 The Americans , assigned to land at Utah and Omaha , were to cut off the <unk> Peninsula and capture the port facilities at Cherbourg . The British at Sword and Gold , and the Canadians at Juno , were to capture Caen and form a front line from <unk> @-@ l <unk> to the south @-@ east of Caen to protect the American flank , while establishing airfields near Caen . Possession of Caen and its surroundings would provide a suitable staging area for a push south to capture the town of <unk> . A secure <unk> would be established and an attempt made to hold all territory north of the <unk> @-@ <unk> line during the first three weeks . The Allied armies would then swing left to advance towards the River Seine . Montgomery envisaged a ninety @-@ day battle , ending when all the forces reached the Seine . 
