Omitted to put this in yesterday for the 25th July however it was also a very important movement to the overall breakout from Normandy. Excerpts from http://home.wanadoo.nl/cclinks/abtf/operat~2.html It is Bradley’s Operation Cobra that finally breaks the stalemate once and for all. The Cobra offensive leads to the long-awaited breakout from the bocage. Bradley characterizes the hedgerow battle as “... a slugger’s match, too slow a process”; Cobra is the solution. The assault begins on July 25 with a massive air bombardment west of Saint-Lô that decimates Panzer Lehr, the only panzer division behind the front line. Some of the bombs fall short, killing more than 100 Americans.......................... This is followed by a concentrated attack that initially meets with little success as veterans of the hedgerow battle find it difficult to overcome the caution they have learned there in two months of bocage fighting. “Rhino” tanks play a significant role in the ongoing attack, speeding the process of penetrating the hedgerows. The German opposition is no longer organized in depth; without reinforcements they can only form a very tough but discontinuous crust against the onslaught and repeatedly find themselves outflanked or bypassed. With a significant portion of the German forces heavily engaged against the British and Canadians to the east, the Americans make rapid progress. Another reason the attacks surpass expectations is that many German commanders, including Hitler, still believe the Normandy invasion is a diversion. The main blow, they insist, will still come at Calais, so troops that could be used to fight in Normandy still defend against a landing that will never come. It will be early July before these forces are shifted south to join the battle. As a result, when VII and VIII Corps hit the Germans on July 25, there are no enemy troops behind the defensive crust of the front line. Once the German line is breached, the Americans start racing south. By the end of July, Cobra is clearly a success. It allows the Americans to break out of the Normandy beachhead at last. They soon found themselves in the battle of movement they have longed for, moving rapidly out of the bocage, toward the Seine - and Paris
I agree with that except for two things. As I recall, there were a hell of a lot more Americans killed in that bombing of their own people, and, that temporarily halted the offensive, while they "regrouped" after the devastation and slaughter of the "friendly" bombing. Sapper
COBRA was originally scheduled to begin on 20 July, but was postponed due to poor weather. It was rescheduled for 24 July, but was again postponed - late in the day afrer 1,600 bombers had alrady taken off. A recall message was sent, but too late to prevent 700 tons of bombs being dropped, killing 25 and wounding 131 soldiers of the US 30th Division. Next morning, the operation becan with the dropping of 3,400 tons of bombs, causing severe casualties in the 30th Division again and the 9th Division. However, as Spidge states, the effect on the Germans, particularly Panzer Lehr, was devastating. However, the American forces only made a limited advance on 25 July itself, the breakthrough coming over the next few days after that.
The initial bombing blasted the US 30th Infantry Division and killed Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, chief of the ground forces, who had gone too far forward, as usual, to observe the action. He played a major role in creating the wartime US Army, andw as the highest-ranking US officer to die in combat during the war.
Kiwiwriter, was McNair senior to Maurice Rose? I know Rose was killed in the Advance into Germany but I'm not sure if he outranked McNair or not.
Originally posted by Gotthard Heinrici@Jul 27 2005, 12:04 AM Kiwiwriter, was McNair senior to Maurice Rose? I know Rose was killed in the Advance into Germany but I'm not sure if he outranked McNair or not. [post=36912]Quoted post[/post] Maurice Rose, was a Major General and Commander of the 3rd Armoured Division and McNair was a Lt General, commander of all Army ground forces. While Rose outranked McNair, Mc Nair would have been "senior". I am sure I have seen/heard this discussed previously. Look forward to Kiwiwriters response.
Originally posted by spidge+Jul 26 2005, 02:57 PM-->(spidge @ Jul 26 2005, 02:57 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Gotthard Heinrici@Jul 27 2005, 12:04 AM Kiwiwriter, was McNair senior to Maurice Rose? I know Rose was killed in the Advance into Germany but I'm not sure if he outranked McNair or not. [post=36912]Quoted post[/post] Maurice Rose, was a Major General and Commander of the 3rd Armoured Division and McNair was a Lt General, commander of all Army ground forces. While Rose outranked McNair, Mc Nair would have been "senior". I am sure I have seen/heard this discussed previously. Look forward to Kiwiwriters response. [post=36915]Quoted post[/post] [/b] Likewise Spidge!! Thanks for that!
Originally posted by spidge@Jul 26 2005, 02:57 PM Maurice Rose, was a Major General and Commander of the 3rd Armoured Division and McNair was a Lt General, commander of all Army ground forces. [post=36915]Quoted post[/post] A Lieutenant General outranks a Major General. McNair was the highest ranking US officer killed in action in the war. Yoy can make a direct comparison of officer ranks up to full General between the British and Commonwealth armies and the US army, but be careful because you cannot compare them with the ranks of German Generals. The Germans had no equivalent of Bridadier/Brigadier General (except in the SS), so in the army Major General was their next highest rank above Colonel. However, above General they had the rank of Colonel General (Generaloberst), a rank which did not exist in the British or US armies. So, a German Lieutenant General (Generalleutnant) is a rank below a British or US Lieutenant General.
I know there are a few threads on this operation, this being the first and specific to the operation I chose it to add the below. From the blogsite Wavell Room today an article 'Dissecting Cobra: Air-Land Integration in Normandy' which opens with: For more: Dissecting Cobra: Air-Land Integration in Normandy - The Wavell Room
There was an Anglo Canadian contribution to OP Cobra. 5th AGRA moved into the US Sector and fired in support of the attack by 5th US Infantry Division. The 1st Canadian Army launched Operation Spring on 25th July to keep German attention on the Caen Falaise axis. Two infantry divisions and two armoured divisions pressed against the six panzer divisions and one infantry divisions of the Ist & IInd SS Corps
I have enjoyed rereading Martin Blumenson's "Breakout and Pursuit" last month... even nowadays it still is almost a delightment to read how, after so much effort and agony and weeks of heavy fighting, the German defense in Normandy started to crumble and then collapsed ... enabling the Allies to start a war of movement, which ultimately reached my hometown of Arnhem - among others - in six weeks or so. With it comes also the realization of how shortlived this pursuit was ... followed by another stalemate along the Rhine and German border which lasted until Feb/March 45. It was only in March after crossing the Rhine that the pursuit gathered speed again ... for another period of six weeks. Sweeping advances were the exception ... plodding battles the rule in this campaign.
Sheldrake, 5th AGRA supported part of Cobra? I never knew that - only on the first day? Did they then line up to support Bluecoat? Looking forward to your RA in Normandy book! Regards Tom
Of course, Goodwood was the original feint before Cobra until the latter's postponement, but many prefer to view the former as a failure in its own right. Edit: including the author of the posted essay, by the look of it. So much for the 'mutual trust/understanding' box on their ALI diagram - the spirit of Tedder lives on...
