United States Army in World War II: European Theater of Operations
Breakout and Pursuit
by Martin Blumenson
Center of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.
1961
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
The Author
Part 1: In the Wake of the Invasion
Mission—Forces—Terrain—Tactics
The Machinery of War—The Changing Strategy—Tactical Dispositions
American—German
Part 2: The Battle of the Hedgerows
Chapter 4: The Offensive Launched
The Preparations—The Defenses—Poterie Ridge—Mont Castre—Montgardon Ridge
Chapter 5: The Offensive Broadened
The Carentan–Périers Isthmus—The Vire and Taute Bridgehead
Chapter 6: The Attempt to Exploit
Chapter 7: The Offensive Continued
The Battle for Caen—Toward Lessay—Toward Périers—Counterattack—Toward the Périers–St. Lo Road
Chapter 8: The Battle for St. Lô
The Objective—Hill 192—Down the Martinville Ridge—Hill 122—“Come Hell or High Water”—A Legend is Born
The American Point of View—The German Point of View
Part 3: Breakthrough
Chapter 10: The Breakthrough Idea
In Search of a Panacea—In Search of a Breakthrough: GOODWOOD
Chapter 11: COBRA Preparations
Preliminary Operations—The Troops—The Plot Against Hitler—The Breakthrough Plan
The Opposition—Bombardment—Effect on the Enemy—Ground Attack
German Reaction—Penetration—Commitment of Armor—Limited Exploitation
Chapter 14: The Breakthrough Developed
The Second Thrust Toward Coutances—The Pressure Force—COBRA Completed
Chapter 15: Exploiting the Breach
The COBRA Diversion—The Post-COBRA Plan—East of the Vire River—A Clash of Spearheads
Chapter 16: Breakthrough Becomes Breakout
The Outflanking Force—The Breakout to Avranches
Chapter 17: The “Incalculable” Results
The Riesensaurerei—The Explanation—The Allied Outlook
Part 4: Breakout Into Brittany
Chapter 18: Plans, Personalities, and Problems
German Plans—A New Army—Personalities and Concepts—Problems
Chapter 19: Rennes, Lorient, and Nantes
Chapter 21: St. Malo and the North Shore
The Decision at St. Malo—Sweeping the North Shore—“To the Last Stone”—The Reduction of Dinard—Siege Operations—The Citadel—Cèzembre
Part 5: Breakout to the East
The German Decision—Commitment of a Corps—OVERLORD Modified—“Don’t Be Surprised”
Chapter 23: Opportunities and Intentions
The American Task—The German Task—The Drive to Mortain—The Battle for Vire—Montgomery’s Intentions
Chapter 24: The Mortain Counterattack
German Intentions—The Attack—The American Reactions
Part 6: Encirclement and the Drive to the Seine
Envelopment from the North—The German Dilemma—The Battle at Mortain—Concepts of Encirclement—Envelopment from the South
Chapter 26: The Argentan–Falaise Pocket
Bradley’s Decision—The Canadians at Falaise—The German Decision to Withdraw—The German Decision to Withdraw—The Allied Decision to Close the Pocket
Chapter 27: Closing the Pocket
The Beginning of the End—Enter Model, Exit Kluge—The Pocket Closed—The German Breakout—Escape—The Results
Chapter 28: The Drive to the Seine
South to the Loire—The Drive to the East—To the Seine and Across—The Second Encirclement Attempt—Through the Paris–Orléans Gap
Chapter 29: The Liberation of Paris
Allied Plans—German Hopes—French Aims—The Critical Days—The French Point of View—Eisenhower’s Decision—On to Paris—The Liberation—The Aftermath
Part 7: Pursuit
Chapter 30: The Battle for Brest
The Post-OVERLORD Decision—The Problems at Brest—The Fight for Brest—The Best Laid Plans
Chapter 31: The Drive Beyond the Seine
The Framework of the Pursuit—Patton’s Advance to the Meuse—The Main Effort
Chapter 32: Toward the Heart of Germany
The Mons Pocket—Broad Front versus Narrow—The Nature of the Pursuit—To the West Wall—The End of the Line
Appendices
Appendix A: Table of Equivalent Ranks
Appendix B: Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross
I. Normandy Front, 2 July 1944
II. First Army Front West of the Vire River, 8–15 July 1944
III. The Battle of St Lo, 11–18 July 1944
IV. German Troop Disposition, Night 24–25 July 1944
V. Breakthrough, 25–27 July 1944
VI. Enlarging the Breach, 28–29 July 1944
VII. Exploitation, 30–31 July 1944
VIII. Breakout into Brittany, 1–12 August 1944
IX. Regrouping of German Forces, 1–6 August 1944
X. German Counterattack at Mortain, 7 August 1944
XI. Closing the Argentan–Falaise Pocket, 17–19 August 1944
XII. Drive to the Seine, 16–25 August 1944
XIII. Liberation of Paris, 23–25 August 1944
XIV. Battle for Brest, 25 August–18 September 1944
XV. Pursuit to the German Border, 26 August–10 September 1944
Inline Maps
1. The Bocage Country
2. Order of Battle OB WEST, 2 July 1944
3. Attack of VIII Corps, 3–7 July 1944
4. Attack of VIII Corps, 4–7 July 1944
5. Attack of XIX Corps West of the Vire River, 7–10 July 1944
6. Battle for Caen, 8–9 July 1944
7. Panzer Lehr Attack, 11 July 1944
8. Attack on Hill 192, 11 July 1944
9. Attack of Second British Army, 18–21 July 1944
10. Operation COBRA, VII Corps Plan, 20 July 1944
11. Reduction of St. Malo, 4–17 August 1944
12. XV Corps, 208 August 1944
13. First U.S. Army, 1–6 August 1944
14. 12th Army Group Plan, 8 August 1944
15. Normandy Front, 7–11 August 1944
16. XV Corps, 9–13 August, 1944
17. Argentan–Falaise Pocket, 12–16 August 1944
18. Into the City, 25 August
Illustrations
Typical Cotentin Terrain—General Dwight D. Eisenhower—General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery—Hedgerow Position in the Cotentin—Adolf Hitler—Generaloberst Alfred Jodl—Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel—Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt—Generaloberst Paul Hausser—Generalfeldmarschall Guenther von Kluge—La Haye-du-Puits—Maj. Gen. Charles H. Corlett—Stone Bridge at Airel—German Bicycle Brigade—Congestion at Airel Bridge—British Troops in Caen—Shelled Church in Sainteny—German Panther Tanks—St. Lô—Martinville Ridge—Sunken Road Near Carillon—German Hedgerow Position—After Securing Hill 122—Infantrymen in St. Lô—Ruins of St. Lô—Symbol of St. Lô—Lt. Gen. Miles C. Dempsey—Advancing Toward St. Germain—Rhino Tank with Hedgerow Cutter—Advancing Toward Périers–St. Lô Road—155-mm Howitzer—Waiting for the COBRA Bombardment—After the COBRA Bombardment—9th Division Troops After COBRA Bombardment—Troops Rolling Through Canisy—Engineers Clearing Mines in Lessay.—Wrecked German Armor Near Roncey—Tessy-sur-Vire—Knocked-out American Tanks—Abandoned German Equipment—Destroyed Enemy Vehicles in Avranches—General Bradley with Lt. Gens. Courtney H. Hodges and George S. Patton, Jr.—Pontaubault Bridge—Beach at Dinard—Artillerymen Firing 3-inch Gun—Street Fighting in St. Malo—The Citadel, St. Malo—Interior of the Citadel—Bombing of Ile de Cèzembre—St. Malo Prisoners—Maj. Gen. Wade H. Haislip—Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy—Troops Advancing from Juvigny—Clearing Operations in Vire—Artillery Observation Post—North of Mortain—Scurrying Along Hedgerow—Antiaircraft Position Near St. Hilaire—Through the Rubble of Mortain—Wrecked German Armor, Sourdeval Area—Mamers—Signal Corps Troops in Domfront—Le Bourg-St. Léonard—Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model—General der Fallschirmtruppen Eugen Meindl—A Polish Soldier—Truckloads of Prisoners—The Pocket Deserted—11th Infantrymen—Maj. Gens. Walton H. Walker and Lindsay McD. Silvester—Armored Bivouac Area—German Removing Booby trap—Ferrying Jeeps Across the Seine—Advancing Under Fire Toward Fontainebleau—Allied Airlift, Paris—Maj. Gen. Jacques Philippe Leclerc—French Soldiers Attack Toward Châteaufort—In the Rue de Rivoli—General von Choltitz and High-Ranking German Prisoners—General Charles de Gaulle—French Resistance Fighters—Parisian’s Welcome to General de Gaulle—Supplies for Brest—Ancient Wall and Moat, Brest—Maj. Gen. Troy H. Middleton—2nd Division Troops Near Brest—Gun Crew Firing—Troops Fighting in Brest—Remains of Fort Keranroux—Fort Montbarey—Generalmajor Hans von der Mosel—Generalleutnant Herman B. Ramcke—Drydock Destruction at Brest—Demolished Bridge at Châlons-sur-Marne—Liberated—Dragon’s Teeth, the Siegfried Line—Illustrations are from the Department of Defense files.