On This Day

Most of you readers likely know that my father was an infantryman during WWII. 

Howard landed at Utah Beach as an infantry replacement shortly on the heels of the initial invasion. He was assigned to M Company, 47^th Infantry Regiment, Ninth Division. He served in a weapons platoon and including mortar his MOS was - 605 - heavy machine gunner.  

On one of several trips to France Jill and I spent some time touring the Normandy battlefield in a rental car. The objective was to retrace the movements of the 47^th during the months of June and July 1944. We were - in our own fashion - attempting to walk in the footsteps of my father in those initial days and weeks following the invasion. 

Sunken Road Flanked by Hedgerows Today

On this day – July 25, 1944 – an operation was launched to break-out of the mud and slogging misery of Normandy’s hedgerow country. Allied troops had been bottled-up in the Norman countryside since the invasion of June 6.  Plans called for a massive aerial bombardment of a narrow sector west of the battered town of Saint-Lô.  To facilitate a breakout - thousands of U.S. aircraft were to bomb a narrow section of the front.  This would be the largest, concentrated bombing attempt in history.  

Sunken Road Flanked by Hedgerows - 47th Inf.  
Photo - US Army

Ninth Division troops - including my dad’s unit - had retreated from their forward positions to a bomb-safety line.  Shortly before 10 AM the bombardment commenced.  Middle-weight fighter bombers were followed by heavy bombers - carpet bombing an area 6000 yards wide along the Saint-Lô–Periers road.  

^{On the Saint-Lô–Periers road - east is the town of Saint-Lô}

Notably, General Bradley had specifically requested that the bombers approach the target from the east - out of the sun - and parallel to the road in order to minimize the risk of friendly losses. Most of the aircraft instead came in from the north, perpendicular to the front line. 

Matters quickly went awry.  

^{On the Saint-Lô–Periers road facing west - follow the D29 to the German cemetery}

Smoke and dust from the bombing began to drift back towards the bomb-safety line obscuring marker panels.  Flying crews released their clusters right into the smoke, missing their mark and falling short among friendly troops.    

Location of the Breakout

The 47th Infantry of the 9th and the 120th Infantry of the 30th Division suffered more than six hundred casualties from friendly fire.  All but two individuals of Howard's 3rd battalion command group were killed.  The largest aerial bombardment in history also become one of the largest incidents of fratricide in US Army history. 

From my late father’s memoirs is his attestation of the events on the ground during the immediate days of the break-out.  In his own words there is this.....

Photo - US Army

July 25th our bombers and fighters, over 3000 aircraft, hit the area about Saint-Lô.  This is still clearly imprinted in my mind.  Even though we were pulled back a good distance from the front - shock waves caused by the exploding bombs denuded many trees and bushes of their foliage.  Our trousers and jackets flapped as if we were caught in a hurricane.  

We lost several of our comrades because ground panels we displayed to indicate our positions became obscured by the dust.  It was here that Art Draeving was killed.  Art and I trained together at Camp Butner.  We were in the same platoon.  Art was a farm boy from central Wisconsin.  

Photo - US Army

After the bombardment we moved out only to be greeted by the now-familiar sound of burp guns. After advancing perhaps a quarter of a mile we came upon a deserted German aid station.  Much to our surprise we found six or seven dead German soldiers.  They obviously had been treated for their wounds.  One in particular was encased in a partial cast.  Apparently they died from their wounds and were left behind because of a hasty withdrawal and or lack of transport. 

^{Church in Lozon - liberated by the 47th's 3rd Battalion by nightfall on the 25th of July, 1944}

Later we went into reserve.  This comes to mind for several reasons.  First, we were bivouacked just ahead of our artillery.  Second, a bloated, foul-smelling, dead cow graced our area.  I believe the entire company got together and buried the carcass in record time.  Also, it seems that during this brief respite the Mess Sergeant slaughtered a cow.  This was to be our first warm meal in some time. 

Contented Norman Cows

A day or two later we were returned to action.  We made a forced march at night.  We became so dog tired that some of our group fell asleep while marching.  A tumble in the roadside ditch did wonders in providing a second wind.  Later that night, as we were crossing an open field, we got caught by the light of a parachute flare.  We froze and waited for the worse.  After a few seconds (that seemed like an eternity) we dashed for cover. 

 47th Inf. Heavy Machine Gunner - Normandy  
 Photo - US Army

Against fierce resistance the 3rd Battalion led the 47th's attack supported by artillery and fire from the 1st and 2nd Battalions.