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units and to close quickly with the enemy. The movement began exactly as scheduled and it continued in that manner. Ineffective small-arms and machine-gun fire was encountered as the leading elements of the 2d Battalion went forward, Company E deploying to the right, Company F to the left, two squad columns abreast on each company front. The flanks of the two companies were covered by two light machine-gun sections as E and F moved steadily over the open fields and across the hedgerows, one squad leapfrogging or bypassing another tl,at might be rna- MAP NO. 2 II mentarily held up by enemy resistance. For the first thousand yards tl,e axis of advance was southwest. From the river onward, Division Artillery and the 92d Chemical Mortar Battalion started a rolling barrage which was maintained 300 yards in &ont of the infantry. This fire was delivered on a rinle schedule and lifted in lOa-yard jumps every five minutes. Difficulties in the coordination of artillery fire with infantry advances carne when it was found that hedgerow terrain prevented the troops &om keeping up with their artillery support. VIRE CROSSING, 117TH INF Positions at noon, 7 July 1944 Con/our ;,/ental 10 me/llrs o '000
Company G, crossing the river ten minutes after Company F, overtook the rear elements of the latter company. After crossing the river and clearing the bank, Company G pivoted sharply to the left and drove south against Pont de St-Fromond. Heavily equipped with riRe grenades and bazookas, Company G took that village and the important bridge crossing, after hard close-in fighting. It then pivoted again, this time to the west, advancing south of the highway and parallel to it so as to protect the battalion's left Hank. The best progress was being made on the 2d Battalion's right. Here, Company E reached the first phase line just north of the highway at 0800 and changed direction to drive west. This time was so good that Battalion demanded confirmation of E's report of reaching the phase line. Company F, trying to get across the highway before turning west, was slowed by stubborn pockets of enemy resistance. Shortly after breaking across the open fields and pushing into the hedgerows, one of the platoons of Company F crossed too far to the left; Capt. George H. Sibbald, following this platoon with a command group of 14 men, came over a hedgerow and ran into a group 12 of enemy that had been Hushed from the west by the 3d Platoon. A stiff fight followed with an estimated 25 or 30 of the enemy. It was ended by the arrival of the 3d Platoon. Otller elements of Company F ran into enemy machine-gun fire and were held up after getting across the highway. Colonel Fuller led four volunteers against tile machine gun, killing one German and capturing four. This enabled the company to get going once more, and it reached the first phase line at 0830. Now astride the highway leading west toward the 1I7th's initial objectives, the battalion resumed its advance, Company G echeloned to the left rear in support of that Rank. By now Company H bad also crossed the Vire and split into two platoons, one following up Company E on the right Rank, the other following Companv F on the left. During the infantry's odvance the 105th Engineer Combat Battalion was feverishly at work on a footbridge over the Vireo Enemy artillery damaged this footbridge twice before the infantry cou ld use it, but each time the engineers repaired it immediately, suffering 20 casualties in the COurse of the construction.
Page 2 and 3: ST-LO (7 July -19 July 1944) Americ
Page 5: WAR DEPARTMENT Historical Division
Page 10 and 11: THE JULY OFFENSIVE ST-LO, capital o
Page 12: eluded the Viro River and aimed at
Page 15: Near! y 15 miles wide at the start,
Page 18 and 19: XIX CORPS ATTACKS WEST OF THE VIRE
Page 22 and 23: ASSAULT CROSSING SITE on the Vire R
Page 26: ing into Normandy in mid-June, the
Page 34: 12th Paracl!t/te Regime1lt. Germall
Page 37 and 38: off, the 1St Battalion following at
Page 39: 3 0
Page 45: while the 3d Battalion was hit by a
Page 51 and 52: of the 3d Battalion were ambushed a
Page 53: 1(1 Oeser! MAPNO.8 @JORCn •
Page 57: yond the Mont-Castre hills, one of
Page 66: FIXING DHIOLITIONS to blow a gap th
Page 70 and 71:
corners, and spray the lateral hedg
Page 72:
attack with two battalions in colum
Page 76:
The 2d Platoon of Company A attempt
Page 80 and 81:
Army to give it the 14/h Parachute
Page 85:
Atter hard fighting, the 2d Battali
Page 89 and 90:
On 13 July the claim was made that
Page 91 and 92:
35TH DIVISION, 12-14 JULY "'" MAP N
Page 93:
pressed, they could retire easily t
Page 97:
from the high ground across both st
Page 100 and 101:
geant. In the 120th, the strength o
Page 102:
supply problem. But the main ports
Page 107:
mingled, and artillery fire was har
Page 110:
to enemy movement or maneuver, Gene
Page 115:
the battalion that night and return
Page 118 and 119:
penetration. General Gerhardt did n
Page 120:
manding the 3d Battalion, was given
Page 123 and 124:
the regiment was finally ordered to
Page 126 and 127:
further was launched. The attack wa
Page 128 and 129:
have the honor to announce to the C
Page 130:
The I13th Cavalry Group, in corps r
Page 133 and 134:
clinging to the idea of mailltamtll
Page 135 and 136:
CONCLUSION A GENERAL OFFICER WRITES
Page 137 and 138:
of them could be withdrawn from the
Page 140 and 141:
., Hay.-du.PuifS L8$$01 I X FIRST X
Page 142:
-1 ....... --- Gr(lll/".$ (11'1' 38
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