Chapter XV
Exploiting the Breach

Footnotes

1. FUSA FO 2, 28 Jul; see FUSA Msg, 1100, 28 Jul, FUSA G-3 Jnl.

2. XIX Corps Ltr of Instr 3, 20 Jul.

3. V Corps FO's 12 and 13, 16 and 21 Jul; V Corps Operations in the ETO, pp. 113ff.; see S. Sgt. Jose M. Topete, Maj. Franklin Ferriss, and Lt. Hollis Alpert, Operations of V Corps, 26 July-15 August (hereafter cited Topete et al., Opns of V Corps), a preliminary MS, Hist Div, USFET, 1946, OCMH Files.

4. V Corps AAR, Jul, Ltr of Instrs to the 5th Div, 24 Jul, FO 13, 21 Jul, Ltr of Instrs supplementing FO 12, 24 Jul, and G-3 Situation Map, 2030, 25 Jul; Memo, Maj Gen S. LeRoy Irwin to Gen Gerow, 23 Jul, V Corps G-3 Jnl.

5. FUSA Ltr, Relief of 1st Div by 5th Inf Div, 11 Jul, and Msgs, FUSA G-3 Jnl, 12-14 Jul; V Corps History, p. 124; Gen Bd Arty Rpt, App. C; V Corps Ord Sec Rpt, V Corps AAR, Jul.

6. Observations of the Div Comdr During Jul, 2d Div AAR, Jul; 2d Div FO 6, 19 Jul; 5th Div FO 2, 17 Jul, and FO 3, 22 Jul; V Corps Ltr of Instrs to 5th Div, 24 Jul.

7. V Corps History, p. 121; Gen Bd Arty Rpt, App. C; V Corps Ord Sec Rpt, V Corps AAR, Jul.

8. 9th Inf AAR, Jul; Observations of the Div Comdr During Jul, 2d Div AAR, Jul; 741st Tk Bn AAR, Jul.

9. S. Sgt. Edward V. Maloney of the 38th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, who though mortally wounded continued to fire the guns of his tank to cover the defensive preparations of his unit, was posthumously awarded the DSC. Pfc. Clifford L. Curry of the same unit walked through fire on the battlefield to rescue a wounded soldier. All fire "ceased in salute" as he carried the wounded man back to safety. He was awarded the DSC.

10. The intensity of the combat may be judged from the fact that five soldiers of the 5th Division were awarded the DSC, two posthumously: Pfc. Milo J. Flynn, Pfc. Amijan O. Lazar, Pvt. Jack Gill, S. Sgt. Richard F. Heinzelman, and T. Sgt. Lloyd N. Peterson.

11. V Corps G-2 Per Rpts, 26 and 27 Jul. Losses for the 2d Infantry were officially placed at 147, a low figure produced in compliance with a First Army order that estimates of men missing in action were to be "no higher than absolutely necessary." (5th Div G-1 Jnl, 26 Jul.) To equate its reported figures and its actual losses, the division reported higher losses during the succeeding days. General Irwin, Personal Diary; see also Topete et al., Opns of V Corps, p. 25.

12. Observations of the Div Comdr During Jul, 2d Div AAR, Jul; Comments, 5th Div AAR, Jul.

13. 2d Div G-3 Jnl, 27 Jul, and G-3 Per Rpt, 27 Jul; V Corps G-2 Per Rpt, 27 Jul.

14. V Corps FO 14, 27 Jul; Gerow Memo, 27 Jul, V Corps G-3 Jnl.

15. 35th Div AAR, Jul, FO 8, 27 Jul, G-3 Jnl, 27 Jul, G-3 Per Rpt, 27 Jul; XIX Corps Ltr of Instr 3, 20 Jul.

16. First U.S. Army, Report of Operations, I, 102.

17. FUSA G-2 Per Rpt 48, 28 Jul.

18. Ltr, Bradley to Eisenhower, 28 Jul, Pogue Files.

19. FUSA G-2 Est 12, 28 Jul.

20. FUSA FO 2, 28 Jul.

21. First U.S. Army, Report of Operations, I, 10406.

22. TUSA AAR, I, Ch. 2; Ltr, Bradley to Eisenhower, 28 Jul, Pogue Files.

23. Montgomery, Normandy to the Baltic, p. 139; British Army of the Rhine, Battlefield Tour, Operation BLUECOAT, 8 Corps Operations South of Caumont, 30-31 July 44 (Germany: Printing and Stationery Service, Control Commission for Germany, 1947) (hereafter cited as Operation BLUECOAT), p. 1; FUSA G-2 Per Rpt 48, 28 Jul; Stacey, The Canadian Army, pp. 190-93.

24. British Army of the Rhine, Operation BLUECOAT, p. 1; Conf Notes, 1100, 28 Jul, and 1645, 28 Jul, FUSA G-3 Misc File.

25. V Corps Memo, FUSA FO 2, 28 Jul, and penciled note, V Corps G-3 Jnl.

26. V Corps G-2 Sec Tactical Study of the Terrain, 30 Jul; XIX Corps G-2 Est of Bocage, 25 Jul.

27. V Corps FO, 29 Jul, and G-3 Situation Map, 2030, 28 Jul; 5th Div Outline Plan, 0230, 27 Jul.

28. Msg, Kluge to Hausser, 28 Jul, AGp B Op. Befehle, p. 195; Telecon, Tempelhoff and Pemsel, 0935, 28 Jul, AGp B KTB.

29. V Corps G-3 Jnl, 29 Jul.

30. Telecon, Robertson and Hirschfelder, 1930, 29 Jul, 2d Div G-3 Jnl. On the previous day, Colonel Hirschfelder, the 9th Infantry commander, had inspired his assault troops by turning his back to enemy fire and, in full view of the Germans, had removed his helmet, placed his hands on his hips, and asked his men what was holding them up. This display of courage and of psychological inspiration provided the spark for continued attack. Colonel Hirschfelder was awarded the DSC.

31. V Corps FO 16, 29 Jul, Ltr of Instrs, 29 Jul, and Memos for the Record by the CofS, 1120 and 1250, 29 Jul.

32. Telecon, Robertson and Hirschfelder, 0920, 30 Jul, 2d Div G-3 Jnl.

33. 35th Div G-3 Per Rpt 22, 31 Jul; Ltr, Brig Gen Ralph W. Zwicker to OCMH, 14 Mar 56, OCMH files. Three members of the 5th Division were awarded the DSC for heroic action that day: 1st Lt. Arthur J. Miller, S. Sgt. Konstanty Gugala, and Pfc. Henry N. Powell, the latter posthumously.

34. 2d Div G-2 Per Rpt and G-3 Jnl, 31 Jul; 35th Div FO 11, 30 Jul, and G-2 Per Rpt, 31 Jul; 5th Div AAR, Jul, and G-2 Per Rpt, 31 Jul; Gerow Msg, 1930, 30 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

35. Telecon, 0030, 31 Jul, AGp B KTB; Msg, AGp B to II Para Corps (for information to the Seventh Army and Panzer Group West), 31 Jul, AGp B Op. Befehle, p. 206.

36. See the corps and div G-3 Jnls, 31 Jul.

37. V Corps G-3 Situation Map, 2030, 29 Jul.

38. Telecon, Gerow and Irwin, 1710, 31 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

39. 2d Lt. John F. Hermanspan, Jr., of the 35th Division, after withdrawing his platoon from a village, discovered that six wounded men had been abandoned there. Hermanspan re-entered the village and created a diversion to cover the evacuation of the casualties. Fatally wounded, Hermanspan was posthumously awarded the DSC.

40. Telecon, Gen Gerow and Col Charles W. Yuill, 1645, 31 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

41. Telecon, Gerow and Irwin, 1710, 31 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

42. Telecon, Gerow and Irwin, 1750, 31 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File. According to V Corps Operations in the ETO, page 150, the British secured permission to move the armored unit on the road net across the 5th Division front. Who gave permission is not stated.

43. V Corps Msg, 1750, 31 Jul, and Telecon, Gerow and Irwin, 1910, 31 Jul, 5th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

44. 5th Div G-3 Jnl, entries 1840, 1855, and 2245, 31 Jul.

45. Opn BLUECOAT, pp. 1-2, 47; Leigh-Mallory, "Despatch," Fourth Supplement to the London Gazette of December 31, 1946; see Wilmot, The Struggle for Europe, pp. 395-98.

46. Telecon, Tempelhoff and Zimmerman, 1910, 26 Jul, AGp B KTB; OB WEST KTB, 26 Jul.

47. Telecons, Tempelhoff and Speidel, 1010, 27 Jul, and Kluge and Pemsel, 1700, 27 Jul, AGp B KTB; OB WEST KTB, 27 Jul, and Anlage 875.

48. Telecons, Kluge and Warlimont, 0925, 28 Jul, Kluge and Cause, 1303, 28 Jul, and Kluge and Blumentritt, 1645, 28 Jul, AGp B KTB.

49. Telecon, Kluge and his son Guenther, a lt col, 1800, 28 Jul, and Speidel and Pemsel, 1350, 28 Jul, AGp B KTB; AGp B KTB, 29 Jul, Darstellung der Ereignisse; Choltitz, Soldat Unter Soldaten, p. 208; MS # P-59 (Stoeckler).

50. Telecon, Kluge and Warlimont, 0925, 28 Jul, AGp B KTB; Der Westen (Schramm).

51. FUSA Memo, 23 Jul, and Msg, 0015, 28 Jul, FUSA G-3 Jnl; 28th and 29th Div AAR's, Jul; XIX Corps Ltrs of Instr, 6, 1130, and 9, 2330, 27 Jul, and G-3 Per Rpt 51, 28 Jul.

52. Telecon, Hobbs, 2210, 27 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

53. Intel Annex to XIX Corps FO 8, 0300, 28 Jul.

54. 2d Armd Div G-3 Jnl, entry 1130, 27 Jul; 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entries 1540, 2100, 2305, 27 Jul.

55. Intel Annex to XIX Corps FO 8, 0300, 28 Jul.

56. XIX Corps FO 8, 28 Jul.

57. 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entry 1550, 28 Jul; Telecons, Corlett and Hobbs, 1313 and 1937, 28 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

58. XIX Corps FO 8, 28 Jul.

59. Msg, Kluge to Hausser, 28 Jul, AGp B Op. Befehle, p. 195; Telecon, Tempelhoff and Pemsel, 0935, 28 Jul, AGp B KTB.

60. [Maj. Franklin Ferriss], Operations of 30th Infantry Division, 24 July-1 August (hereafter cited [Ferriss], Opns of 30th Div), a preliminary MS, Hist Div USFET, 1946, OCMH Files; 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entry 1955, 30 Jul; Telecon, Hobbs and Kelly, 1413, 29 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File; 117th Inf S-3 Rpt, 30 Jul.

61. 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entries 0540, 0910, 1342, 1347, and 1350, 29 Jul; 30th Sig Co Unit Rpt, 29 Jul; Hewitt, Story of the 30th Infantry Division, pp. 43ff. S. Sgt. J. W. Parks, who though wounded took command of a platoon after both the platoon leader and the sergeant became casualties, T. Sgt. Fred D. Steelman, who exercised heroic leadership, and S. Sgt. Frederick W. Unger were awarded the DSC for their actions.

62. 30th Div Ltr of Instr, 30 Jul; Overlay to Accompany Verbal FO Issued 1140, 30 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

63. The following account is taken largely from [Pillsbury], 2d Armored Div in Opn COBRA, pp. 32ff., and from the 2d Armored Div AAR, Jul.

64. XIX Corps FO 9, 2330, 29 Jul.

65. 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entries 1440 and 1539, 30 Jul.

66. [Pillsbury], 2d Armored Div in Opn COBRA, pp. 36-39.

67. [Maj Franklin Ferriss], Notes on the Opns of the XIX Corps, 28 Jul 44-13 Jan 45 (hereafter cited [Ferriss], Notes), ML-2208; see Hodgson, R-58.

68. 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entry 1440, 31 Jul.

69. S. Sgt. Walter R. Tauchert, armed with a rifle and grenade launcher, destroyed two machine guns, routed an armored vehicle, and enabled his platoon to reach its objective. He was awarded the DSC posthumously.

70. XIX Corps Msg, 1450, 31 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File; 28th Div AAR, Jul.

71. [Ferriss], Opns of 30th Div, pp. 31-32; 30th Div Msg, 1005, 31 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

72. Hansen was awarded the DSC.

73. Telecon, Hobbs, 1510, 31 Jul; 30th Div G-3 Jnl, entries 0429 and 1855, 31 Jul; Hewitt, Story of the 30th Infantry Division, pp. 44-45; [Ferriss], Opns of 30th Div, p. 32.

74. Telecon, 0030, 31 Jul, AGp B KTB; AGp B Msg, 31 Jul, AGp B Op. Befehle, p. 206.

75. Telecon, Corlett and Hobbs, 1923, 31 Jul, 30th Div G-3 Jnl and File.

76. XIX Corps Ltrs of Instr, 10 and 11, 31 Jul.

77. Quoted in Hewitt, Story of the 30th Infantry Division, p. 45.

78. Hewitt, Story of the 30th Infantry Division, pp. 45-46; [Ferriss], Opns of 30th Div, pp. 35-36; XIX Corps G-3 Per Rpts 54 and 55, 31 Jul and 1 Aug.



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