The decision to invade was such a difficult one to make because of uncertain weather conditions. D-Day (the day of the invasion)
had to be chosen with great care, or all their carefully made plans would go awry. A quick buildup of men and materials was
essential to the success of their endeavour.
During the first six days of the invasion, over 325 thousand troops and 54 thousand vehicles were ferried ashore by a fleet of five thousand ships. This was a triumph in
logistics, and proved that the army could think as well as fight. Supplies to be loaded, roads to be cleared, food lines to be serviced, accomodation to be provided, latrines and showers to be made available...
In spite of being surrounded by old friends and colleagues; General
Eisenhower was a solitary and lonely figure because the responsibility (for success or failure) would be his and his alone. He had to weigh the odds, and consider all possibilities; there would be no second chances! The troops could not be kept secluded on airbases and embarkation areas for long, without the secret of the invasion leaking out. And if the element of surprise were lost, everything would be lost. Besides, the enemy aircraft were quite likely to spot them; and having spotted them would not hesitate in bombing them to smithereens. It was now or never; postponement was not an option before them.
Given the difficult circumstances, it is not surprising that Eisenhower decided to take a walk in the woods. Accompanied by Mueller (a war correspondent), and lost deep in thought, he silently strode away... Returning from the woods, they learned that the weather had cleared enough for them to launch their invasion.
The problem with this assessment - as with any other forecast, military or meteoroligal - was the degree of uncertainty attached to it. How confident were they of their predictions? Could their optimism be somehow misplaced? Unfortunately, these questions could not be answered in terms of statistics. A decision had to be made within the hour; Admiral
Kirk was waiting for his orders...
This was the advice that Eisenhower was tendered:
1. Ramsay - was worried about (refuelling) problems if the decision were delayed,
2. Smith - thought it was a gamble, but had to be taken,
3. Tedder & Mallory - were afraid that they lacked adequate (air) cover for their forces
4. Montgomery - said "Go"; but, then, he had said so before.
General Eisenhower, their supreme commander, weighed all the alternatives. After two minutes, the General stood up and announced his decision. It went something like this: "
I don't like it, but there it is... I don't see how we can do anything else."