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slowly by hand. Our own artillery was asked for fires, including white phosphorus, along the enemy ridge, but had little success in reducing the German fire. Colonel Reed requested pennission of General Gerhardt to use his 1st Battalion in attack south, toward Hill 101, hoping to protect the flank of his main attack. This request was denied since Corps was unwilling to have this last reserve committed. General Cota went down in the morning to help out, and reported back that, among other difficulties, "all of the I75th's communications just got shot to hell." He got permission from General Gerhardt to commit the 2d Battalion, n6th in an effort along the Martinville Ridge, hoping this would relieve enemy pressure on the I75th. But this attack was stiffiy opposed and made only minor gains. Finally, late in the day, the 2d Battalion of the I75th attempted to swing south on the left of the 3d, widening the front of attack. This netted only 100 yards, and brought the day to a close. That night, since XIX Corps proposed to halt the attack for a day, dispositions were made to regroup. The I75th Infantry took over the whole zone along the highway ridge, relieving the 3d and 1st Battalions of the n6th. The 1st Battalion, II6th Infantry, holding positions north of the highway ahreast of the proposed LD for the '75th's attack, had suffered throughout tlle day from mortar and artillery fire. When the relief took place, the area was under such fire that the movement had to he accomplished hy sending in four or five soldiers at a time. Under cover of darkness the 1st Battalion moved up on the Martinville Ridge to take that position over from the 2d Battalion. The 2d was withdrawn for a hrief rest to an assembly area near St-Andre-de-I'Epine. Here, on 14 July, it received 125 replacements which raised it to 60 percent strength. The fighting on the division right during 13-14 July found the II5th Infantry attacking southwest from Ia Luzerne; its objective was the southern edge of the hills, along the St-Li'r-Isigny road, less than two miles nortlleast of St-La. The 3d Battalion, making the main effort, was stopped after 79 a slight advance by enemy resistance centered in an orchard east of the highway. Automatic weapons, entrenched among crooked apple trees and hidden by matted foliage which hung to within three feet of the ground, held up the attack until the 1st Battalion was committed on the west of the road and advanced to a point even with the orchard. Only late in the day was the orchard strongpoint finally cleared. By Field Order 6 on 13 July, XIX Corps had directed a change in divisional zones which would shorten the front of the 29th Division. Preparations to relieve the n5th Infantry in part of its sector were made on the night of 13 July by the 35th Division. The I34th Infantry, released from corps reserve, was moved into the left of the 35th Division front. The new houndary extended the 35th Division line to the St-Li'r-Isigny highway. By 1000 on 14 July, the. 1st and 2d Battalions, II5th Infantry had been relieved and moved east of the highway to the vicinity of Ia Fossardiere. The 3d Battalion held its position near the highway, in contact with the enemy below Ia Luzerne. On 14 July, neither American nor German forces attempted large-scale action along the 29th Division's front. So bad was the weather, according to the Germans, that "it was possible to relieve units during daylight." The enemy confined his operations to the improvement of defensive positions, while the 29th Division readied itself for a part in General Corlett's "Sunday punch," a powerful and coordinated corps attack ordered for 15 July. Sevellth Army recorded defemive St
On 13 July the claim was made that all U. S. attacks in the II Parachute Corps sector were "successfully repulsed," four tanks being claimed as destroyed in the battle. But even though U. S. losses were considered high, "our own were also high." II Battalion of the 8th Parachute Regimmt relieved I Battalion of the 9th, al1d was so low on amm,mition that it had to borrow from the tmits relieved. The slackening of the battle on 14 July was interpreted as weakness ill the American effort, resulting from heavy losses in the earlier fighting. The losses of II Parachute Corps through 13 July were now ill, and Sevel1th Army listed them as part of the evidence of growillg strain on its resources. The 3d Parachute Divisioll, i,l three days fightillg, had lost 4,064 mell; the combat groups makil1g up the 352d Divisioll Ilad suffered 986 casualties ill two days. Stalemate North of St-L6 (35th Division) On 12 July the I37th Infantry resumed its attack on the stubborn enemy pocket near St-Gilles. (See Map 15.) The forward German strongpoint, around the church, was still the job of the 1st Battalion. After a terrific artillery preparation, lasting 45 minutes and ending with a rolling barrage, the 1st Battalion drove through the church and the surrounding houses. Only three enemy prisoners were taken. The 3d Battalion, bypassing the church strongpoint and leaving it for the 1st to mop up, was aided by the end of resistance on that flank, but found plenty of opposition farther south and made small progress. The 2d Battalion fought most of 12 July around another enemy resistance center, a group of stone houses at la Petite Ferme, COMMUNICA TlONS PROBLEMS had to be solved quickly in order to keep advance going. Here, east 0/ St·Lo on 13 July, engineers are working on a farm lane, and wiremen are stringing a telephone line.
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ST-LO (7 July -19 July 1944) Americ
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WAR DEPARTMENT Historical Division
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THE JULY OFFENSIVE ST-LO, capital o
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eluded the Viro River and aimed at
Page 15:
Near! y 15 miles wide at the start,
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XIX CORPS ATTACKS WEST OF THE VIRE
Page 20 and 21:
units and to close quickly with the
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 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
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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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