There are already countless documentaries about what happened on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
When we set out to help tell the story of D-Day for the U.S. Army and Army University Press, we wanted to explore a different question:
How do you plan the impossible?
D-Day: Planning the Impossible looks beyond the events of June 6 to examine the years of planning, intelligence, logistics, coordination, and difficult decisions that made the Normandy invasion possible.
Before the First Soldier Hit the Beach
Operation Overlord was one of the largest and most complicated military operations in history.
Long before Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, planners were studying the European coastline, analyzing tides and weather, evaluating German defenses along the Atlantic Wall, gathering intelligence, and determining where an invasion force could realistically establish a foothold.
At the same time, an enormous logistical operation was taking place in the United Kingdom.
More than a million soldiers had to be transported, housed, equipped, supplied, and fed. Vehicles, ammunition, fuel, equipment, and countless tons of supplies had to be positioned for an invasion whose final details continued to evolve almost until D-Day itself.
The film follows the planning process from COSSAC to SHAEF and examines how Allied leadership transformed an extraordinarily ambitious idea into an executable military operation.
Connecting WWII History to Today’s Army
D-Day: Planning the Impossible wasn’t created simply to recount history.
Produced in collaboration with the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), the documentary uses the planning of D-Day to explore concepts that remain relevant to military planners today.
Throughout the film, the historical events are connected with Army doctrine, including the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), and Sustainment Preparation of the Operational Environment.
That’s one of the things we enjoy about creating this type of documentary. History becomes more than a sequence of dates and events. It becomes a way to examine decisions, successes, failures, and lessons that still have relevance decades later.
Creating the Film
D-Day: Planning the Impossible was produced by 29 Pixel Studios as part of our ongoing work supporting Army University Press.
Our work with Army University Press began through a contract awarded in the summer of 2018. Since then, the underlying IDIQ has been held by multiple prime contractors, including nFocus, BMA, and Loch Harbour Group.
Over the years, our team has helped create more than 50 films for the U.S. Army, covering military history, leadership, doctrine, logistics, and the experiences of the people behind some extraordinary moments in history.
D-Day: Planning the Impossible is one of those films.
The thumbnail and movie poster artwork for the documentary were created by Dale Cordes.
Making the Film Available Again
The documentary was originally released by Army University Press and was available through AUP’s official YouTube channel.
Following changes to the Army’s official social media presence associated with Army Directive 2026-17, the film was removed from the Army University Press YouTube channel. The official release remains preserved and publicly available through the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), where the film is designated PUBLIC DOMAIN.
DVIDS serves an important role as the Department of Defense’s media archive, but it doesn’t offer quite the same viewing and discovery experience as YouTube.
So we’re bringing this film—and hopefully many more from our archive—back to YouTube.
Watch D-Day: Planning the Impossible
If you’re interested in D-Day, Operation Overlord, World War II history, military planning, Army doctrine, or documentary filmmaking, we hope you’ll take some time to watch the film.
Watch D-Day: Planning the Impossible on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TkeSDPfPVNg
View the official DVIDS release:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/899665/d-day-planning-impossible
This is just one of the many films 29 Pixel Studios has had the privilege of helping create for the U.S. Army, and we’re looking forward to making more of that work easily accessible again.
29 Pixel Studios is an independent creative production company. This website and the 29 Pixel Studios YouTube channel are not official U.S. Army properties.
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.