The story
The 5th Infantry Division conducted an active defense in the vicinity of Caumont-l’Êventé, fixing the German units to its front.
It also rotated subordinate units to rest and refit for the major breakthrough offensive, codenamed COBRA.
COBRA envisioned a massive “carpet bombing” followed by three infantry divisions attacking to punch a hole in enemy lines, and then two armored divisions and a motorized infantry division exploiting through the hole thus made.
As enemy frontline resistance crumpled, forces on the flanks 17 of the breakthrough would widen the gap.
The 5th Infantry Division was to the east of the breakthrough sector, and was to attack to fix and then hopefully overwhelm the forces to its immediate front as divisions coming through the gap threatened their rear.
COBRA was set for 21 July, but was postponed to 22, 24 and then 25 July because of weather.
On the morning of 25 July more than 2,400 Allied planes dropped more than 4,000 tons of bombs within a six-square-mile sector of the German front west of Saint-Lô.
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You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.