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'''Operation Roundup''' was the code[[Code name|codename]] for a 1942 plan forto an invasion ofinvade [[Western Front (World War II)Hauts-de-France|northernNorthern France]] in the spring of 1943 prepared by [[Western Allies of World War II|Allied forces]] forces during [[World War II]].
 
==History==
Overseen by [[Brigadier General (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], the plan was developed in early 1942 and reflected American enthusiasm for an early entry into Europe.<ref name = "este">Carlo d'Este, ''Decision in Normandy'', Penguin, 2004, pp. 24-35.</ref>
The plan, for an invasion in the Spring of 1943, and drawn up by then-Brigadier General [[Dwight Eisenhower]], reflected American enthusiasm for an early entry into Europe.<ref name = "este">Carlo d'Este, ''Decision in Normandy'', Penguin, 2004, pp. 24-35.</ref> The British were reluctant to commit themselves to the invasion plan; mindful of the painful losses during the [[Battle of the Somme]], they preferred to avoid a direct assault on a powerful enemy. [[Winston Churchill]] preferred a strategy of attacking German forces in the Mediterranean instead (which he referred to as the "soft underbelly"), while other British military leaders hoped to defer an invasion until the Germans had been worn down by fighting on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Russian front]].<ref name="morison">[[Samuel Eliot Morison]], ''The Invasion of France and Germany'', ISBN 0-316-58311-1, pp 7-17</ref> Churchill's plan would allow relatively inexperienced American forces to gain experience in a less risky theatre while gradually building up overwhelming force before engaging Germany head on.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Husen|first1=editor, David T. Zabecki ; assistant editors, Carl O. Schuster, Paul J. Rose, William H. Van|title=World War II in Europe : an encyclopedia|date=1999|publisher=Garland Pub.|isbn=9780824070298|page=1270|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gYDN-UfehEEC&pg=PA1270&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiNp_GU4vXLAhUBWxQKHd9CDkQQ6AEIPTAG#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Mackenzie|first1=S.P.|title=The Second World War in Europe: Second Edition|date=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=1317864719|page=54-55|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GsUFBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA55&&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwicw4jk4PXLAhVBlhQKHepMDJUQ6AEINzAF#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref>
 
Given shortagesShortages of merchant shipping, [[landing craft]], and other resources, caused the plan for Roundup planto wasbe considered as unrealistic;. itIt called for a force consisting of 48 Allied [[division (military)|divisions]] and 5,800 aircraft, with a landing on broad beachheads[[beachhead]]s between the French ports of [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] and [[Le Havre]].{{Efn|By comparison, the eventual Normandy landings, which occurred over a year later in June 1944, and the subsequent campaign, featured only 39 Allied divisions.|name=|group=nb}}<ref name="morison">[[Samuel Eliot Morison]], ''The Invasion of France and Germany'', {{ISBN|0-316-58311-1}}, pp 7-17</ref> BySenior comparisonBritish commanders and politicians were reluctant to commit themselves to the invasion plan; mindful of the painful losses during the First World War's [[Battle of the Somme]] (where, on the eventual[[first day on the Somme|first day of the battle]], the British Army had suffered almost 60,000 casualties) and [[NormandyBattle landingsof Passchendaele]].<ref>{{Cite wellweb over|title=Why aD-Day yearWas laterSo featuredImportant onlyto 39Allied divisionsVictory |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/why-d-day-was-so-important-to-allied-victory|access-date=2020-11-28 |website=Imperial War Museums |language=en}}</ref>
 
[[Winston Churchill]], the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, preferred a strategy of attacking the [[Wehrmacht]], the German forces, in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] instead (which he referred to as the "soft underbelly").<ref name="morison" /> Churchill's plan would allow relatively-inexperienced American forces to gain experience in a less risky [[theater (warfare)|theatre of war]] while they gradually built up to be overwhelming before they engaged Germany head on.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Husen|first1=editor, David T. Zabecki; assistant editors, Carl O. Schuster, Paul J. Rose, William H. Van|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gYDN-UfehEEC&pg=PA1270|title=World War II in Europe : an encyclopedia|date=1999|publisher=Garland Pub.|isbn=9780824070298|page=1270}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Mackenzie|first1=S.P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GsUFBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA55|title=The Second World War in Europe: Second Edition|date=2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1317864714|pages=54–55}}</ref>
After Churchill pressed for a landing in French North Africa in 1942, U.S. Army Chief of Staff General [[George Marshall]] suggested instead to President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] that the U.S. abandon the [[Europe first|Germany-first]] strategy and take the offensive in the Pacific. Roosevelt "disapproved" the proposal saying it would do nothing to help Russia.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ward|first1=Geoffrey C.|last2=Burns|first2=Ken|title=The Roosevelts: An Intimate History|date=2014|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=0385353065|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=V73CAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=SA6-PA69-IA6#v=onepage&q&f=false|chapter=The Common Cause: 1939-1944}}</ref> Instead, with Roosevelt's support and Marshall unable to persuade the British to change their minds, at the [[Second Claridge Conference]] in late July 1942 the decision was made to carry out [[Operation Torch]], the invasion of French North Africa.<ref>{{cite book|title=Routledge Handbook of US Military and Diplomatic History|date=2013|publisher=Taylor and Francis|location=Hoboken|isbn=9781135071028|page=135|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VRiYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA135&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip0Jbc4vXLAhXIuBoKHXC4DYgQ6AEIQzAH#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> Most of the troops and supplies accumulated for Roundup were used to implement Torch and preparations for Roundup were given lower priority due to the uncertainties of Allied strategy.<ref name = "este"/> The British were as reluctant to fully abandon Roundup as they had been to support it but in November 1942 Eisenhower told Churchill that no major operation on the Continent could be carried out before 1944.<ref name="morison"/>▼
 
▲After Churchill pressed for a landing in [[French North Africa]] in 1942, [[General (United States)|General]] [[George Marshall]], the [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|U.S. Army Chief of Staff General [[George Marshall]], suggested instead to U.S. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] thatfor the U.S.United States to abandon the [[Europe first|Germany-first]] strategy]] and take the offensive in the [[Pacific War]]. Roosevelt "disapproved" the proposal, saying it would do nothing to help Russiathe [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ward|first1=Geoffrey C.|last2chapter-url=Burns|first2https://books.google.com/books?id=KenV73CAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA402|title=The Roosevelts: An Intimate History|last2=Burns|first2=Ken|date=2014|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=0385353065978-0385353069|urlpages=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=V73CAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=SA6-PA69-IA6#v=onepage&q&f=false402|chapter=The Common Cause: 1939-1944}}</ref> Instead, with Roosevelt's support and Marshall unable to persuade the British to change their minds, the decision was made at the [[Second Claridge Conference]] in late July 1942 the decision was made to carry out [[Operation Torch]], the Allied invasion of French North Africa.<ref>{{cite book|title=Routledge Handbook of US Military and Diplomatic History|date=2013|publisher=Taylor and Francis|location=Hoboken|isbn=9781135071028|page=135|url=https://books.google.co.ukcom/books?id=VRiYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA135&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip0Jbc4vXLAhXIuBoKHXC4DYgQ6AEIQzAH#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> MostThat ofwas thea troopscompromise andby suppliesallowing accumulatedthe for Roundup were usedU.S. to implementengage Torchin andthe preparationsfight foragainst RoundupNazi wereGermany givenon lowera prioritylimited duescale and to meet the uncertaintiesBritish objective of Alliedsecuring strategyvictory in North Africa.<ref>{{Cite namebook|last=Willmott|first=H.P.|url=https://archive.org/details/june194400will|title=June, 1944|publisher=Blandford "este"Press|year=1984|isbn=0-7137-1446-8|location=Poole, Dorset}}</ref> Most Theof Britishthe weretroops asand reluctantsupplies toaccumulated fully abandonfor Roundup aswere they had beenused to supportimplement itTorch butwith inpreparations Novemberfor 1942Roundup Eisenhowergiven toldlower Churchillpriority thatbecause no major operation onof the Continentuncertainties couldof beAllied carried out before 1944strategy.<ref name="morisoneste" />
Briefings concerning this plan brought Eisenhower’s organizational and diplomatic skills to the attention of senior civil and military leaders in the United States and Europe, launching his meteoric rise to Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. ▼
 
▲In November 1942, Eisenhower, now a [[lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]], told Churchill that no major operation on the Continent could be carried out before 1944.<ref name="morison" /> Briefings concerning thisthe plan brought Eisenhower’s organizational and diplomatic skills to the attention of senior civil and military leaders in the United States and Europe, launching his meteoric rise to [[Supreme Allied Commander,]] in Europe.
Operation Roundup included [[Operation Sledgehammer]] and the later variant [[Operation Roundhammer]]. Lieutenant-General [[Frederick E. Morgan]] incorporated aspects of the plan into the earliest version of the plan that became [[Operation Overlord]].▼
 
▲Operation Roundup included [[Operation Sledgehammer]] and the later variant, [[Operation Roundhammer]]. British [[Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] [[Frederick E. Morgan]] incorporated aspects of the plan into the earliest version of the plan that became [[Operation Overlord]].
==Notes==▼
 
== See also ==
* [[Diplomatic history of World War II]]
* [[List of Allied World War II conferences]]
* [[Operation Bolero]]
 
▲== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
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