Page 38 - History of War - Issue 05-14

BLOODBATH IN THE BOCAGE

Infantry Regiment, attempted to advance a fifth were units formed from Polish and
behind a creeping artillery barrage, Russian prisoners. On 21 June, Collins
but quickly lost cohesion in the maze requested “air pulverisation” of some
of hedges and small fields, and went to 20 square miles on the outskirts of
ground, having gained only a few hundred Cherbourg to demoralise the Germans
metres. The 1st Battalion moved up and force a surrender. At 12.40pm
in the afternoon to relieve the 2nd, but the following day, hundreds of fighter-
it, too, could make no progress. The bombers dive-bombed and strafed from
90th Division tried again the following as low as 300 feet. The Luftwaffe was
day and managed a snail’s pace. nowhere to be seen, though 24 fighters
Creeping behind immense barrages, were brought down by German anti-
by 13 June it had reached the town aircraft guns. No sooner had the fighters
of Pont-l’Abbé, two miles west of the wheeled away than wave upon wave
start line. The town had been levelled of heavy bombers droned overhead,
– an American officer claimed that depositing 1,100 tons of bombs on
only two rabbits had been found alive. Cherbourg’s outer defences. Within
24 hours, the three US divisions had
Twisted mass of metal penetrated the defence line in many
Now alarmed by the lack of progress, on places, and on 25 June the Americans
the same day, Collins sacked MacKelvie received additional fire support from
and two of his regimental commanders, three battleships, four cruisers and
and, while leaving the 90th in line, several destroyers. American fire was
decided to reorganise his attack scheme so heavy that Cherbourg’s commander,
completely. Collins had first seen action Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben, was driven
in January 1943 on the jungle-clad to shelter in a deep bunker, and lost
island of Guadalcanal, where he had led control of his forces. On the afternoon
the 25th Division against the Japanese. of 26 June, with Americans fighting in
He was now realising that the Cotentin Cherbourg’s suburbs, von Schlieben
Peninsula had more in common with surrendered. German engineers had
the islands of the south-west Pacific already reduced the port to a shambles:
than with Dartmoor and Exmoor, the sunken ships blocked the harbour,
areas on which the Americans had toppled cranes lay in a twisted mass
CAEN CONQUEST trained in England. Fighting through the of metal, and mines lay everywhere.
It took another eight weeks to clear the
hedgerows required many more infantry
Walking around the pretty but fairly non- than he had hitherto allowed, so Collins wreckage, and until November before
descript city of Caen today, it’s hard to believe assigned both the 9th Division and the port was brought back into full
that it was once the scene of such devastation. the redoubtable operation. The Germans had
Occupied by the Germans when the Allies 82nd Airborne to been customarily efficient;
invaded Normandy in June 1944, its strategic 90th Division’s indeed, so thorough was
significance marked it out as a primary axis of advance. the devastation that the
target for conquest – a campaign that Americans had to rely
would be known as Operation Charnwood. The effect was
For one thing, it sat astride the Orne immediate. By 16 on supplies brought
River and Caen Canal: these were valuable June, 82nd Airborne across open beaches.
transport routes and their capture would had pushed five miles While the Americans fought
significantly hinder the German war effort. to the west and taken to secure Cherbourg, dramatic
Secondly, the area around the city was St Sauveur-le-Vicomte; events had been taking place
relatively open, making it a potential site two days later, the around Caen. Hitler had flown to
for airfield construction. The Allies launched 9th Division was in France on 17 June for a conference
their aerial assault on Caen on 7 July, to Barneville-sur-Mer with Gerd von Rundstedt and
facilitate an Anglo-Canadian march on the Rommel, during which the Führer
city. In all, around 2,500 tons of bombs were overlooking the western
dropped, destroying much of the old city and coast of the Cotentin, had barked, “Don’t call it a
unwittingly killing thousands of civilians. its artillery methodically beachhead, but the last piece of
Many more took refuge in the Abbaye aux destroying an enemy French soil held by the enemy!”
Hommes, which had been commissioned column caught on the Hans Speidel, Rommel’s
by William the Conqueror. Following the war, road as it retreated south. Chief of Staff, recorded that
the city underwent a rebuilding programme, Regrouping, Collins the hitherto-despondent Field
which was finally completed in 1962. sent the 4th, 9th and 29th Marshal had begun to feel
Infantry Divisions north. optimistic and commented on the
CHARNWOOD
By 20 June, the Americans Führer’s “uncanny magnetism”.
Putot-
en-Bessin Buron Epron were fighting their way But Hitler was offering more
through the main German
Authie than the force of his personality.
EPSOM defence line, a system He ordered two crack divisions to
Caen
St Manvieu- of steel and concrete be transferred to Normandy from the
Norrey Carpiquet w HIDDEN
Cheux fortifications that lay in Eastern Front. These, combined with
TREASURE
IN 2012, MILES
Verson a six-mile semi-circle to those divisions already in Normandy,
DEMPSEY’S the south of Cherbourg. would give Rommel a significant, if
Hill 112 GOODWOOD
PERSONAL COPY Collins’ troops would temporary, qualitative superiority by
the end of June. On 20 June, Hitler
River Odon OF THE BOOK AN probably not have ordered a massive six-division strike
ACCOUNT OF THE
succeeded here had
OPERATIONS OF they been facing the
SECOND ARMY IN Wehrmacht or the SS;
EUROPE 1944-45 however, most of the
River Ome TOTALISE WAS FOUND 25,000-strong garrison AMERICAN HERO A soldier of the US 1st
IN A SAFE. IT
LATER SOLD consisted of middle- Infantry Division in a mottled camouflage suit.
This was quickly changed when it became
AT AUCTION aged administrative apparent that it conflicted with similar
to Falaise
FOR £8,750. personnel, and over camouflage clothing worn by the Waffen-SS.
Potigny
38 HISTORY WAR
of