THE CAPTURE OF SAINT-LÔ

Two weeks after the landings in Normandy the Americans had a secure bridgehead. The attack on Cherbourg was in progress. But the outbreak to the south encountered heavy opposition from the Germans. Every house, village or town needed a hard fight. There was a roughly frontline to draw from Montebourg in the north, via Carentan, Isigny, Trevieres, Bayeux, the north of Caen and the east river bank of the Orne near Ranville.

Left, Trévières, June, 1944 and (right) the serene silence of the present.

It was not only the Germans that slowed the progress of the Allies, also the terrain was a struggle to come by. The 7th Army Corps was slowed down because of the swampy terrain's around Carentan, and the 19th Army Corps had to find a way around the hedges, the so called 'bocage'. If he wanted to have the greatest benefit of his tanks and other motorised units, General Bradley had to find a way to break out of this terrain.

The road Saint-Lô to Coutances seemed the best option. Saint-Lô was heavily defended. On 3 July the Allied 8th Army Corps made their first attack. But the bad weather and the German defence stopped the progress after 5 kilometres in three days! Meanwhile the 7th Army Corps headed on the 4th of July from Carentan to Périers. These troops did even worse, in three days they only managed 2 kilometres. The 19th Army Corps opened their attack on Saint-Lô on 7 July. These troops had as their first target the hills east of the town. Strong German units were unbreakable, especially in the north-east at 'Hill 192'. In the morning of 11 July, at 05.00 hours a barrage of fire from artillery opened up, an hour later the field cannons joint in.

After every barrage of four minutes the units moved 100 metres forward. In the hail of grenades and bombs the Germans had to stay put in their tunnels that were dug into 'Hill 192'. They had no change to return fire. Finally American engineers blew up the tunnels and covered the surviving Germans under one and a half metre of earth.

General Bradley planned to make a break to the south around July the 20th. But before he could make that move, he had to secure Saint-Lô. An operation code name was given on 13 July, 'Operation Cobra'. Saint-Lô was finally captured after fierce fighting on 18 July. The town was totally destroyed, but there is a new frontline. Roughly from Lessay, on the west coast, via Saint-Lô, to Caen. This became the starting line of the new operation. On 19 July Bradley leaves for England to discuss his plans. He wants a preliminary bombardment south of Périers to Saint-Lô, a rectangle area of 7 km width and 2½ deep. Bradley suggest light bombs to avoid unnecessary large bomb craters that could slow down his tanks. Further more, he wants the ground troops just 800 metres from the starting line, and demands therefore accurate dropping by the airforce. But the commanders of the airforces want to fly a route south/north to avoid the heavy flak and they like to see that the troops on the ground are at least 3000 metres behind the starting line, they fear otherwise for casualties on the American troops. This is way too far back in the opinion of Bradley. After an endless debate they agree to pull the troops 1450 metres back. A total of 2500 planes are to participate in the attack. They will drop 5000 tonnes of high explosive, phosphor and napalm bombs. Due to bad weather, the date for 'Operation Cobra' was postponed from 20 July to 24 July. Unfortunately, on that day, the bad weather obstructed a precision bombardment. They tried to call the bombers back, but only a part of the planes received the message. 300 bombers executed their mission. The outcome was disastrous. Bombs were scattered over a large area and even were dropped behind the starting line. They had hit the waiting American troops and killed at least 25 men and 131 wounded. Because the Germans were 'woken up' by this preliminary bombardment the American troops were stopped in their advance.

The next day, 25 July, 1500 heavy bombers and 550 fighter-bombers once again bombed the whole area. Once again were not only German troops hit, the local people suffered heavily and the Americans got again their share of the 3500 tonnes of their own bombs. Lieutenant General Lesley McNair, commander of the American ground force was killed during this bombardment. On 26 July the tanks moved forward to start the offensive on the ground. The 1st Infantry Division heads for Marigny. But the progress was slow due to the heavy defence put up by the Germans, the advance was stopped 1.5 km before they reach Marigny. It was a long way to Coutances. At the left flank the progress was somewhat smoother. Fighting Group-A advanced rather fast without to much resistance. In the afternoon the troops arrived in St-Gilles and head straight away for Canisy. But the advance to Coutances from Saint-Lô was a struggle. The hedges of the bocage slowed down the attacking troops terrible. These delays were a benefit to the German troops. Almost all of the German units of the 84th Army Corps, under the command of von Choltitz, retreated from the west through the thin line of southwards advancing Americans. But the retreat was sometimes chaotic, long columns were stuck in the small villages and on the small roads. In the town of Rocey such a German column was under fire for at least six hours by Allied planes. Over 100 tanks and 250 other vehicles were destroyed. German troops were on the run and pulled back to the south and east.

Finaly Coutances was liberated on 28 July. Now the town had fallen into American hands, the road to the south was open, and the troops headed for Avranches. On 29 July the American troops role into Avranches, it was lightly defended. A pleasant surprise because of it's strategic importance. Avranches was a junction of several roads. During the celebration of the victory the Americans found themselves in a nasty predicament. On the coastal road approached a German column, some vehicles wore a red cross. Convinced that this was a transport of wounded, the American let them pass. Suddenly the 'wounded' opened fire from there vehicles. The response of the Americans was quick, the Germans surrender when they saw the predicament they were in. When the Americans troops 'resolved' a few more of these 'encounters', Avranches was and stayed in firm hands.

But the Germans realised that the American frontline to the south, was extreme thin. Before the line is re-enforced they have to counter attack. Thanks to the action performed by Patton, the fall of the west-coast of Normandy was quick. Without hesitation Patton moved southwards with his tanks. Lower rank officers got their orders roughly and could make there own decisions, and were allowed to improvise. This was one of the reasons of the quick decent to the south. Every junction had a high officer that was directing the traffic. Pattons tanks swarmed into Brittany while the German bombers were kept at distance with anti-aircraft guns. In 72 hours seven division moved over the road from Avranches into Brittany. But Brittany became a target of less importance and later on, only one army corps stayed in that area.

Target Avranches seemed into reach for the Germans. But 'Hill 317' was in a firm grip by the Americans. The Allied troops were not sure of this attack was for real, and hesitated to accept reinforcements of 4th Armoured Division. But if Avranches would fall into German hands, the First and Third Army were threatened to be split. Fighter-bombers were sent in and destroyed at least forty of the seventy German tanks that had broken through. For the German troops, that were dug in around Mortain, it was a shock to learn that 600 British and Canadian tanks were on their way to Falaise. German tank units that were needed in the west and south had to stay in the northern sector. A bigger problem arose for the Germans units that were in an offensive action against Avranches. They were threatened to be encircled, so they had to retreat. On August 11th the counterattack on Avranches was cancelled.

from 11 August until the 12th, Hill 317 was under constant fire from the 2nd SS-Pantser Grenadiers Division. Fortunately for the defending Americans, there were two observers present from the 230th Field Artillery. These men gave accurate positions were the supporting artillery had to land their shells. Reconnaissance planes tried to bring supplies to the men on the hill, but German anti-aircraft guns prevailed this. Just one cargo plane reached the stricken men and dropped food and ammunition. But the shortage on bandages and medicines asked for a solution. The 230th Field Artillery tried to shoot bandages and morphine in empty smoke canisters over the German positions. The test was a success and other artillery units joint in. It not only helped the wounded, but was also a boost to the morale as well. When the stricken men on the hill were finally liberated by the 35th Division, there were 300 casualties, but thanks to the support from 'outside' another 300 men left 'Hill 317' to fight another day.

After the war the great rebuilding started so there is not much left that reminds us of the fierce fighting that took place around these parts of Normandy. Everywhere are monuments and memorials and on the route to Avranches you'll notice the well known markers beside the road (see the home-page with the 00-marker at UTAH Beach). Further more I like to point out a very nice museum, Musée de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. This museum is located just outside Avranches on the way to Mont-St-Michel. It is open from April until October, from 10 till 7 o'clock in the evening. The collection is very impressive, not only uniforms and model, but also weapons, a couple of motorbikes and two German 88mm flak cannons. There is also another intriguing item to be found here, the original bell that sounded the alarm during the morning of D-Day over Pointe-du-Hoc.