 It took the V and VII Corps nearly a week to secure the beachheads. German forces including the stalwart 000nd Division resisted stubbornly and mounted sharp local counterattacks which kept the Americans off balance. Elements of the 00th Division and the 00th Division began to push inland and to expand the beachhead toward UTAH. Opposed by the 000nd Division and elements of the 00st Airlanding Division and other non-divisional units the fighting revealed the inexperience of the American infantry formations and the uneven quality of their leadership. As the Americans tackled the Germans in the labyrinth of the Bocage country the defensive skill of the Germans cost many American lives and delayed the joining of the beachheads. On the 00th the link up was solid enough to enabling the Americans to conduct the follow up operations needed to expand the beachhead, secure Cherbourg and clear the Cotentin. A Panther tank of the Panzer Lehr Division in Normandy In some American divisions the hard fighting triggered a leadership crisis. The lack of success of the 00th Division led General "Lightening Joe" Collins of VII Corps relieve the division commander and two regimental commanders of command, a portent of things to come with other American units.[xliii] As the V and VII corps pushed into the "Bocage" they were followed by a massive build up of troops and equipment delivered to the beaches and to the artificial "Mulberry" harbors. Despite their numeric superiority, air supremacy and massive Naval gunfire support and facing the weakened 000nd, 00st and the 0thParachute Regiment and other less than quality formations, survivors of the static divisions, the Americans made painfully slow progress as they moved off the beachhead and into the Bocage.[xliv] The Capture of Cherbourg US Soldiers of the 00th Division surrender to German Fallschirmjaeger in Normandy Once the beachheads had been consolidated the Americans turned their attention toward Cherbourg. Cherbourg was the major naval port at the far northwest tip of the Cotentin. D-Day planners counted on its swift capture and rehabilitation to serve as a supply port for the Allied forces. The 0th Division drove south to the coast near Barneville on the 00th of June cutting off the German forces covering the approaches to Cherbourg.[xlv] This put the Germans in a bind as the 0th Army "had to split its forces in the peninsula in order to hold the fortress a little longer and thus to gain time for the establishment of the southern front on the Cotentin peninsula.[xlvi] The German forces arrayed before Cherbourg waged a desperate defense centered around the 000rd Infantry Division and other assorted battle groups of LXXXIV Corps, whose commander General Marcks one of the best German Generals was killed in action on 00 June.[xlvii] The U.S. VII Corps under Collins with the 0th, 0th and 00th Divisions pushed up the peninsula capturing Cherbourg on June 00th. Bradley pushed hard for the capture of the port as the Mulberries had been ravaged by a severe Channel storm the week prior. The port of Cherbourg was thoroughly demolished by German engineers and would not be fully operational for months. The loss of the Mulberries and delay in Cherbourg's availability meant that few supplies were landed on the beaches would "hinder the escape from the constricting land of the hedgerows into which the Americans had come in search of a port.[xlviii] The Battle of Caumont Gap Panzer IV Tank in Normandy V Corps under Gerow made a cautious advance by phase lines toward Caumont, St Lo and Carentan. The deliberate advance by the Corps toward a line weakly held by the Reconnaissance battalion of the 00th SS Panzer Grenadier Division was directed by Bradley who did not want to divert attention from the effort against Cherbourg. After capturing Caumont V Corps halted and continued aggressive patrolling to deceive the Germans while digging in.[xlix] The possibility existed that a strong push against the weak German line could have led to an opportunity to envelope the German line west of Caen. This was a missed opportunity that in part led to the bloody and controversial campaign to capture Caen.[l] British efforts around Caen German Panzer Ace Waffen SS Captain Michale Wittman single handedly destroyed a British Battalion at Villers Bocage in his Tiger Tank Montgomery had ambitious plans to break out of Normandy by capturing Caen on D-Day and driving toward Falaise and Argentan. The British plans for this were frustrated by the rapid reinforcement of the sector by the Germans and the activities of 00st Panzer, Panzer Lehr, and the 00th SS Panzer Divisions. A flanking maneuver at Villers-Bocage was frustrated by a few Tiger tanks led by the legendary Waffen SS Panzer commander Captain Michael Wittman whose tanks devastated a British Armored battalion.[li] Wreckage of a British Battalion at Villers Bocage A series of disastrous attacks toward Caen (EPSOM, CHARNWOOD and GOODWOOD) strongly supported by air strikes and Naval gunfire finally succeeded in taking that unfortunate city on July 00th but failed to take the heights beyond the town.[lii] British operations like Operation Epsom met setback after setback against dug in German forces outside of Caen Against crack well dug in German forces the British took heavy casualties in tanks and infantry seriously straining their ability to conduct high intensity combat operations in the future.[liii] The one benefit, which Montgomery would claim after the war as his original plan was that German forces were fixed before Caen and ground down so they could not be used against Bradley's breakout in the west at St Lo.[liv] Clearing the Bocage: The Battle of the Cotentin Plain US M-0 Light Tank in Normandy Other German forces arrived, and reinforced the Caumont gap which no longer "yawned invitingly in front of V Corps." [lv] Bradley wished to push forward rapidly to achieve a breakthrough in the American sector.[lvi] Facing the most difficult terrain in France amid the Bocage and swamps that limited avenues of approach to the American divisions committed to the offensive. The Americans now faced their old foe the 000nd division as well various elements of II Parachute Corps, the 00th SS Panzer Grenadier and Panzer Lehr Divisions. American tanks and infantry made slow progress and incurred high losses as they dueled the Germans at close range. In the VIII Corps sector alone the attack "consumed twelve days and 00,000 casualties to cross eleven kilometers of the Bocage...the achievements of the VII and XIX Corps were no better than comparable.[lvii] St. Lo US Tanks advancing with German prisoners moving back to US lines at St Lo St. Lo was a key to Bradley's breakout efforts. His Army had to capture it and the roads leading out of it to launch Operation COBRA along the coast. The task of capturing St. Lo was assigned to GEROW'S V Corps and Corlett's XIX Corps. They faced opposition from the tough paratroops of the German 0rd Parachute Division of II Parachute Corps. The 0nd, 00th, 00th and 00rd Divisions fought a tough battle advancing eleven kilometers again with high numbers of casualties especially among the infantry to secure St. Lo on 00 July.[lviii] They finally had cleared the hedgerows. St Lo epitomized the struggle that the American Army had to overcome in the Bocage. Hard fighting but outnumbered German troops in excellent defensive country exacted a terrible price in American blood despite the Allied control of the skies.[lix] Operation COBRA US 000mm Howitzers in Normandy, the Germans had profound respect for American Artillery, a respect that they did not share for American Infantry or Armor forces With the Bocage behind him Bradley desired to push the Germans hard. COBRA was his plan to break out of Normandy. Bradley ably assisted by Collins they realized that the better terrain, road networks favored a breakout. American preparations included a technical advance that allowed tanks to plow through hedgerows. This was the "Rhino" device fashioned by American troops which was installed on 0 of every 0 First Army Tanks for the operation.[lx] VII Corps was to lead the attack which was to begin on July 00th. American planning was more advanced than in past operations. Collins and Bradley planned for exploitation operations once the breakthrough had been made. A massive air bombardment would precede the attack along with an artillery barrage by Collins corps artillery which was reinforced by additional battalions. A mistake by the heavy bombers in the 00th resulted in the American troops being hit with heavy casualties and a postponement of the attack until the 00th.[lxi] The following day the attack commenced. Another mistake by the bombers led to more American casualties[lxii] but VII Corps units pressed forward against the determined resistance of the survivors of Panzer Lehr and the remnants of units that had fought the Americans since the invasion began. Although it was a "slow go" on the 00th Bradley and his commanders were already planning for and beginning to execute the breakout before the Germans could move up reinforcements. The 00th of June brought renewed attacks accompanied by massive air strikes. St Lo While not much progress was made on the 00th, the Americans discovered on the 00th that the German forces were retreating. The capture of Marigny allowed VIII Corps to begin exploitation down the coastal highway to Coutances. On the 00th General Patton was authorized to take immediate command of VIII Corps a precursor to the activation of his 0rdArmy. COBRA ripped a hole in the German line and inflicted such heavy casualties on the German 0th Army that it could do little to stop the American push.[lxiii] As the American forces pushed forward they reinforced their left flank absorbing the local German counterattacks which were hampered by the Allied close air support. Avranches and Beyond US Forces advance through the ruins of St Lo As the breakthrough was exploited the command of the forces leading it shifted to Patton and the newly activated 0rd Army. By the 00th VIII Corps led by the 0th and 0th Armored Divisions had reached Avranches and established bridgeheads over the See River with additional bridges being captured intact on the 00th.[lxiv] The capture of Avranches allowed the Americans to begin exploitation operations into Brittany and east toward the Seine. Weigley notes that for the first time in the campaign that in Patton the Americans finally had a commander who understood strategic maneuver and would use it to great effect.[lxv] Conclusion The American campaign in Normandy cost the U.S. Army a great deal. It revealed weaknesses in the infantry, the inferiority of the M0 Sherman tank to most German types, problems in tank-infantry cooperation and also deficiencies in leadership at senior, mid-grade and junior levels. Heavy casualties among infantry formations would lead to problems later in the campaign. Numerous officers were relieved including Division and Regimental commanders. Nonetheless during the campaign the Americans grew in their ability to coordinate air and ground forces and adapt to the conditions imposed on them by their placement in the Cotentin. The deficiencies would show up in later battles but the American Army learned its trade even impressing some German commanders on the ground in Normandy.[lxvi] [i] See the alternative history of by Peter Tsouras Disaster at D-Day: The Germans Defeat the Allies, June 0000, Greenhill Books, London 0000. Tsouras describes the defeat of the Omaha landings and the effect on the course of the campaign leading to the overthrow of Hitler and a negotiated armistice in the west. While this outcome could be rigorously debated other outcomes could have led to the fall of the Roosevelt and Churchill governments and their replacement by those not committed to unconditional surrender or a continuation of the war that brought about more German missile attacks on the U.K. and the introduction of other advanced German weapons that could have forced such a settlement. Another option could have led to the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on a German city vice Hiroshima. [ii] Weigley, Russell F. Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany, 0000-0000, Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN, 0000 p.00 [iii] Ibid pp. 00-00 [iv] Ibid p.00 [v] General Montgomery 00st Army group and Land Forces, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey as Allied Naval Expeditionary Force and Air Marshall Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory as Commander in Chief Allied Expeditionary Air Force. Weigley p.00 [vi] Max Hastings in Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy Vintage Books, New York, 0000, comments that many in Britain wondered if Eisenhower with the lack of actual battle experience could be a effective commander and that Eisenhower was disappointed in the appointment of Leigh-Mallory and Ramsey, and had preferred Alexander over Montgomery, pp. 00-00. [vii] Ibid. Weigley p.00. Montgomery was the first to object to the 0 division narrow front invasion rightly recognizing that seizing Caen with its road junctions could provide a springboard for the campaign into open country. [viii] Ibid. p.00 [ix] Hastings, Max. Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy Vintage Books, New York, 0000 p.00 Hastings finds the irony in the selection of the British officers to execute the plan that reflected the American way of thinking. [x] The Germans agreed with this in their planning leaving Brittany very lightly defended. See Isby, David C. Ed. "The German Army at D-Day: Fighting the Invasion." p.00 The report of General Blumentritt, Chief of Staff OB West noted that only 0 divisions were assigned to Brittany. [xi] Ibid. Weigley, pp. 00-00 [xii] Ibid. p.00 [xiii] See Isby p. 00. General Max Pemsel of 0th Army noted that "During the spring of 0000, Seventh Army received only tow good photographs of British southern ports, which showed large concentrations of landing craft." [xiv] Ibid. Hastings p.00. Hastings comments also about the success of using the turned Abwehr agents. [xv] Warlimont, Walter. "Inside Hitler's Headquarters: 0000-0000." Translated from theGerman by R.H. Barry. Presidio Press, Novao CA, English Edition Copyright 0000 Wiedenfeld and Nicholson Ltd. Pp.000-000 [xvi] Ibid. Weigley pp. 00-00 [xvii] Ibid. p. 00 [xviii] Ibid. pp.00-00 Weigley spends a great deal of time on the wrangling between Eisenhower, Leigh Mallory and Spaatz on the nature of the plan, the allocation of forces both strategic and tactical assigned to carry it out and its success, or in the light of postwar analysis the lack of effect that it had on German operations. [xix] Ibid. p.00-00. [xx] Ibid. Hastings pp. 00-00 In large part due to the long range P-00 Mustang which accompanied the American bombing raids beginning in 0000. Another comment is that the campaign drew the German fighters home to defend Germany proper and prevented their use in any appreciable numbers over the invasion beaches. [xxi] Ibid. Weigley p.00 [xxii] Ibid. p.00 [xxiii] Ibid. pp. 00-00 [xxiv] Ibid. p.00 [xxv] Ibid. Weigley also talks about the rejection of General Corlett's ideas to use Amtracks used by the Marines in the Pacific to land on less desirable, but less defended beaches to lessen casualties on the beaches and the need for additional support equipment even on smooth beaches. One of Corlett's criticisms was that too little ammunition was allotted to supporting the landings and not enough supporting equipment was provided. pp. 00-00 [xxvi] Hastings notes that with the strength and firepower of the German forces on OMAHA that many of these vehicles had they been employed would like have ended up destroyed further cluttering the beachhead. "Overlord" p.000 [xxvii] The battle over the deployment of the Panzer Divisions is covered by numerous historians. The source of the conflict was between Rommel who desired to place the Panzer Divisions on the Coast under his command due to the fear that Allied air superiority would prevent the traditional Panzer counterthrust, General Gyer von Schweppenburg commander of Panzer Group West (Later the 0th Panzer Army) and Field Marshal Von Rundstedt who desired to deploy the divisions order the command of Rundstedt for a counter attack once the invasion had been launched, a strategy which was standard on the Eastern Front, and Hitler who held most of the Panzer reserve including the SS Panzer Divisions under his control at OKW. Hitler would negotiate a compromise that gave Rommel the satisfaction of having three Panzer Divisions deployed behind coast areas in the Army Group B area of responsibility. 00stPanzer had those duties in Normandy. [xxviii] Ibid. p.00-00 [xxix] Von Luck, Hans. "Panzer Commander" Dell Publishing, New York, 0000 pp. 000-000. Von Luck a regiment commander in 00st Panzer noted that General Marcks of 00th Corps had predicted a 0 June invasion at a conference May 00th. [xxx] Almost every D-Day historian talks about the weather factor and its effect on the German high command's reaction to the invasion. Rommel was visiting his wife for her birthday and planned to make a call on Hitler. Others including commanders of key divisions such as the 00st Airlanding Division were off to a war game in Rennes and the 00st Panzer Division to Paris. [xxxi] Ibid. Weigley p. 00 [xxxii] See Cornelius Ryan, "The Longest Day" Popular Library Edition, New York 0000. pp. 000-000 for a vivid description of the challenges faced by soldiers going from ship to landing craft and their ride in to the beaches. [xxxiii] Ibid. Weigley. p.00 Weigley talks about the order for the tanks to be carried ashore on their LCTs that did not get transmitted to the 000st. [xxxiv] Ibid. [xxxv] Ibid. Weigley p. 00 The weather prevented the aerial bombardment from being effective. Because the bombers could not see their targets they dropped their bomb loads further inland, depriving the infantry of support that they were expecting. Naval gunfire support had some effect but had to be lifted as the troops hit the beach leaving much of that support to come from Destroyers and specially equipped landing craft which mounted rockets and guns. [xxxvi] Ibid. Hastings. pp. 00-00. [xxxvii] Ibid. p.00 [xxxviii] Ibid. Weigley p.00 [xxxix] Ibid. p.000 Also see Weigley p.00 [xl] Ibid. p.00 [xli] Ibid. Weigley. p.00 [xlii] Ibid. p.00 [xliii] Ibid. p.00 Both Weigley and Hastings make note of the failure of both the Americans and British to train their troops to fight in the bocage once they had left the beaches. [xliv] Ibid. Hastings. pp.000-000 [xlv] Ibid. Weigley p.000 [xlvi] Isby, David C., Ed. "Fighting in Normandy: The German Army from D-Day to Villers-Bocage." Greenhill Books, London, 0000. p.000 [xlvii] Ibid. Hastings p.000 Allied fighter bombers exacted a fearful toll among German commanders. The Commanders of the 000rd and 00th Divisions fighting in the Cotentin were also killed by air attacks on the 00th and 00th. Further east facing the British the commander of the 00th SS Panzer Division, Fritz Witt on the 00th. [xlviii] Ibid. Weigley. p.000 [xlix] Ibid. p.000-000. [l] Ibid. [li] The efforts of the 00st Highland Division and 0th Armored Division were turned aside by the Germans in the area and were dramatized by the destruction of a British armored battalion by SS Captain Michael Wittman and his platoon of Tiger tanks. See Hastings pp.000-000. [lii] The British 0th Corps under General O'Connor lost 000 tanks and 0,000 men on 00 July attempting to crack the German gun line on the ridge beyond Caen. Weigley, pp.000-000. [liii] Hastings comments about the critical British manpower shortage and the pressures on Montgomery to not take heavy casualties that could not be replaced. Overlord. pp.000-000. [liv] Ibid. Weigley pp.000-000 [lv] Ibid. p.000 [lvi] Ibid. p000 Bradley told Eisenhower "when we hit the enemy this time we will hit him with such power that we can keep going and cause a major disaster." [lvii] Ibid. 000 [lviii] Ibid. Weigley. pp. 000-000. Weigley notes of 00,000 U.S. casualties in Normandy up to the capture of St. Lo that 00% were concentrated among the infantry. [lix] Weigley quotes the 000th Regiment, 00rd Division historian "We won the battle of Normandy, [but] considering the high price in American lives we lost. P.000. This is actually a provocative statement that reflects America's aversion to massive casualties in any war. [lx] Ibid. p.000 [lxi] Ibid. p. 000 [lxii] Ibid. pp. 000-000. Among the casualties were the command group of the 0th Division's 0rd Battalion 00th Infantry and General Leslie McNair who had come to observe the assault. [lxiii] Ibid. pp.000-000. Weigley notes the advances in U.S. tactical air support, the employment of massive numbers of U.S. divisions against the depleted German LXXXIV Corps, and the advantage that the "Rhino" device gave to American tanks by giving them the ability to maneuver off the roads for the first time. [lxiv] Ibid. pp.000-000. [lxv] Ibid. p.000 [lxvi] Ibid. Isby, David C. "Fighting in Normandy," p.000, an officer of the 000nd Division referred to the American soldier "was to prove himself a in this terrain an agile and superior fighter." Bibliography Carell, Paul. "Invasion: They're Coming!" Translated from the German by E. Osers, Bantam, New York 0000. Hastings, Max. Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy Vintage Books, New York, 0000 Isby, David C. Ed. "The German Army at D-Day: Fighting the Invasion." Greenhill Books, London 0000 Isby, David C., Ed. "Fighting in Normandy: The German Army from D-Day to Villers-Bocage." Greenhill Books, London, 0000. Ryan, Cornelius, "The Longest Day" Popular Library Edition, New York 0000 Tsouras, Peter. "Disaster at D-Day: The Germans Defeat the Allies, June 0000,"Greenhill Books, London 0000. Von Luck, Hans. "Panzer Commander" Dell Publishing, New York, 0000 Warlimont, Walter. "Inside Hitler's Headquarters: 0000-0000." Translated from theGerman by R.H. Barry. Presidio Press, Novao CA, English Edition Copyright 0000 Wiedenfeld and Nicholson Ltd. Warlimont, Walter. "Inside Hitler's Headquarters: 0000-0000." Translated from theGerman by R.H. Barry. Presidio Press, Novao CA, English Edition Copyright 0000 Wiedenfeld and Nicholson Ltd. Weigley, Russell F. Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign of France and Germany, 0000-0000, Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN, 0000 Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Pinterest Reddit Print Tumblr Pocket Like this: Like Loading... 0 Comments Filed under History, Military, world war two in europe Tagged as 000st airborne division, 000th infantry regiment, 00th ss panzer division, 00th infantry regiment, 00th ss panzergrenadier division, 00th infantry regiment, 0st army, 0st infantry division, 00st panzer division, 00th infantry divsion, 0nd ranger battalion, 00th infantry division, 000nd infantry division, 0rd army, 0th armored division, 0th infantry division, 0th armored division, 000th infantry division, 000sr armored battalion, 00th infantry division, 00nd airborne division, 00rd infantry division, 0th air force, 00th infanty division, 00st airlanding division, 0th air force, 0th infantry division, adolf hitler, air marshal leigh-mallory, Albert Speer, alfred jodl, avranches, bayuex, bernard montgomery, bocage, bomber command, british 00th armored division, brittany, caen, captain michael wittman, caumont gap, charnwood, cherbourg, colleville-sur-mer, colonel charles canham, D-Day, dd tanks, dieppe raid, eastern front, eisenhower, epsom, erwin rommel, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, franklin roosevelt, funnies-tanks, general brereton, general gerow, general hobart, general lawton collins, general marcks, general norman cota, general spaatz, George Patton, german 00th army, german 000rd infanty division, german 0th parachute regiment, german 000th infantry division, german 0th army, goodwood, ii parachute corps, josef stalin, landing craft, lcvp, le harve, lst-000, Luftwaffe, Luftwaffe Field Divisions, lxxxiv corps, max hastings, mulberry harbors, neptune, normandy, OKW, Omaha beach, omar bradley, operation anvil, operation cobra, operation fortitude, operation overlord, panzer group west, panzer lehr division, pas de calais, point du hoc, quadrant conference, rhino device, roundup, russell weigley, seine river, st lo, stonewall brigade, tarawa, tehran conference, tiger tanks, transportation plan, ultra, uss augusta, USS Texas, utah beach, v corps, vierville-sur-mere, vii corps british xxx corps, viii corps, villers-bocage, volksdeutsch, Waffen SS, winston churchill, world war ii, xix corps J