Microsoft Close Combat manual Saint-Lô

Chapter 4 The Normandy Campaign in Close Combat 85

For the Americans, the cost of capturing Saint-Lô and the surrounding countryside is steep: Nearly 11,000 U.S. troops are killed, wounded, or missing between July 7 and July 22. However, Bradley’s forces now have the terrain they need to launch the breakout into the long-sought war of maneuver against the Third Reich.

Epilogue: Operation Cobra and the Allied Breakout

“I have the honor to announce to the Corps Commander that Task Force C of the 29th Division secured the city of Saint-Lô after 43 days of continual combat from the beaches to Saint-Lô.”

Gen. Charles Gerhardt, U.S. 29th Infantry Division

While Bradley’s troops are attacking Saint-Lô, the long British assault on Caen finally comes to an end with the capture of that city on July 8. The Germans suffer another

loss on July 17: Rommel is seriously wounded when a British Royal Air Force fighter strafes his staff car, and von Kluge takes over his command. The next day, the British launch Operation

		After the battle:
		Street scene in
		Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
After providing flanking
support during the assault on
Hill 192, the three regiments	Close Combat Operation: German Side
of the 29th turn west toward Saint-Lô. The 116th
and 175th advance on a front astride the ridges	As the German commander, you can choose to
east of the town; by July 17, they fight their way
	defend Saint-Lô to the last man, in house-to-house
over Hill 147, clear Martinville, and take up an
	fighting, and hope that reinforcements show up in
advance position near la Madeleine.
	time—or at all.
For days the Americans pound Saint-Lô and the
	Close Combat Operation: U.S. Side
surrounding area with air strikes and up to 14,000
artillery rounds a day. On July 18, General Cota	As the American commander, you have no more
assembles Task Force C—a force consisting of
	hedgerows to deal with—only blasted buildings,
reconnaissance, tank, tank destroyer, and engi-
	rubble-filled streets, and a shell-cratered cemetery.
neer units—to race down the Saint-Lô–Isigny road
	The Germans are holding out in the ruins, waiting
and capture Saint-Lô. The task force rolls at 1500
	for reserve troops to reinforce them. If you don’t
hours, with infantry units joining along the way. By
	take Saint-Lô quickly, you may lose it altogether.
1900 hours, after encountering pockets of resis-
tance in what remains of the town, the 29th
Division secures Saint-Lô.