ST-LO
(7 July - 19 July 1944)
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
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 |
10 |
|
11 |
|
14 |
|
18 |
|
24 |
|
28 |
|
32 |
|
44 |
|
55 |
|
59 |
|
60 |
|
68 |
|
74 |
|
78 |
|
82 |
|
85 |
|
88 |
|
94 |
|
98 |
|
103 |
|
106 |
|
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