Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force

Not to be confused with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).

Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF)
SHAEF Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Active	1943–1945
Disbanded	14 July 1945
Country	United States United Kingdom Canada Free France Poland Norway Australia New Zealand Netherlands Belgium
Allegiance	Allies
Type	Combined Headquarters
Role	Theater of Operations
Part of	Combined Chiefs of Staff
Nickname(s)	SHAEF
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Supreme Commander	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ceremonial chief	Arthur Tedder

Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF; /ˈʃeɪf/ SHAYF), 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 (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Commander Allied Forces), and Major General Ray Barker. Morgan, who had been appointed chief of staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (designate) 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 (21 AG) on the eastern wing of the Normandy bridgehead and the American 12th Army Group (12 AG) 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 (6 AG) 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 (AFHQ) 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 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

SHAEF commanders at a conference in London Left to right: Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Sir Bernard Montgomery, Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory and Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith

• 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 (21st Army Group)
  • Lieutenant General Omar N. Bradley (12th Army Group)
  • Lieutenant General Jacob L. Devers (6th Army Group)
• 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). USFET was reorganized as EUCOM (US Forces, European Command) on 15 March 1947.

References

• Winters, Major Dick, with Cole C. Kingseed (2006). 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