SHAEF Message from General Dwight D. Eisenhower to General George C. Marshall Concerning the First Reports of the Normandy Landing

14 SINATORS FILE No. TOP BSR SHAEF MESSAGE FORM CALL CIRCUIT No. PRIORITY TRANSMISSION INSTRUCTIONS NR SPACES WITHIN HEAVY LINES FOR SIGNALS USE ONLY FROM ORIGINATOR DATE-TIME OF ORIGIN (A) SHAEF CP Supreme Commander DDE/map 8 June 1944 TO FOR ACTION AGWAR TO (W) FOR INFORMATION (INFO) MESSAGE INSTRUCTIONS GR , SHAEF 081529B 972 (REF NO.) Center (CLASSIFICATION) TOP SECRET SCAF-4 ACCOMPANIED BY ADMIRAL RAMSAY I MADE YESTERDAY A COMPLETE TOUR BY DESTROYER OF 90024 TOPSEC THE LANDING AREAS BEGINNING ON THE RIGHT PD PAREN, TO THE COMBINED CHIEFS OF n STAFF FROM EISENHOWER CITE SHSAC PD THIS IS SCAF NUMBER FORTY EIGHT PD, UNPAREN TOAGWAR FOR INFO SHAEF THE LANDINGS ON THE COTENTIN PENINSULA APPARENTLY WENT ABOUT AS WELL AS COULD BE EXPECTED WITH THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST AIRBORNE DIVISION CARRYING OUT ITS MISSIONS IN GOOD STYLE PD INFORMATION OF THE EIGHTY SECOND AIRBORNE IS MEAGRE BUT GENERAL BRADLEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SEVENTH CORPS HAD MADE CONTACT WITH IT ED PD ON BEACH 0 REPEAT OBOE ATTACK/BY THE FIFTH CORPS OPPOSITION WAS UNEXPECTEDLY HEAVY DUE TO THE PRESENCE ON THE BEACHES OF A FULL GERMAN DIVISION WHICH WAS ON MANEUVERS PD LOSSES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLE IN THIS FORCE AND LANDINGS HAVE BEEN MOST DIFFICULT DUE TO THE COVERAGE OF BEACHES BY HOSTILE ARTILLERY PD D.D MOREOVER A LARGE PORTION OF TANKS FOUNDERED ON THEIR WAY TO THE BEACHES PD DUE TO THE ROUGH WEATHER DECISION WAS MADE ON THE OTHER D.D. BEACHES NOT REPEAT NOT TO ATTEMPT TO SWIM IN THE D REPEAT BOG D REPEAT DEG TANKS PD THESE WERE UNLOADED DIRECTLY ON THE BEACHES FROM THE LCT'S CARRYING THEM PD DISTRIBUTION: COORDINATED WITH: THIS MESSAGE MUST BE Precedence c/s THI or TOR SENT IN CYPHER IF LIABLE Opr. TO INTERCEPTION URGENT ORIGINATING DIVISION SHSAC TOP of INITIALS a NAME AND RANK TYPED. TEL. NO. THIS MESSAGE MAY BE TIME CLEARED SENT IN CLEAR BY ANY HARRY C. BUTCHER, Comdr. MEANS 081628B. AUTHENTICATING SIGNATURE By Ciphec INITIALS 175