Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, was the
headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late
1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in
command of SHAEF throughout its existence. The position itself shares a
common lineage with Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Atlantic, but they
are different titles. History during the Second World War
Eisenhower transferred from command of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations
to command SHAEF, which was formed in Camp Griffiss, Bushy Park, Teddington,
London, from December 1943; an adjacent street named Shaef Way remains to this
day. Its staff took the outline plan for Operation Overlord created by Lieutenant
General Sir Frederick E. Morgan, COSSAC, and Major General Ray Barker. Morgan,
who had been appointed chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander in
mid-March 1943 began planning for the invasion of Europe before Eisenhower's
appointment. and moulded it into the final version, which was executed on 6
June 1944. That process was shaped by Eisenhower and the land forces commander
for the initial part of the invasion, General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery.
SHAEF remained in the United Kingdom until sufficient forces were ashore to
justify its transfer to France. At that point, Montgomery ceased to command all
land forces but continued as Commander in Chief of the British 21st Army Group
on the eastern wing of the Normandy bridgehead. The American 12th Army Group
commanded by Lieutenant General Omar Bradley was created as the western wing
of the bridgehead. As the breakout from Normandy took place, the Allies launched
the invasion of southern France on 15 August 1944 with the American 6th Army
Group under the command of Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers. During the
invasion of southern France, the 6 AG was under the command of the Allied
Forces Headquarters of the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, but after one
month command passed to SHAEF. By this time the three Army Groups had taken up
the positions on the Western Front in which they would remain until the end of
the war—the British 21 AG to the North, the American 12 AG in the middle and the
6 AG to the South. By December 1944, SHAEF had established itself in the
Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles, France. On February it moves to Rheims
and 26 April 1945 SHAEF moved to Frankfurt.
Order of Battle SHAEF commanded the largest number of
formations ever committed to one operation on the Western Front, with
American, French army of liberation, British and Canadian Army forces. It had
three Army Groups under its command, which controlled a total of eight field
armies; First Allied Airborne Army
British 21st Army Group First Canadian Army
Second British Army American 12th Army Group
First United States Army Third United States Army
Ninth United States Army Fifteenth United States Army
American 6th Army Group French First Army
Seventh United States Army SHAEF also controlled substantial naval
forces during Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Overlord, and two
tactical air forces: the US Ninth Air Force and the RAF Second Tactical Air
Force. Allied strategic bomber forces in the UK also came under its command
during Operation Neptune. Commanders
Supreme Allied Commander: General Dwight David Eisenhower
Deputy Supreme Allied Commander: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder
Ground Forces Commanders: Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers
Air Forces Commander: Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Naval Forces Commander: Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay.
After World War II After the surrender of Germany, SHAEF
was dissolved on 14 July 1945 and, with respect to the US forces, was replaced
by US Forces, European Theater. USFET was reorganized as EUCOM on 15 March
1947. References
Winters, Major Dick, with Cole C. Kingseed. Beyond Band of Brothers: The
War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters. Berkley Hardcover. ISBN
978-0-425-20813-7., page 210. External links
Records of Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, Dwight D.
Eisenhower Presidential Library Daily Battle Communiques, SHAEF, June 6,
1944 – May 7, 1945 United States Army in World War II
European Theater of Operations The Supreme Command By Forrest C. Pogue.
Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, Washington, D.
C., 1954. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 53-61717
BBC WW2 People's War article on Uxbridge SHAEF and London Bushey
Directive to Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force Dwight D. Eisenhower
at his nomination Original Document; Order of the day
Papers of Ernest R. "Tex" Lee, military aide to General Eisenhower, 1942–1945,
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
Papers of Thor Smith, Public Relations Division, SHAEF, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Presidential Library