page_title: American logistics in the Northern France campaign
section_title: Air supply
hierarchical_section_title: American logistics in the Northern France campaign / Air supply
caption_attribution_description: English: An ex-United States Air Force C-47A Skytrain (civil registration N1944A), previously belonging to Wings Venture, displays at the Cotswold Air Show at Cotswold Airport, Kemble, Gloucestershire, England. This aircraft currently resides at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL The military registration was 315211/B/J8, construction number 19677. It carries USAF markings, and black and white invasion stripes. It operated from Upottery in Devon, England, for the invasion of Normandy, France, during WWII.
context_page_description: American logistics in the Northern France campaign played a key role in the success of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northwest Europe during World War II that commenced on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
  In the first seven weeks after D-Day, the Allied advance was slower than anticipated because the well-handled and determined German opposition exploited the defensive value of the Normandy hedgerow country. On 25 July, the First United States Army began Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy. The subsequent advance was much faster than expected and the rapid increase in the length of the line of communications threw up unanticipated logistical challenges. The logistical plan lacked the flexibility needed to cope with the rapidly changing operational situation, and the rehabilitation of railways and construction of pipelines could not keep up with the pace of the advance, and air supply had limited capacity. Major shortages developed, particularly of petrol, oil and lubricants.
context_section_description: To relieve pressure on the over-burdened Motor Transport Brigade, recourse was made to air supply. Although fast and flexible, air supply had many disadvantages, the main one being low tonnage capacity, but the variable availability of transport aircraft, their vulnerability to enemy fighters, and their susceptibility to bad weather were also limiting factors. On 10 and 11 August the 2nd Battalion, 120th Infantry, isolated by the German counterattack at Mortain, received supplies by air drop.
  On 15 August, SHAEF made available an allocation of air transport capable of delivering up to 2,000 long tons (2,000 t) per day to the Le Mans area from airbases in the UK. Deliveries to a newly opened air field there began on 19 August. Due to bad weather and problems with the airfield, an average of 600 long tons (610 t) per day was delivered over the following week. By 22 August, there were 383 fully-loaded C-47 transport aircraft in the UK awaiting despatch. The problem was a lack of suitable landing fields. Rehabilitating captured German airfields or building new ones required the movement of engineer stores using scarce motor transport. 12th Army Group allocated 2,100 long tons (2,100 t) per day to such stores during the pursuit, but the Ninth Air Force gave priority to forward fighter airfields. The early capture of Paris on 25 August forced Eisenhower to allocate 500 long tons (510 t) per day to civil relief supplies, mainly food, medical supplies and soap.
  Deliveries by air peaked at 2,900 long tons (2,900 t) (including 500 long tons (510 t) to Paris) on 26 and 27 August, but then tailed off as the C-47s were withdrawn for airborne operations on 29 August. To make up for them, the United States Strategic Air Forces made 100 Consolidated B-24 Liberator aircraft available, which had to be modified to carry cargo, but these required longer air fields and increased intervals between landings. During the week of 27 August to 2 September, 4,470 long tons (4,540 t) was delivered by air, of which 443 long tons (450 t) was carried by B-24s, but only 1,877 long tons (1,907 t) was delivered to the 12th Army Group; 917 long tons (932 t) went to 21st Army Group and 1,676 long tons (1,703 t) to Paris. On 3 September, SHAEF ordered the First Allied Airborne Army to release 600 C-47s for air supply duties. On 14 September they were again withdrawn, for Operation Market Garden. Between 20 August and 16 September, 23,216 long tons (23,589 t) of supplies were delivered by air, of which 12,799 long tons (13,004 t) went to the 12th Army Group, 7,766 long tons (7,891 t) to the 21st Army Group, and 2,651 long tons (2,694 t) to Paris. From 18 September, B-24s began shipping POL in bulk because the stock of jerricans in the UK had nearly been exhausted. By the end of the month, over 2,500,000 US gallons (9,500,000 l) had been delivered this way.
caption: A C-47 transport
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