Blood Stained Bocage

As part of the effort to stop the Allied forces from capturing the city of Saint Lo, the Panzer Lehr Division had been rushed to the area. On one of the fi rst days in the area, the Panzer-Lehr launched a counterattack against elements of the American 9th and 30th …

1944-07-11

BttR02

As part of the effort to stop the Allied forces from capturing the city of Saint Lo, the Panzer Lehr Division had been rushed to the area. On one of the fi rst days in the area, the Panzer-Lehr launched a counterattack against elements of the American 9th and 30th infantry divisions around the village of Le Desert. The Panzer-Lehrs fi rst attempt in the morning of July 11th had been pushed back with light casualties. A second attempt was made in the afternoon with the Panzer-Lehr vehicles moving against the important crossroads of la Charlemenerie. They would run into stiff defense from American M10 tank destroyers and infantry.

W Of Charlemenerie, France

The Battle of Saint-Lô is one of the three conflicts in the Battle of the Hedgerows, which took place between July 7–19, 1944, just before Operation Cobra. Saint-Lô had fallen to Germany in 1940, and, after the Invasion of Normandy, the Americans targeted the city, as it served as a strategic crossroads. American bombardments caused heavy damage and a high number of casualties, which resulted in the martyr city being called "The Capital of Ruins", popularized in a report by Samuel Beckett.

Wikipedia: Battle of Saint-Lô

American

Germany