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Among the Hedgerows

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Title
Among the Hedgerows
Description
After the success of Operation Cobra. Patton's Third Army blew a hole through the German lines from Vire to Avranches. In predictable fashion, Hitler ordered a massive counterattack to cut off the lead American divisions along a 20 mile front. …
Subject
Publisher
Date
1944-08-07
Scenario#
30
Scenario Description
After the success of Operation Cobra. Patton's Third Army blew a hole through the German lines from Vire to Avranches. In predictable fashion, Hitler ordered a massive counterattack to cut off the lead American divisions along a 20 mile front. Codenamed Operation Lüttich, the 47th Panzer Corps along with elements from the 1st and 2nd SS Panzer Divisions were set to jump off on 6 August, although supply problems forced a delay until 7 August. The US 30th Infantry Division had recently occupied positions in and around Mortain. It was ordered into a defensive posture as intelligence had detected the German buildup. As was the case throughout the area, the terrain was dominated by dense hedgerows. These channeled the advancing forces along predictable paths and limited virtually all long-range fire. The German 2nd Panzer Division occupied the middle position between the 116th panzer Division to the north and the two SS divisions to the south. Units from its 3rd Panzer Regiment and panzerjäger units clashed with the 30th Infantry Division's 117th Infantry Regiment's bazooka-armed infantry units and its 57mm anti-tank guns along with the 3-in. anti-tank guns from the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. After intense fighting, the Germans occupied the area. CCB from the 3rd Armored Division was ordered to positions backing up the 30th Infantry Division. Now, the Germans were forced on the defensive
Location
Mortain, France
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
Operation Lüttich was a codename given to a German counter-attack during the Battle of Normandy, which took place around the American positions near Mortain in northwestern France from 7 August to 13 August 1944. The offensive is also referred to in American and British histories of the Battle of Normandy as the Mortain counterattack. The assault was ordered by Adolf Hitler, to eliminate the gains made by the First United States Army during Operation Cobra and the subsequent weeks, and by reaching the coast in the region of Avranches at the base of the Cotentin peninsula, cut off the units of the Third United States Army which had advanced into Brittany. The main German striking force was the XLVII Panzer Corps, with one and a half SS Panzer Divisions and two Heer Panzer Divisions. Although they made initial gains against the defending U.S. VII Corps, they were soon halted and the Allies inflicted severe losses on the attacking troops, eventually destroying most of the German tanks involved in the attack. Although fighting continued around Mortain for six days, the American forces had regained the initiative within a day of the opening of the German attack.
Narrative Source
Combatants
German
American

Geolocation