ST-LO
(7 July - 19 July 1944)

Cover: St-Lo

American Forces in Action Series
Historical Division
War Department

Facsimile Reprint, 1984, 1994
CMH Pub 100-13
Center of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.


WAR DEPARTMENT
Historical Division
Washington 25, D.C.
21 August 1946

Twelfth in the series of studies on particular combat operations, St-Lo is the story of a corps in the First Army during the bitter July battle that led up to and made possible the great breakthrough from the Normandy beachheads. This was the period of the most intense hedgerow fighting. XIX Corps' part in it has been chosen to illustrate this type of combat. The record of other First Army units in this operation have been covered only in outline.

This study is based upon a first narrative by 2d Lt. David Garth, prepared in the field from military records and from notes and interviews recorded during the operation by members of the 2d Information and Historical Service Detachment. The manuscript of this historical officer has been edited and partially rewritten with the help of additional documentation by Col. Charles H. Taylor of the Historical Division, War Department Special Staff. As it is true of all combat actions, available information is uneven in coverage, and field records are not free of minor errors. The results of this will be apparent to men who participated in the action. In order that the more definitive history of this operation may be as complete and correct as possible, readers are urged to send all comments, criticisms, and additional data to the Historical Division, War Department, Washington 25, D.C


Contents

FOREWORD  
THE JULY OFFENSIVE 1
First Army's Problem 1
XIX Corps' Problem 5
The Enemy Side 7
XIX CORPS ATTACKS WEST OF THE VIRE (7-11 July) 9
The Opening Assault (7 July) 9
The 113th Cavalry Group Enters the Bridgehead (7-8 July) 19
Coordination Troubles (8 July) 20
More Coordination Troubles (9 July) 25
Effort Toward Hauts-Vents (10 July) 35
The Counterattack of Panzer Lehr (11 July) 37
Hauts-Vents is Taken (11 July) 42
Action West of the Taute (7-11 July) 46
OPENING ATTACK ON ST-LO (11 July) 51
The 29th Division Starts Well 54
The 2d Division Takes Hill 192 58
The 35th Division Enters the Fight 69
II Parachute Corps, 11 July 70
XIX CORPS HAS SLOW GOING (12-14 July) 72
Limited Gains East of St-Lo (29th Division) 75
Stalemate North of St-Lo (35th Division) 80
The Salient West of the Vire (30th Division) 86
First Army Progress, 11-14 July 91
LAST PHASE OF THE BATTLE (15-20 July) 95
Progress West of the Vire (15-19 July) 95
East of the Vire: the Attack of 15 July 102
The Battle on Martinville Ridge (16-17 July) 107
Capture of St-Lo (18-l9 July) 115
CONCLUSION 125
ABBREVIATIONS 128

Maps

1 Plan of Attack, 30th Division, 7 July 1944

10

2 Vire Crossing, 117th Inf, Positions at noon, 7 July 1944

11

3 The First Day's Bridgehead, Night positions, 7 July 1944

14

4 The Bridgehead, 8 July, Positions at the end of the day

18

5 Attack of 9 July, 30th Division

24

6 German Counterattack, Afternoon of 9 July 1944

28

7 Panzer Lehr Counterattack, 10-11 July 1944

32

8 Capture of Hauts-Vents, 11 July 1944

44

9 29th Division Attack, 11 July 1944

55

10 The Attack on Hill 192, 2d Division, 11 July 1944

59

11 23d Infantry at Hill 192, 11 July 1944

60

12 35th Division Attack, 11 July 1944

68

13 29th Division, 12 July 1944

74

14 29th Division, 13 July 1944

78

15 35th Division, 12-14 July

82

16 German Positions on la Mare-le Carillon N

85

17 West of the Vire, 12-14 July 1944

88

18 West of the Vire, 30th Division, 15-16 July 1944

94

19 Final Gains, 30th Division, 17-19 July 1944

98

20 Battle East of St-Lô, 15-16 July 1944

103

21 35th Division, 15-18 July

106

22 Fall of St-Lô, 17-18 July 1944

111

Maps I-VII are in attached envelope
I Normandy Front, 2 July 1944
II First Army Zone, 2 July 1944
III XIX Corps Zone, 6 July 1944
IV First Army Zone, 3-11 July 1944
V XIX Corps, 11-14 July
VI XIX Corps, 15-20 July
VII First Army Zone, 11-20 July

page updated 4 October 2002


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