The Transportation Plan was a plan for

strategic bombing during World War II World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory. Strategic bombing as a military strategy is distinct both from close ...

against bridges, rail centres, including

marshalling yard A classification yard (American English, as well as the Canadian National Railway), marshalling yard (British, Hong Kong, Indian, and Australian English, and the former Canadian Pacific Railway) or shunting yard (Central Europe) is a railway y ...

s and repair shops in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with the goal of limiting the German military response to the invasion of France in June 1944. The plan was based on those of Air Marshal Tedder and the "Overlord air plan" of Air Chief Marshal Leigh-Mallory, The plan was devised by Professor

Solly Zuckerman Solomon "Solly" Zuckerman, Baron Zuckerman (30 May 1904 – 1 April 1993) was a British public servant, zoologist and operational research pioneer. He is best remembered as a scientific advisor to the Allies on bombing strategy in the Second ...

, an advisor to the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

, to destroy transportation in

Occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

during the "preparatory period" for

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

so Germany would be unable to respond effectively to the invasion. The air campaign, carried out by the bombers of the RAF and

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

crippled the German rail networks in France and played a crucial role in disrupting German logistics and reinforcements to the invasion area.

Plan and operations

Air Officer Commanding (AOC)

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...

Marshal

Arthur Harris Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet, (13 April 1892 – 5 April 1984), commonly known as "Bomber" Harris by the press and often within the RAF as "Butcher" or "Butch" Harris, was Air Officer Commanding, Air O ...

did not want to divert his bomber force away from their strategic campaign against German industry (known to the Germans as the

Defence of the Reich The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied Strategic bombing ...

campaign). However, he resigned himself early on to supporting Overlord as early as 17 February 1944 while his force was engaged in the bombing campaign against Berlin. On 6 March 1944, Charles Portal ordered attacks on the marshalling yards at

Trappes Trappes () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines departments of France, department, Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It is a banlieue located in the western outer suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, c ...

, Aulnoye,

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

, Lougeau,

Courtrai Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. With its 80,000 inhabitants (2024) Kortrijk is the capital and largest cit ...

and

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...

. Control of all air operations was transferred to Eisenhower on 14 April at noon.

Attacks made under the Transportation Plan

Results

The effectiveness of the Transport Plan was evident in German reports at the time. A German

(RLM) report of 13 June 1944 stated: "The raids...have caused the breakdown of all main lines; the

coast defence Coastal management is defence against flooding and erosion, and techniques that stop erosion to claim lands. Protection against rising sea levels in the 21st century is crucial, as sea level rise accelerates due to climate change. Changes in s ...

s have been cut off from the supply bases in the interior...producing a situation which threatens to have serious consequences" and that although "transportation of essential supplies for the civilian population have been completely...large scale strategic movement of German troops by rail is practically impossible at the present time and must remain so while attacks are maintained at their present intensity".Darlow 2004, p. 56

Notes

References

* Buckley, John. ''Air Power in the Age of Total War''. UCL Press. London. 1998. . * Darlow, Stephen. ''D-Day Bombers, The Veteran's Story: RAF Bomber Command and the US Eighth Air Force Support to the Normandy Invasion, 1944''. Grub Street, London. 2004. * de Jong, Ivo. ''Mission 376: Battle Over the Reich, May 28, 1944''. Stackpole Books. 2012 * Frankland, Noble (2006). The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1939–1945, Volume III, Part 5: Victory. Naval and Military Press. . * Frankland, Noble (1961). The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany, 1939–1945, Volume II, Part 4: Endeavour. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. * Gooderson, Ian. ''Air Power at the Battlefront: Allied Close Air Support, 1943-1945''. Frank Cass 2005. * Hall, Cargill (1998). ''Case Studies In Strategic Bombardment''. Air Force History and Museums Program. . * Mets, David R. ''Master of Airpower: General Carl A. Spaatz''. Presidio Press. 1997. *{{cite web , title=Campaign Diary , url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary.html , work=Royal Air Force Bomber Command 60th Anniversary , publisher=UK Crown , accessdate=2009-03-22 , url-status=bot: unknown , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050601062147/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary.html , archivedate=1 June 2005 , df=dmy-all World War II strategic bombing Aerial operations and battles of World War II Military logistics of World War II Allied logistics in the Western European Campaign (1944–1945)