-Day 1944 (3) Sword Beach and the British Airborne Landings

In studying the possible sites for the assault, it soon became clear to COSSAC that the area of Normandy in the Bay of the Seine, between the estuary of the River Orne and the base of the Cotentin Peninsula, would be the most suitable location for the amphibious forces to come ashore. In arriving at this decision, LtGen Morgan had to take into account many factors; most significantly, he had to consider the radius of supporting air cover from bases in England, then about 150 miles. Other important elements were the length of the sea crossing; the strength of enemy defences; the availability of suitable beaches; and the proximity of usable ports to help with the build up of men and materiel once the landings had been made. The choice really came down to just four areas: the Pas de Calais, Normandy, the Cotentin Peninsula and Brittany. Many commanders favoured the short sea crossing to the Pas de Calais. However, the enemy had also recognised that this area was an obvious target for an assault and the German defences in the Pas de Calais were the most formidable along the whole of the Channel. Morgan and his staff quickly rejected the Pas de Calais as being unsuitable, choosing Normandy instead.
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