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On To The Vire
River
On July 27th, Gen. Baade secured permission from Gen. Corlett
to attack Hill 101 following a 10 minute artillery barrage.
At 1500 hours the entire division launched a frontal assault
and took the ridge line before dark, catching the Germans
initiating a limited withdrawal. The 2nd Division had started
an attack toward Vire, some twenty miles to the South, and
the 35th Division found itself assigned to V Corps to complete
the assault under Gen. Gerow. Until August 5th we attacked
every day against the parachute regiments who used the rough
terrain to fight skillful delaying actions from a series of
well placed defensive positions surrounded by mined roads
and swamps. It was fire and movement all along the line with
casualties marking the way to Torigne-Sur-Vire which we took
on July 21st. The division was ordered to attack continuously,
even through pitched darkness, finally crossing the Vire River
on August 5th. The British were attacking so as to narrow
the front of the 2nd Division which then pinched the 35th
Division out of the line. For the G.I.s on the line, this
created no hard feelings and the division moved quickly into
an assembly area behind the front lines for a short relief,
food, rest, Sunday church services for some, well attended,
and the ritual of counting costs. In those eight days of the
Vire offensive, we lost another 600 casualties. Gen. Gerow
on August 5th wrote to Gen. Baade. It was a letter of commendation
citing the excellent performance of the division against difficult
odds met in that offensive which had covered 27 kilometers
against heavy and determined resistance. Gen. Baade had employed
effectively the regimental task forces including Task Force
S led by Gen. Sebree, Assistant Division Commander, and including
the 137th infantry and its attachments capable of handling
promptly almost any situations.
The break only lasted a few hours and the division was transferred
to the Third Army and assigned to XX Corps, loaded on 2 ½
ton trucks and ordered to move to Rennes to join one of Patton’s
spearheads. Third Army had been activated on August 1st and
the 35th Division, already acquiring a reputation for a good
dependable unit, was requested. The only problem was that
the 7th German Army was between the 35th Division and Rennes.
A circuitous route had to be found to avoid German troops.
Starting the evening of the 5th, the convoy moved through
the night, going 10 miles northwesterly to Portforcy, then
southwest 11 miles passing Villedeux, continuing on to Ponts,
another 11 miles with sight of Avranches on the Mont St. Michel
Bay, then turning due East for 11 miles to Brecey, then turning
South 11 miles right through burning St. Hilaire du Harcourt
to an assembly area South of town. German bombers had attacked
St. Hilaire and elements of our 134th and 137th regiments
as they pulled off the road. We had traveled 52 miles to arrive
at a point just 22 miles southwest of where the convoy had
started near the Vire River, and about eight miles West of
a little town called Mortain. We had literally been thumbed
off the road, reassigned to the First Army and made a part
of the VII Corps which included the 30th Division which had
moved into Mortain the night before. We had landed right in
the way of the big German counter-offensive in Normandy.
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