From D-Day to V-Day
July 1944
July 31, 1944 - D-Day + 55
Combat Command R of the VIII Corps' 6th Armored Division, attacking in the coastal sector, moved through Granville and the complete division advanced as far as the Avranches area.
more informationJuly 30, 1944 - D-Day + 54
Only hours after the successful completion of Operation Cobra, battle tank units from the VIII Corps' 4th and 6th Armored Divisions sped on towards Granville and Avranches. The enemy was on the run, and the American commanders intended to take advantage of this.
more informationJuly 29, 1944 - D-Day + 53
Operation Cobra is already in the past, but it brought the expected result. After breaking through the front near St Lô, the US VIII Corps continued to pursue the enemy with its 4th and 6th Armored Divisions and motorized infantry commands.
more informationJuly 28, 1944 - D-Day + 52
The huge Allied offensive code-named Operation Cobra has been underway in the area southwest of St Lô on the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, France for the fourth day now.
more informationJuly 27, 1944 - D-Day + 51
Day 3 of Operation Cobra showed that it was not the enemy’s defense, but natural barriers that were slowing the advance of the US VIII Corps, attacking from the Army’s west flank.
more informationJuly 26, 1944 - D-Day + 50
The VII Corps’ offensive to thrust through German lines and conclusively break the SS and Wehrmacht’s resistance in Normandy was joined by the US VIII Corps, maneuvering on the western flank of the First Army.
more informationJuly 25, 1944 - D-Day + 49
On July 25, 1944, General Eisenhower ordered the creation of the 12th Army Group which would subsequently be commanded by General Omar N. Bradley.
more informationJuly 24, 1944 - D-Day + 48
On July 24, 1944, the aerial part of Operation Cobra was launched according to plan. The weather was so poor, however, that the offensive was put on hold till the following day.
more informationJuly 23, 1944 - D-Day + 47
On July 23, 1944, General Henry D. G. Crerar’s First Canadian Army took command of the British I Corps on the eastern flank of the “British-Canadian” front.
more informationJuly 22, 1944 - D-Day + 46
On the “French” front, part of the US VII Corps’ 90th Infantry Division advanced to the St Germain sur Séves area in the course of July 22, 1944, but was subsequently forced to retreat under enemy pressure.
more informationJuly 21, 1944 - D-Day + 45
There were no major changes on the French front today. Units from the US 1st Army and the British Second Army regrouped and replenished. They were anticipating a period of heavy fighting, and as time would show, this would truly be the case.
more informationJuly 20, 1944 - D-Day + 44
The US 1st Army continued to prepare for the upcoming Operation Cobra. As this was to be a decisive attack that would help break the front, preparations were extensive.
more informationJuly 19, 1944 - D-Day + 43
On July 19, 1944, the US First Army’s XIX Corps continued to carry out clearing missions in the center of the practically destroyed city of St Lô.
more informationJuly 18, 1944 - D-Day + 42
Today’s big news was the liberation of St Lô on the “American” front. By capturing this city, the US First Army’s XIX Corps successfully put an end to the Battle of the Hedgerows and gained a valuable foothold for its upcoming offensive with the code name Cobra.
more informationJuly 17, 1944 - D-Day + 41
Today’s big news was that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had been injured. The “Desert Fox”, as Rommel had been nicknamed while head of the German Afrika Korps, suffered serious injuries when his car was received hits from a fighter aircraft.
more informationJuly 16, 1944 - D-Day + 40
With the 9th Infantry Division on the right and the 30th Infantry Division on the left flanks, the US First Army’s VII Corps continued to advance south to the highway between Périers and St Lô.
more informationJuly 15, 1944 - D-Day + 39
The US First Army halted its offensive west of the Taute River and started the extensive regrouping of the entire army in preparation for Operation Cobra.
more informationJuly 14, 1944 - D-Day + 38
The US VIII Corps, which advanced along the Ay and Séves Rivers, was ordered to halt by the US First Army. Major General Manton S. Eddy’s 9th Infantry Division from the VII Corps continued, even despite fierce enemy resistance in clearing operations in the Les Champs-de-Losque – Le Désert area.
more informationJuly 13, 1944 - D-Day + 37
The Commander of the First US Army, General Omar Bradley, approved the preliminary plan for Operation Cobra; designating the borders between individual corps would be eventually tacked on to the plan.
more informationJuly 12, 1944 - D-Day + 36
With over thirty days of combat deployment behind them, the 101st Airborne Division started to return to England to rest, replenish their troops and train.
more informationJuly 11, 1944 - D-Day + 35
Two days after the fall of Caen, the US First Army launched a major offensive with four corps attacking. The US V Corps advanced on the eastern wing, while the VIII Corps headed in the direction below La Haye-du-Puits.
more informationJuly 10, 1944 - D-Day + 34
On the day after liberating Caen, Allied Ground Forces Commander General Bernard Montgomery issued an order to the US First Army to carry out “Operation Cobra” to the south of the Allied front.
more informationJuly 9, 1944 - D-Day + 33
The US VIII Corps attempted to advance beyond La Haye-du-Puits, but they were able to gain just a small piece of land due to two major obstacles – the unyielding enemy and the infamous hedgerows.
more informationJuly 8, 1944 - D-Day + 32
With the force of the 79th Infantry Division from the west, the US VIII Corps occupied La Haye-du-Puits. The 8th Infantry Division, under the command of Brigadier General Donald A. Stroh, just landed at the beaches of Normandy and was deployed on the line between the 79th and 90th Infantry Divisions.
more informationJuly 7, 1944 - D-Day + 31
Today’s main news is the British Second Army’s preparations for a general attack on Caen. In the effort to prepare the road for land forces, on the night from July 7-8 heavy bombers from Bomber Command RAF dropped 2,662 tons of bombs on military targets.
more informationJuly 6, 1944 - D-Day + 30
It is July 6, 1944. The Allied armies have been attacking the Wehrmacht’s defense positions in France for one month now. The big news of the day is that General George S. Patton’s US Third Army had set up a command post in Néhou.
more informationJuly 5, 1944 - D-Day + 29
In the course of the day, the 359th Infantry Regiment of the 90th Infantry Division made significant gains. The improved weather allowed tactical aircraft to support the advancing infantry and destroy hotbeds of enemy resistance.
more informationJuly 4, 1944 - D-Day + 28
Moving on the western flank of the attack unit, the US First Army’s VIII Corps continued in its slow advance through the French countryside. The 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel William Ekman from the 82nd Airborne Division, occupied Hill 95 located about a mile north of La Haye-du-Puits.
more informationJuly 3, 1944 - D-Day + 27
The First Army used its western flank to launch the main offensive which the history books would later call the “Battle of the Hedgerows”.
more informationJuly 2, 1944 - D-Day + 26
It’s July 2, 1944. The 21st Army Group has started to regroup its forces for the upcoming offensive that aims to break through the enemy’s defense line and return the Allied troops to return to the offensive.
more informationJuly 1, 1944 - D-Day + 25
July 1944 has begun. For not quite four weeks now, the Allied forces have been attacking the occupying forces in France. They broke through the legendary Atlantic Wall and plowed through parts of Normandy.
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