'Anvil' (ii) was the Allied first plan for the invasion of southern France as the Mediterranean counterpart of the northern effort against Normandy in one of its earlier iterations as 'Hammer' before becoming 'Overlord' (1943/27 July 1944).

The proposed invasion’s primary objective was to free the ports of Marseille and Toulon and so make possible another Allied (US and Free French) advance against the German forces in western Europe, in this instance up the Rhône river and into southern Germany.

On 27 July 1944 the codename for the assault on the south coast of France was changed to 'Dragoon', which was launched on 15 August.