Normandy 1944: The 'Transportation Plan' to Cut D-Day Communications

Osprey Air Campaign #54

by Julian Anthony Stuart Hale, Graham Turner (illustrator)

96 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Julian Hale (1940 - ) is a British author, historian, and former RAF Museum assistant curator known for writing concise historical accounts of aviation and military topics.

His books include The RAF: 1918–2018, Women in Aviation, and The Blitz 1940–41. He also authored a cultural history, The French Riviera, and has a background in history from Lancaster University

Reviews

[Patrick Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent summary (none of the Osprey series books can be considered a definitive history) that wove the politics, the planning, and the capabilities together fairly well. My biggest complaint was the maps, especially the one concerning which rail stations/lines were cut/repaired/cut again, could've been done much better.

[Mike O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to the invasion of France by the combined Allied forces, there was much debate over the best way to inhibit or prevent a massive German response to the planned landing. The plan chosen, despite opposition from the leaders of the heavy bombers of the RAF and USAAF, was the “Transportation Plan”, a focused attack on the rail infrastructure of France, Belgium, and Western Germany.

There’s still controversy today over the results, but the Osprey book does provide a good overview, some decent maps, and a starting point for playing a campaign game taking in the various aspects and options behind the plan to cut Germany’s ability to respond to Overlord.