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    "localId": "40485948",
    "label": "Message from SHAEF to AGWAR [Adjutant General War Department]",
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    "id": "40485948",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Message from SHAEF to AGWAR [Adjutant General War Department]",
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        "Eisenhower, Dwight D: Papers, Pre-Presidential",
        "Principal Files"
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 23,
            "logicalDate": "1944-01-23",
            "month": 1,
            "year": 1944
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    "seq": 3,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\n(EQUALS-BRITISH MOST =SEGRET)\n\"BIGOT\"\n(c) BOMBARDMENT FORCE:\n5 cruisers\n12 destroyers\n1 or 2 monitors or old battleships.\n9. The majority of the naval forces, including the assault\nshipping and craft, must be formed in the UNITED KINGDOM by D minus\n42, the last ships and craft joining their naval forces by D minus\n28 at the latest.\n10. The following additional BRITISH land forces will be\nrequired to start training in the UNITED KINGDOM by D minus 42:\n2 beach groups\n1 beach sub-area headquarters\n2 dock operating companies\nthe\n11. An additional eight fighter squadrons will be required to\nensure the necessary cover over the extended assault area and wider\nshipping lanes, and two hundred troop carrier aircraft to ensure\nreasonable provision for the dropping of two airborne divisions\nwithin approximately twenty-four hours. These air forces must be\navailable in the UNITED KINGDOM by D minus 60.\n12. To allow an increase in the rate of follow=up and build-\nup proportionate to the increase in the assault, an additional 64\nMT/Stores ships will be required for the first month.\n13. The problem that must be faced at once is the provision of\nthese additional forces.\n14. I regard 'ANVIL' as an important contribution to *OVERLORD¹\nas I feel that an assault will contain more enemy forces in SOUTHERN\nFRANCE than a threat. The forces both US and FRENCH are in any case\navailable; and the actual landing of these forces will increase the\ncooperation from resistance elements in FRANCE.\n15. 'OVERLORD' and 'ANVIL' must be viewed as one whole. If\nsufficient forces could be made available the ideal would be a five\ndivisional 'OVERLORD' and a three divisional 'ANVIL' or, at worst,\na two divisional 'ANVIL'. If insufficient forces are available for\nthis, however, I am driven to the conclusion that we should adopt a\nfive divisional 'OVERLORD' and a one divisional 'ANVIL', the latter\nbeing maintained as a threat until enemy weakmess justifies its\nactive employment. This solution should be adopted only as a last\nresort and after all other means and alternatives have failed to\nprovide the necessary strength by the end of May for a five divis-\nional 'OVERLORD and a two divisional 'ANVIL'\n16. As regards the target date, it is preferable from the army\npoint of view that the early-May date should be adhered to if\nSEGRET\nBSR\n(EQUAIS BRITISH MOST SECRET)"
}