The Objective WTO (id:#62574)

(Hill 192 ID: Hill 192 02)   [next]   [previous]

St. Georges-d'Elle, France 1944-07-11 (38 others)

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Overview:

As part of the major offensive of 11 July, First Army ordered V Corps to attack and seize the dominating terrain east of Saint-Lo. General Gerow ordered the 2d Division to once again attack and seize Hill 192. General Robertson ordered the 38th Infantry to conduct the main attack. This time, the regimental commander decided to conduct a powerful frontal assault with two battalions abreast. The attack started at 0630 on 11 July after a devastating twenty-minute artillery bombardment. The 1st and 2nd Battalions led the attack, supported by two tank companies from the 741st Tank Battalion and an engineer company from the 2d Engineer Combat Battalion. The Germans put up stiff resistance from the beginning. One tank company lost six Shermans to German panzerfausts. Fanatical Germans defending a position near "Kraut Corner" refused to surrender and were run over and buried alive by one of the 741st's dozer tanks. However, the 38th Infantry began to make good progress by using its new hedgerow tactics. Devastating artillery fire closely supported the infantry advance by maintaining heavy barrages in front of the attacking units. Around noon, the 38th Infantry finally reached the top of Hill 192 as the Germans disengaged and withdrew to the south. By nightfall, the 38th Infantry had cleared Hill 192 of all German defenders and was well entrenched in positions on the hill's southern slopes.

Defender: German (D+E Companies, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division and Fallschirmjäger-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 5 and Fallschirmjäger Gechützabteilung)  

Errata (source)