Tides and weather pushed some units miles off their designated landing places, separating them from their commanders and their equipment. Bombers missed their targets by several miles. Troop carriers drifted so far from their positions that the landing craft could not find them to get the troops. It seemed that every single aspect of the plan unraveled within the first hours. Nevertheless, D-day was a success because the junior officers and sergeants on the beaches, realizing that everything had gone wrong, began to improvise, determining to do whatever it took to win.
Planning is important, but great leaders know when to throw the plans away.
D-day was won by the Allies because there was enough freedom for the soldiers to take initiative. On the other side, Hitler did not permit his most brilliant generals to deviate from his plan in order to meet the changing and unexpected conditions. There were a number of occasions when the Allied troops could have been pushed back into the sea, and the Nazi generals knew it, but could do nothing about it. A control spirit will always ultimately be defeated by liberty. Avoiding the Deadly Traps One of the most deadly traps to keep us from accomplishing our purpose is trying to wait until we feel adequate for the task.