CENTER OF MLITARY HISTORY
UNITED STATES ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1961
CONTENTS
Page Forward v The Author vi Preface vii Chapter PART ONE
In the Wake of the InvasionI. The Allies 3 II. The Enemy 17 III. The Situation 36 PART TWO
The Battle of the HedgerowsIV. The Offensive Launched 53 V. The Offensive Broadened 78 VI. The Attempt to Exploit 102 VII. The Offensive Continued 119 VIII. The Battle for St. Lô 146 IX. The Conclusions 175 PART THREE
BreakthroughX. The Breakthrough Idea 185 XI. COBRA Preparations 197 XII. COBRA 224 XIII. The BreakthroughL 247 XIV. The Breakthrough Developed 264 XV. Exploiting the Breach 282 XVI. Breakthrough Becomes Breakout 305 XVII. The "Incalculable" Results 323 PART FOUR
Breakout Into BrittanyXVIII. Plans, Personalities, and Problems 339 XIX. Rennes, Lorient, and Nantes 357 XX. "Take Brest" 369 XXI. St. Malo and the North Shore 389 PART FIVE
Breakout to the EastXXII. Week of Decision 419 XXIII. Opportunities and Intentions 440 XXIV. The Mortain Counterattack 457 PART SIX
Encirclement and the Drive to the SeineXXV. Encirclement 479 XXVI. The Argentan-Falaise Pocket 506 XXVII. Closing the Pocket 528 XXVIII. The Drive to the Seine 559 XXIX. The Liberation of Paris 590 PART SEVEN
PursuitXXX. The Battle for Brest 631 XXXI. The Drive Beyond the Seine 657 XXXII. Toward the Heart of Germany 676 Appendices A. Table of Equivalent Ranks 703 B. Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross 704 Bibliographical Note 707 Glossary Basic Military Map Symbols Index 723
MAPS 1. Situation in Europe, 1 September 1944 7 2. 80th Division, 5-10 September 1944 61 3. Dornot Bridgehead, 8 September 1944 137 4. The Fight for Pournoy and Sillegny, 18-20 September 1944 169 5. CCA, 4th Armored Division, 20 September 1944 227 6. 111th Panzer Brigade Attack, 22 September 1944 232 7. XII Corps Front, Morning, 8 November 1944 315 Maps I-XLIII are in Inverse Order Inside Back Cover I. Western Front, 1 September 1944 II. Seventh Army Front, 1 September 1944 III. The Battle Area IV. Western Front, 5 September 1944 V. German Front, in Northeastern France, Evening, 5 September 1944 VI. Third Army Dispositions, Evening, 5 September 1944 VII. XII Corps Plan of Attack, 4 September 1944 VIII. XII Corps Right Wing, 10-21 September 1944 IX. Dieulouard Bridgehead, 12-16 September 1944 X. 4th Armored Division, 11-14 September 1944 XI. Attack of 22 September XII. XX Corps, Situation, Noon, 6 September 1944 XIII. Advance on the Right, 7-13 September 1944 XIV. Battle West of Metz, 8-13 September 1944 XV. Advance on the Left, 7-13 September 1944 XVI. XX Corps Bridgehead, 13-25 September 1944 XVII. German Plan of Counterattack, 3-15 September 1944 XVIII. XV Corps Drive to La Vezouse River, 11-24 September 1944 XIX. LVIII Panzer Corps Attack, 19 September 1944 XX. LVIII Panzer Corps Attack, 25-29 September 1944 XXI. Forêt de Grémecey, 27-30 September 1944 XXII. Third Army Front, Evening, 25 September 1944 XXIII. Fort Driant XXIV. Fight for Maizières-lès-Metz, 3-30 October 1944 XXV. 83d Division, 25 September-11 October 1944 XXVI. XII Corps, Stabilization of MLR, 1-9 October 1944 XXVII. Advance in 26th Division Zone, 8-17 November 1944 XXVIII. Advance in 35th Division Zone, 8-15 November 1944 XXIX. Advance in 80th Division Zone, 8-16 November 1944 XXX. Battle for Metz, 90th Division Crosses the Moselle, 9-14 November 1944 XXXI. Battle for Metz, Envelopment from the North, 15-19 November 1944 XXXII. Battle for Metz, Envelopment from the South, 8-19 November 1944 XXXIII. Battle for Metz, Attack from the West, 14-19 November 1944 XXXIV. XII Corps, Attack West and East of the Sarre, Right Wing, 18-30 November 1944 XXXV. XII Corps, Operations West of the Sarre, Left Wing, 18-30 November 1944 XXXVI. First Attack on Orsholtz Line, 21-27 November 1944 XXXVII. XX Corps Advance to the Saar River, 25 November-2 December 1944 XXXVIII. Third Army, the November Offensive, 8 November-2 December 1944 XXXIX. XII Corps, 1-20 December 1944 XL. Saarlautern Bridgehead, 3-19 December 1944 XLI. Dillingen-Pachten Bridgehead, 6-19 December 1944 XLII. Third Army, Last Phase of Breakout Offensive, 3-19 December 1944 XLIII. Western Front, 20 December 1944
ILLUSTRATIONS 1. General Patton and His Chief of Staff 14 2. American Commanders 19 3. German Generals Opposing Third Army 44 4. Maj. Gen. Manton S. Eddy 59 5. Frontal Attack across the Moselle 64 6. Fort Villey-le Sec 67 7. Tank Crossing Canal Near Bayon 73 . ...
