| << Previous | Index | Next >> | ||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
A view of Saint-Jean-des-Baisants looking to the west. The village suffered from a large amount of artillery fire during fighting to capture area from the Germans.
The village had a commanding position over the Vire, and the whole area was strongly held by the Germans which prevented the Americans of Corlett's XIX Corps from exploiting the capture of Saint-Lô during Operation Cobra. It was an immediate objective of Gerow's V Corps. He intended to take the village in a pincer attack by elements of the 2nd and 5th Infantry Divisions who attacked on the morning of the 26th after an artillery preparation by British and American artillery. The attack made some progress and captured 300 prisoners, and the advance continued on the 27th. The German defensive system in the area was not broken until the 35th Infantry Division joined the attack on the 28th.