Principal Allied Codenames
Allied Deception Codenames
BODYGUARD
Overall Allied strategic deception plan for the invasion of France, designed to shield Overlord from German intelligence. This encompassed Operations Fortitude, Qmck-silver and Zeppelin.
FORTITUDE (NORTH AND SOUTH)
Allied deception plans designed to convince the Germans that the main invasion in France would occur in the Pas de Calais area and/or Norway.
QUICKSILVER
Part of Fortitude which covered the fictitious US 1st Army Group under General George S Patton in southeast England, poised to strike across the Pas de Calais.
CASCADE
Deception plan designed to mislead the Axis as to the true strength of Allied forces in the Mediterranean; was followed by Operation Zeppelin.
ZEPPELIN
Deception plan designed to convince the Germans that the Allies would attack Crete or Western Greece from the Mediterranean, or Romania via the Black Sea.
Principal Allied Operational Codenames
OVERLORD
6 June 1944: American, British and Canadian seaborne invasion of northern France, conducted on the Normandy coastline between Quineville in the west and Ouistreham to the east.
NEPTUNE
6 June 1944: The naval and assault landing element of Overlord.
PERCH
13-14 June 1944: British attack west of Caen designed to turn the German flank by seizing Villers-Bocage.
EPSOM
25/26 June – 1 July 1944: British offensive west of Caen toward Evrecy, south of the city; intended as a pre-emptive strike to tie up German armour reinforcements.
DAUNTLESS
25 June 1944: Subsidiary attack supporting Epsom, designed to secure the western lank prior to the main operation.
MARTLET
25 June 1944: British operation to capture Fontenay-le-Pesnil as part of Epsom and Dauntless.
CHARNWOOD
7-10 July 1944: Frontal assault launched by the British and Canadians to capture Caen, only succeeded in taking the northern half of the city.
JUPITER
10 July 1944: British attack west of Caen following Charnwood.
GREENLINE
15 July 1944: British attack intended to pin down German armour west of Caen prior to Goodwood.
GOODWOOD
18-21 July 1944: British offensive east of Caen, intended to assist the capture of the city and pin down German forces prior to the American break-out from the Cotentin Peninsula.
ATLANTIC
18-20 July 1944: Launched by the Canadians in conjunction with Operation Goodwood to capture Caen and get over the Orne.
SPRING
24-27 July: Conducted by the Canadians, designed to capture the Bourguébus and Verrières ridges south of Caen to open up the Falaise road. Also tied German forces down during Operation Cobra.
COBRA
25-31 July 1944: Launched by the Americans just west of St Lô to break out from the Normandy bridgehead, enabling them to strike southwest into Brittany and southeast toward Falaise and the River Seine.
BLUECOAT
30 July-7 August 1944: Intended to support Operation Cobra by drawing German forces to the Caen area and capturing Mont Pinçon.
TOTALISE
7-13 August 1944: British, Canadian and Polish attack along the Caen-Falaise Road intended to capture Falaise.
TRACTABLE
14-16 August 1944: Development of Totalise designed to close the neck of the Falaise salient, thereby trapping 5th Panzer Army, Panzergruppe Eberbach and 7th Army.
DRAGOON
15 August 1944: Allied invasion of the south of France between Toulon and Cannes forcing the German evacuation of France.